The Ottawa Charge continued their lengthy road trip on Wednesday night (March 18) when they visited the Minnesota Frost at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. This was the fourth meeting between the two teams this season, with the Charge holding a 2-1 edge in the season series.
Ottawa came in placed fifth with 28 points in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), just three points back of the Toronto Sceptres for the fourth playoff spot. Minnesota started the game in second place with 36 points.
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It was tough sledding for the visiting team in this one. The Frost pounced on the Charge early, and they were never really able to build any sort of comeback as they were suffocated on offence and had some struggles in net as well. Minnesota won by a score of 5-0.
Charge Have Disastrous Start
It doesn’t get much worse than the first period Ottawa had in this game. Taylor Heise banked one awkwardly off Gwyneth Philips‘ paddle 27 seconds in, followed by three more later in the period in under a two-minute span. Philips was pulled after the first three of the game, then Kendra Woodland allowed one more in the frame on the first chance she saw in her PWHL career. The goaltenders had a tough time.
It wasn’t all on the netminders, however. The Charge were stuck in their end for long periods of time to start the game, with the Frost sending all kinds of pressure their way. They didn’t even register their first shot of the contest until after the ten-minute mark. Offensive chances were seldom in the first half of the game, and they couldn’t get any real sustained zone time until late in the second.
It’s safe to say Ottawa will just wipe this one from their memory and move to the next, but the one thing that needs to be much improved is their play from the jump.
Charge Need to Stay Disciplined
Another big problem the Charge had in this game was penalties. They took four penalties, including two early in the second. While already down four goals at that point, it put them at even more of a disadvantage and stopped them from building any momentum. Luckily, the Frost weren’t able to convert on any of them, but it’s still a problem.
The Frost didn’t take any penalties and were able to keep Ottawa from getting on the comeback trail. The more disciplined team won, and it’s something to think about moving forward for head coach Carla MacLeod and company.
Woodland, Hemp Played Solid
Despite the ugly loss, the team can still look to a couple of young players as a bright spot. Woodland, as mentioned, came in and allowed a goal right away, but she looked good once she settled in against a high-powered Frost offence. She stopped 14 shots, allowing just one more goal beyond the first period. Considering the circumstances, it’s a decent debut for the rookie with some good things to take away.
Another young gun that should be highlighted is rookie winger Peyton Hemp. She battled hard, putting up three shots on goal and three hits in 15:11 of ice time. It was a homecoming game for her, being from Minnesota, so, despite the result, it was a great experience for the rookie.
“Yeah it was super fun, definitely long-awaited and lots of family and support. I wish it was a different outcome, but it was definitely fun to play in Minnesota,” she told the media when asked about her first professional game in her home state.
Charge Have Three Left on Road Trip
It’ll be three more away from home for Ottawa before finishing off a six-game trip. All game times are listed in Mountain Daylight Time.
Their next game will be on Sunday night (March 22) when they take on the Montreal Victoire in Winnipeg, Manitoba as part of the Takeover Tour (5 p.m.). From there, they take on the Seattle Torrent on March 29 a week later (5 p.m. MDT), and finally the Toronto Sceptres in another Takeover Tour game in Calgary, Alberta, on April 1 (7:30 p.m.).
