Charge Move On to Walter Cup Final With 2-1 Win Over Victoire

On Friday, May 16, the Montreal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge faced off at TD Place for Game 4 of their playoff series. The Charge won 2-1 and move on to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Final.

Game Recap

Two minutes into the first period, Ottawa was making their presence known. Two minutes into the game, Rebecca Leslie stole the puck away from the Victoire in Montreal’s offensive zone. Leslie made a drive to the net with Anna Meixner. On a 2-on-1 breakaway, Meixner took a shot that Ann-Renee Desbiens blocked. Leslie picked up the rebound and put the puck into the back of the net.

In the second period, both the Charge and the Victoire earned a penalty. Four minutes in, Kristin O’Neill took a seat for tripping, and ten minutes later, Emily Clark took a seat for tripping as well. Both penalties were killed, and the second ended with the same score, 1-0 Charge.

Just 31 seconds into the third, Jocelyne Larocque took a shot on the net, which was blocked by Desbiens. Clark picked up the rebound and skated it to the front of the net. With a shot, she increased the Charge’s lead.

With five minutes remaining in the third, Jennifer Gardiner knocked the puck into the center of the ice, and Maureen Murphy picked it up. She skated it up to the net, drawing the puck towards her body and then taking a shot. The initial shot was blocked, but Murphy picked up the rebound and sent it into the back of the net. While the Victoire made an attempt to tie the game, it was not enough, and the Charge eliminated Montreal from the playoffs.

Final Begins Tuesday

The Charge will host the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday, May 20 for Game 1 of the Final.