In a thrilling post-Christmas clash, the Ottawa Charge delivered an early gift to their fans, extending their winning streak to three games with a dramatic 3-2 shootout victory over the Professional Women's Hockey League-leading Boston Fleet on Saturday afternoon.
Late Heroics Force Overtime
The game, played at a buzzing TD Place arena, seemed destined to end in regulation favour of the visitors. The Boston Fleet had battled back from an early deficit to take a 2-1 lead into the final minutes of the third period. However, with just 2:58 remaining on the clock, Ottawa's Fanuza Kadirova authored a moment of individual brilliance. Driving hard off the right wing and while being hauled down, she managed to slip the puck past Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel, knotting the score at 2-2 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
A Shootout for the Ages
The momentum carried into a back-and-forth overtime period where both netminders stood tall, making several key saves to keep their teams alive. When five minutes of three-on-three play solved nothing, the contest moved to a shootout. The drama intensified as the shootout stretched into extra rounds. Charge captain Brianne Jenner scored in the seventh round to extend the competition, then delivered the decisive goal in the eighth round to clinch the extra point for Ottawa.
Jenner was deservedly named the game's first star, while Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips earned second-star honours after turning aside 34 shots through 65 minutes of play. Frankel was stellar in the Boston net with 30 saves. The loss was only the second of the season for the powerhouse Fleet.
Climbing the Standings
The crucial victory marked a significant step forward for the Charge. Improving their record to 1-3-0-5, the team climbed out of the PWHL basement and into sixth place in the eight-team league. The win followed a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Toronto Sceptres just before the holiday break, giving the squad its first three-game winning streak of the season.
The game was not without its physical edge, as a first-period scuffle in front of the Ottawa net involving players like Alexa Vasko and Olivia Mobley demonstrated the high stakes. Ottawa's scoring opened earlier when Stephanie Markowski beat Frankel at the 15:42 mark of the first period. Boston responded in the second with goals from Olivia Mobley and Haley Winn.
The Charge will now look to make it four consecutive wins when they return to TD Place to host the Minnesota team on Saturday, January 3, at 1 p.m.
