3 Takeaways From Charge’s 2-1 Win Over Victoire in Game 3 of Walter Cup Final – The Hockey Writers – Ottawa Charge

On Monday, May 18, the Ottawa Charge hosted the Montreal Victoire for Game 3 of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Walter Cup Final. This was the first game of the series to be played in Ottawa, and Montreal had a 2-0 lead.

Similar to the two prior games, this was a highly defensive game with no change in score in the first 40 minutes. Seven minutes into the third period, the Victoire were on the board first. Seven minutes later, the Charge tied the game. This game was primed to go into overtime, just like Games 1 and 2, but a goal from Ottawa with 56 seconds remaining was the game-winner. The Charge ended the game with a 2-1 win, taking their first win in the Walter Cup Final. 

Hemp Tied the Game 

For the first time in the Walter Cup Final, the Victoire scored first. The Charge had scored the first goal in Games 1 and 2, but that wasn’t the case here. Even though Montreal scored first, the Charge managed to even the score shortly after. 

Emily Clark dumped the puck around the boards, and Peyton Hemp picked it up. She passed it to Ronja Salvolainen at the blue line. She sent a shot careening towards the net, and Gabbie Hughes collected the rebound. She passed it up towards Hemp, who was next to the net. She sent the puck behind Ann-Renee Desbiens to tie the game. 

This goal marked Hemp’s first point of the playoffs. In Games 1 and 2 of the semifinals against the Minnesota Frost, she recorded three shots. This was the first game since then that Hemp recorded three shots, and she was clearly rewarded for her efforts. Hemp had nine points in 30 games in the regular season. She hasn’t had the greatest offensive performance in her rookie season, but she helped earn the Charge the victory in this game. 

Leslie Scored a Last-Minute Goal 

All signs were pointing to Game 3 also going into overtime. The Charge changed that narrative in the final seconds. Sarah Wozniewicz gained control of the puck. She skated it up to the net and took a shot, which bounced off the post. The rebound went straight to Rebecca Leslie, and she put it into the net to take the lead with just 56 seconds remaining. 

The goal was under review for a potential missed stoppage of play, but the call on the ice was deemed a good goal after review. 

With her goal in this game, Leslie now leads the Charge in playoff points. This is also her third goal in the Walter Cup Final, after she scored two in Game 1. As an Ottawa native, the crowd went wild for her game-winning goal, and for good reason. During the postgame media, Leslie was asked how she felt about scoring the game-winner and stated, “Honestly, at a loss for words, it’s so special…nothing kind of compares to how I felt in that moment. It was truly such an honor.” Leslie continues to be a bright spot for the Charge throughout the postseason. 

Philips Continues to Shine 

The success of the Charge can be attributed almost entirely to Gwyneth Philips. She made 27 saves on 28 shots, earning her a save percentage (SV%) of .964. This was her highest SV% of the Walter Cup Final, as well as the first game in the series where she only allowed one goal. Her record for the postseason improves to 4-1-2. 

Philips has been strong through both the semifinal series and the Walter Cup Final. In this game, her team finally awarded her with a win to demonstrate how strong she has been. Philips needs to continue playing the way she has the entire time if the Charge intend to force the series to a Game 5. 

Charge Force Game 4

The two teams will remain in Ottawa, where the Charge will host the Victoire for Game 4 on Wednesday, May 20.