In a pivotal Professional Women's Hockey League matchup, the Montreal Victoire delivered a decisive blow to a key rival's momentum, edging the Ottawa Charge 2-1 on Tuesday night. The victory, fueled by a standout performance from forward Shiann Darkangelo against her former club, snapped Ottawa's impressive six-game winning streak and reshuffled the league's upper echelon.
Darkangelo Delivers in Key Matchup
The narrative of the night centered on Shiann Darkangelo, who faced the team she once played for. Darkangelo was instrumental in Montreal's success, contributing a goal and an assist to lead the offensive charge. Her efforts were complemented by a goal from defender Jessica DiGirolamo, providing the Victoire with just enough firepower to secure the win.
Montreal played without forward Abby Roque, who was serving a one-game suspension for a hit to the head delivered in a previous game. Hayley Scamurra stepped into the starting lineup alongside stars Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey. Notably, the top line was held off the scoresheet, with Poulin being held pointless for only the third time this season.
Goaltenders Shine as Offense Stalls
The game was a testament to strong goaltending and defensive play. For Ottawa, netminder Gwyneth Philips was busy, turning aside 29 of the 31 shots she faced to keep her team in contention. At the other end of the ice, Montreal's Ann-Renée Desbiens had a less hectic but equally effective night, stopping 17 of 18 shots.
The Charge's offense, which had been rolling during their win streak, ran dry at a critical moment. Ottawa managed to put only three shots on Desbiens in the entire third period, struggling to generate sustained pressure. Their lone goal came from Ronja Savolainen with a mere three seconds remaining in regulation, a last-ditch effort that brought the score to 2-1 but proved too little, too late.
Standings Shakeup and What's Next
The two points earned from this tightly contested battle had immediate implications for the PWHL standings. The win propelled the Montreal Victoire into a tie for second place with the Minnesota Frost, just four points behind the league-leading Boston squad.
Montreal will look to carry this momentum into their next contest, a Sunday afternoon matchup against the New York Sirens. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. ET start and will be broadcast on CBC and Radio-Canada.
