3 Takeaways From Charge’s 2-1 OT Loss to Victoire in Game 2 of Walter Cup Final

On Saturday, May 16, the Ottawa Charge took on the Montreal Victoire for Game 2 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup Final. The Victoire took Game 1, and heading into this game, the Charge were looking to even the series. 

Eight minutes into the first period, the Charge were on the board first. They held their lead up until the opening seconds of the second period, when the Victoire tied the game. With no change in score for the rest of regulation, this game went into overtime to decide the winner. Fourteen minutes in, the Victoire scored, and the Charge lost 2-1 in overtime. 

Wozniewicz Continues to Excel 

Eight minutes into the first period, the Charge were on the board. Gabbie Hughes had the puck in front of the net and took a shot. It was a mad scramble to get the puck into the net, and Sarah Wozniewicz got her stick on the puck to open the scoring in Game 2. 

Wozniewicz was stellar for the Charge throughout the regular season, and she has been especially great in the playoffs. She scored her first goal of the playoffs in Game 4 of the semifinals against the Boston Fleet. Wozniewicz also recorded an assist in Game 1 of the Walter Cup Final, which now gives her a three-game point streak. 

This is Wozniewicz’s rookie season, and she has been a strong addition to the Charge for the 2025-26 season. She will need to keep these skills honed to try and give Ottawa a fighting chance as the Walter Cup Final heads to Game 3. 

Charge Couldn’t Hold Onto Their Lead 

For the second time in the Walter Cup Final, the Charge scored first but couldn’t hold onto their lead. In Game 1, Ottawa scored first in the second period, and the Victoire evened the score in the third. Three minutes later, the Charge scored again to take the lead back. Montreal scored again with seconds remaining to tie the game and force it to go into overtime. 

In Game 2, Ottawa scored in the first period, and then the Victoire tied the game in the second. The Charge couldn’t connect again to score a goal in either the third period or overtime. Ottawa continues to start out strong, but then collapses throughout the rest of the game. As the series progresses to Game 3, Ottawa needs to find a way to hold onto the lead that they started with. 

Officials Were Not on the Charge’s Side

The end result of Game 2 could have been a lot different if the officials had made a different call. As the Victoire made a push for the net with six minutes left in overtime, Kaitlin Willoughby’s stick got caught on Emma Greco’s skate, sending her to the ice. Despite the fact that Greco was tripped, the play continued, and it resulted in the game-winning goal for the Victoire. 

This was a tough blow for the Charge, as the game was once again in make-or-break territory in the Walter Cup Final. If the officials had blown the whistle and sent Willoughby to the penalty box, the Charge could have had a power-play chance in overtime. Sure, the Charge could have scored on this chance, or the Victoire could have scored shorthanded. There are several different scenarios where either team could have scored and changed the course of the game. 

Regardless of the scenarios that could have resulted in a different end to Game 2, the officiating in the league is an issue the PWHL has to address. The PWHL is expanding to at least three more teams next season, with PWHL Detroit, PWHL Hamilton, and PWHL Las Vegas already set to join the league. This means the pool for officiating will be larger, and there will be more margin for error to occur. The PWHL needs to address this as the Walter Cup Final heads to Game 3. 

Walter Cup Final Heads to Ottawa

The Charge will travel back home and host the Victoire at Canadian Tire Centre on Monday, May 18, for Game 3.