Montreal scores twice in final minutes and rallies to beat Minnesota 4-3 in PWHL

MONTREAL (AP) — Kristin O’Neill scored twice, and Montreal rallied in the final minutes to beat Minnesota 4-3 on Thursday night in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Trailing 3-2, Montreal pulled its goalie for an extra attacker with 2:49 left in the game, and the move paid off. Laura Stacey scored past Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney and tied the game with 2:23 left.

After Minnesota’s Maggie Flaherty took a minor penalty for holding, O’Neill scored her second of the game with 46 seconds remaining, completing the come-from-behind win.

Both teams returned to action after a nearly month-long break for the world championships. Montreal got significant contributions from Canadians who won gold.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Stacey each had a goal and two assists, and Erin Ambrose had four assists for Montreal (8-3-4-5), which snapped a four-game skid. Elaine Chuli made 25 saves.

Poulin, who helped Canada win gold with two goals in the world championship final, returned to PWHL action after missing three games with an undisclosed injury.

Grace Zumwinkle, Kelly Pannek and Brooke Bryant scored for Minnesota (8-4-3-5), which had its five-game win streak snapped. Sophie Jaques had three assists. Rooney stopped 33 shots.

Montreal moved within one point of Minnesota for second place in the league standings. Both teams have four games remaining.

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Minnesota's Sofie Jacques, left, and Montreal's Sarah Bujold vie for the puck during the second period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Minnesota's Brooke Bryant (17) scores on Montreal goaltender Elaine Chuli (20) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal's Mikyla Grant-Mentis, left, collides with Minnesota's Kelly Pannek (12) during the first period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal's Laura Stacey (7) celebrates her tying goal against Minnesota with Maureen Murphy (15) during the third period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal goaltender Elaine Chuli (20) makes a save against Minnesota's Sofie Jaques (5) as Montreal's Marie-Philip Poulin defends during the third period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Montreal's Kristin O'Neill (43) celebrates her goal against Minnesota during the third period of a PWHL hockey game Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Montreal. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

The State Supreme Court has until Aug. 27 to rule on the appeal for the language to be changed.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)