Rebecca Leslie’s outstanding performance led the Ottawa Charge to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Torrent in Ottawa on Wednesday night. Leslie scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals.
As the PWHL action wrapped up before the Olympic break, players from both teams, including eight Charge and six Torrent players, are set to participate in the Winter Games in Italy. Ottawa’s head coach, Carla MacLeod, is also heading to the Olympics as Czechia’s head coach.
In addition to Leslie’s goals, Fanuza Kadirova and Emily Clark also found the back of the net for Ottawa. Gwyneth Philips made 24 saves. For Seattle, Hilary Knight and Jesse Eldridge scored, with Corinne Schroeder making 26 saves.
The game saw a power-play goal by Seattle’s Knight, responding to a chance created by Hannah Bilka. Ottawa’s Kadirova tied the game early in the third period after a turnover in Seattle’s zone.
Leslie, assisted by Brianne Jenner, scored her first goal to level the game, and then clinched victory with her second goal on the power play in the final 30 seconds of regulation. Clark sealed the win with another goal just 13 seconds later.
In other PWHL action, the Montreal Victoire blanked the Toronto Sceptres 3-0, with Ann-Renee Desbiens earning her third shutout of the season. Natalie Mlynkova, Marie-Philip Poulin, and Shiann Darkangelo scored for Montreal, while Raygan Kirk made 28 saves for Toronto.
Montreal dominated the first period with goals from Mlynkova, Poulin, and Darkangelo. The Sceptres struggled to find the net and suffered their third consecutive loss.
The Minnesota Frost defeated the Vancouver Goldeneyes 4-1, with Britta Curl-Salemme scoring twice. Rookie Kendall Cooper also netted her first career goal, and Kelly Pannek continued her scoring streak. Michelle Karvinen scored the lone goal for Vancouver.
Lastly, the Boston Fleet secured a 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Sirens. Alina Muller scored the decisive goal in the eighth round of the shootout, with Aerin Frankel making 30 saves for Boston. Kristyna Kaltounkova stood out for the Sirens with two goals.
The league heads into the Olympic break with exciting matchups ahead, including the Toronto Sceptres hosting the Seattle Torrent and the Montreal Victoire visiting the New York Sirens.