Charge advance to Professional Women’s Hockey League final with 2-1 win over Victoire

By Canadian Press on May 16, 2025.

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Charge are going to the PWHL’s Walter Cup final.

Emily Clark’s third-period goal proved to be the winner as Ottawa edged the Montreal Victoire 2-1 on Friday.

The Charge won the best-of-five Professional Women’s Hockey League semifinal series 3-1.

Ottawa, the third seed, will face the defending champion Minnesota Frost, who defeated the Toronto Sceptres in the other semifinal. The championship final gets underway in Ottawa on Tuesday.

Rebecca Leslie opened the scoring for the Charge two minutes into the game.

Maureen Murphy replied for the Victoire late in the third period.

Clark scored 31 seconds into the third to give Ottawa a 2-0 lead. Clark made a great move to get around Marie-Philip Poulin and drove to the net where she sent a shot to the top corner.

Montreal challenged the goal, saying there was a hand pass on the play, but the goal stood and the Victoire were assessed a penalty for the failed challenge.

Montreal cut the lead in half with 5:02 remaining in regulation when Murphy drove to the net beat Gwyneth Philips shortside. Philips was solid for the Charge, making 19 saves.

Ann-Renee Desbiens made 20 saves, but for the second straight year the Victoire were eliminated by their opponent of choice.

Both teams had power-play chances in the second but were unable to capitalize.

Midway through the period, Tereza Vanisova broke in alone but Desbiens was there to make the initial save, as well as a Brianne Jenner chance.

The Victoire generated three shots on its power play. Philips stopped both Poulin and Stacey,

The Charge got off to a solid start and were rewarded early with Ottawa native Leslie scoring at the two-minute mark of the first period.

Leslie put away her first goal of the playoffs on an Anna Meixner rebound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2025.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press