Record Crowd Witnesses Ottawa Charge's Costly Defeat to Montreal Victoire
The Ottawa Charge experienced a disappointing setback on Good Friday, suffering a 3-0 loss to the Montreal Victoire in front of the largest crowd in franchise history. A remarkable 17,114 fans packed the Canadian Tire Centre to watch the Professional Women's Hockey League matchup, only to see their home team's playoff aspirations take a significant hit.
Former Backup Goalie Returns to Haunt Her Old Team
The story of the night centered on Sandra Abstreiter, the 5-foot-11 goaltender who once served as a backup for the Ottawa Charge. In just her fifth game of the season, Abstreiter delivered a spectacular performance against her former team, stopping all 39 shots she faced to record her first professional shutout.
Remarkably, this was Abstreiter's first significant action of the 2024-25 season, having spent most of the year as Montreal's third-string goaltender. Her stellar performance included earning an assist on Kaitlin Willoughby's opening goal, marking the first point of her professional career.
Playoff Implications Loom Large
The loss proved particularly costly for Ottawa's postseason ambitions. Entering the game battling for the fourth and final playoff spot, the Charge missed a crucial opportunity to overtake the Toronto Sceptres in the standings. Instead, Ottawa now trails Toronto by one point with just five games remaining in the regular season.
"The timing couldn't have been worse," one could observe about the defeat. "With two head-to-head matchups against Toronto still on the schedule, every point becomes critical at this stage of the season."
Game Breakdown and Missed Opportunities
Despite dominating play early and outshooting Montreal 23-10 at one point, Ottawa found themselves trailing 2-0 after two periods. The Victoire's scoring came from:
- Kaitlin Willoughby's first PWHL career goal at 6:21 of the second period
- Abby Roque's seventh goal of the season less than three minutes later
- Willoughby's empty-net goal with 43 seconds remaining to seal the victory
Ottawa's frustration was compounded by several near-misses, including a Sarah Wozniewicz shot that appeared to cross the goal line but wasn't counted after video review, and another Wozniewicz attempt that rang off the post moments later.
The Charge, who entered the game with the league's second-best power play, failed to convert on two first-period opportunities with the player advantage. Gwyneth Philips made 23 saves in the Ottawa net but couldn't match Abstreiter's shutout performance.
Looking Ahead
The Ottawa Charge will attempt to rebound from this disappointing result when they host the last-place Seattle Torrent on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at TD Place. With playoff positioning on the line and only five games remaining, every contest takes on increased significance for the franchise.
The record crowd witnessed not just a hockey game but a narrative of redemption, as a former backup returned to haunt her old team while potentially altering the playoff landscape in the process.
