Ottawa Charge Even Series with 3–1 Win over Boston Fleet in Game 2

After a 2–1 victory in Game 1 on Thursday, the Boston Fleet returned to Tsongas Center on May 2 looking to take a commanding lead in Round 1 of the Walter Cup Playoffs. Instead, the Ottawa Charge responded with a strong performance, earning a 3–1 win to even the series.

Boston was awarded the game's first power play just 1:28 into the opening period when Ottawa's Kathryn Reilly was called for tripping. Despite crisp puck movement and a few promising chances from the point, the Fleet were unable to capitalize on the early opportunity.

Puck drop of Game 2 between the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge. Courtesy of Karinna Leonard

Ottawa found themselves shorthanded again at 7:37 after Jocelyne Larocque was sent off for cross-checking, but the Charge penalty kill held firm. Momentum began to shift when Boston’s Olivia Mobley took a tripping penalty at 10:26, giving Ottawa its first power play of the game.

As a "Let's go Boston" chant echoed through the arena, Ottawa silenced the crowd at 13:16. Defender Ronja Savolainen fired a shot through traffic from the point, beating Aerin Frankel for her first career PWHL playoff goal. It marked the second straight game in which the Charge opened the scoring, and once again, it came from the blue line.

Courtesy of PWHL_Ottawa/X

Boston held a 14–8 advantage in shots after the first period but trailed 1–0 on the scoreboard. That early shot advantage did little to shift momentum, however, as Ottawa struck again early in the second period.

Ottawa extended its lead when Fanuza Kadirova’s shot from the right circle slipped past Frankel just under two minutes into the frame. While it was a goal the Boston netminder might want back, it was a deserved milestone for Kadirova, who has been a standout presence for Ottawa. Her relentless, aggressive style has made an impact across all three zones.

The Fleet attempted to regroup but were hindered by penalties: Mia Biotti was called for high-sticking at 8:51, followed by captain Megan Keller for illegal body checking at 13:40. Boston successfully killed off both penalties but struggled to generate sustained pressure afterward.

Just as the period appeared to be slipping away, Keller energized the home crowd by scoring her first goal of the series—and her first career playoff goal—with just 10 seconds remaining in the second. As Jay Demille noted on X, "Megan Keller is elite and that was an incredible toe drag and shot. That play was pure effort on Müller's part though. Would have been easy to just kill the puck and get to intermission but she pushed the play forward and set that up." The late tally cut Ottawa’s lead to 2–1 heading into the final frame.

Courtesy of PWHL_Boston/X In front of a sellout crowd of 6,017, the Fleet pushed for an equalizer in the third. But Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips delivered a steady performance, including several key stops early in the period to preserve the lead. The second-year netminder, who was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP in 2025 as a rookie, is once again proving why she is a world-class goalie.

Boston pulled Frankel for the extra attacker late in the game, but Ottawa sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Gabbie Hughes at 18:30.

The Ottawa Charge celebrating Gwyneth Philips and their win. Courtesy of PWHL_Ottawa/X

Despite the loss, Fleet head coach Kris Sparre was encouraged by his team’s performance. "You know, I thought we certainly had enough chances to win," Sparre said. "If you play this game that we played tonight 10 times, you should win it 8 or 9 times. The amount of opportunities we had to score and did not score. There's not a lot that needs to change."

With the win, the Charge evened the series at one game apiece as it shifts to Ottawa. Taylor House described the team's excitement to return home, saying, "I think I can speak for everybody in the room that we're really excited to get back in front our own fans and to fill CTC [Canadian Tire Center] and kind of have that type of energy back in Ottawa to get those two games."

Head coach Carla MacLeod echoed that focus and turned her attention to Game 3: "We're well aware it's a series, right? No different than game one, you sort of put it in a box, you put it on the shelf. Great. Game two, you put it in a box, you put it on the shelf. Every game is its own entity. So it's not lost on us that yes, today it was good to get the split—there's a ton of work to be done. So, you know, we maintain that positivity. We maintain that focused energy because we know there's still a lot in front of us, but certainly excited to continue it when we get back to Ottawa. "

Notably, each of Ottawa’s goals came from a player scoring her first career PWHL playoff goal in the 3–1 victory. With the series now tied, the momentum shifts north to Ottawa, where a pivotal Game 3 awaits on May 8.

Edited by: Kelly Cassette