WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Rugby great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has announced she will come out of international retirement in the hope of playing for New Zealand at the Women’s World Cup in Britain later this year.
Woodman-Wickliffe, who is the top try-scorer in Women’s World Cup history with 20, has signed a new eight-month contract with New Zealand Rugby which will carry her through the global tournament in August and September.
The 33-year-old winger already has two World Cup winner’s medals from 2017 and 2021 and two Olympic gold medals in rugby sevens from Tokyo and Paris. She is the top try-scorer on the World Sevens Series with 256.
Woodman-Wickliffe retired from international rugby after the Olympics in Paris last year but has reconsidered that decision in a bid to help a New Zealand women’s team which struggled in 2024.
“By week three of ( women’s Super Rugby ) I was at 50% of my decision,” Woodman-Wickliffe said. “Each week in the campaign I thought about the possibility of how I could potentially go to the World Cup more and more.
“I thought about what it would mean to me but most importantly my whanau (family). I needed time to process everything, and making myself available for this team is where I’ve landed.”
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
FILE - New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, left, gets past the challenge of Canada's Chloe Daniels during the women's Pool A Rugby Sevens match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, France, on July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi, File)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Battle of Ontario and moved on to the second round of the NHL playoffs.
Max Pacioretty scored the tiebreaking goal with less than six minutes remaining, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in Game 6 of their first-round matchup.
William Nylander had two goals, including an empty-netter in the final seconds, and an assist, and Auston Matthews added a power-play goal in the first period for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves.
“We came in here with a little bit different mindset,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “It wasn’t do-or-die, but we wanted to finish it off here.
“A little bit more aggressive and on our toes.”
The Maple Leafs advanced to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in their first-round series.
Toronto grabbed a 3-0 series lead, but Ottawa stayed alive with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 and a 4-0 shutout in Game 5.
The Maple Leafs finally put away the Senators in Game 6.
“Nothing else really matters,” Matthews said. “The outside stuff doesn’t really matter. It’s about the guys that are in our room, and the belief in one another, doing it for one another.
“This one feels good.”
Toronto improved to 2-13 in potential series-clinching games since 2018 and advanced in the postseason for just the second time in more than two decades.
“We’re playing for each other,” Stolarz said. “Everyone knows their role, everyone knows their job. We have the confidence.”
Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for Ottawa. Thomas Chabot had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 19 saves.
“I really believed that we were going to come back and win the game,” Tkachuk said. “Just tough, just tough.”
With the game tied at 2, Pacioretty — a heathy scratch to start the series — scored the winner with 5:39 remaining off a pass from Max Domi that beat Ullmark to the glove side. It was Pacioretty's first goal of the playoffs.
Pacioretty, who blew his right Achilles tendon twice in less than 12 months before dealing with a couple injuries this season, contemplated retirement more than a few times, but chose to push on.
It paid off Thursday.
“I thought that I was done playing a number of times,” the 36-year-old forward said. “My story is just one of many. But there’s a lot of resilient guys in this organization, been through a lot as well.
“Guys like that motivate me to keep going.”
Scott Laughton hit the post before Nylander iced it into the empty net with 18.3 seconds left.
Matthews put Toronto up 1-0 on a power play with 70 seconds left in the first period when he fired a low shot through traffic.
Nylander, on his 29th birthday, made it 2-0 just 43 seconds into the second when he ripped a shot past Ullmark after Pacioretty forced a turnover from Senators defenseman Nick Jensen.
Ottawa got on the board at 7:28 when Tkachuk tipped a shot past Stolarz.
Toronto, which beat Ottawa four times in five playoffs series in the early 2000s, came close to restoring its two-goal lead when John Tavares poked a loose puck off the post before Ullmark denied Matthew Knies and Brandon Carlo off the rush.
Perron scored with 7:20 left in regulation to tie it on a shot from below the goal line that went in off Stolarz’s back to make it 2-2.
“That’s a hard-earned series,” Matthews said. “Move on to the next one.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) shoots against Toronto Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton (24) and Steven Lorentz (18) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Michael Amadio, right, is knocked off his skates after a hit into the boards by Toronto Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit (2) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) scores against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during the second period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save against the Ottawa Senators during the second period of an NHL playoff hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander, right, and Matthew Knies (23) celebrate as Auston Matthews (not shown) scores against Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the first period of Game 6 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)
