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Ottawa Charge

Vanišová Sparks Charge, But Ottawa Falls in Overtime

Tereza Vanišová sparked Ottawa’s comeback with the first fight in PWHL history, but the Charge fell short in overtime.

Vanišová Sparks Charge, But Ottawa Falls in Overtime
Ronja Savolainen and Tereza Vanišová celebrating a goal. (Photo Credit: PWHL)

The Ottawa Charge battled back from a two-goal deficit but ultimately fell short in overtime, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Boston Fleet at TD Place. Susanna Tapani delivered the game-winner, capitalizing on a breakaway to hand Ottawa its second consecutive overtime loss and extend Boston’s winning streak to three games.

Slow Start for Ottawa

Boston set the tone early, with Head Coach Courtney Kessel praising their opening period: “Our first period, I thought was great. We got up two and then maybe we sat back a little.” The Fleet dictated play in the first twenty minutes, outskating Ottawa and forcing the Charge into their defensive zone for extended stretches.

Eight minutes into the game, Theresa Schafzahl opened the scoring for Boston, converting on a crisp pass in front of the net. Ottawa struggled to clear the puck, and the Fleet capitalized on their forechecking pressure. Later in the first, Alina Müller extended the lead with a jailbreak goal, showcasing her speed to beat the Ottawa defense and slip the puck past Emerance Maschmeyer. The Charge entered the first intermission down 2-0, needing a spark to change the game’s momentum.

First Fight in the PWHL Ignites Ottawa's Comeback

In the third period, tensions boiled over as Tereza Vanišová and Boston’s Jill Saulnier engaged in a heated exchange.

The altercation sent a jolt through the Charge’s bench, shifting the momentum of the game. “It totally gave us a boost on the bench,” said Ronja Savolainen. “Every player was standing up and cheering for her, so I thought that was a good one.”

Fueled by that energy, Ottawa pushed forward with renewed intensity. With just under four minutes remaining in regulation, Vanišová found Savolainen for a power-play goal to put Ottawa on the board. The fight had ignited a fire in the team, and they weren’t done yet. Head Coach Carla MacLeod saw it as a reflection of the team’s resilience. “We had a tougher start. We could see it. We knew we had to find our way and dig to get out of it.”

Still trailing by one, Ottawa pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. The Charge continued pressing, refusing to back down. With time running out, Vanišová delivered again, burying the game-tying goal with just under three seconds left. Not only did she force overtime, but in doing so, she became the first player in PWHL history to record a Gordie Howe hat trick registering a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game.

Tapani Seals It in OT

Despite Ottawa’s surge, Boston found the answer in overtime. "If you look at the last game’s overtime and this one, we were really pushing to win the hockey game instead of just defending. We had a lot of offensive zone time. We are getting better in that phase even if we would like to tilt the overtime points to get the extra point,” said Ottawa Head Coach Carla MacLeod.

The Charge dominated possession early in the extra frame, but a turnover proved costly. Tapani seized the opportunity, flying down the ice on a breakaway and beating Emerance Maschmeyer to secure the win for the Fleet. “I was just relieved that we got the extra point,” Tapani said. “That was in our heads the whole overtime. I was just happy for the team that we got the win.”

The loss leaves Ottawa in fifth place, six points back of Boston in the standings. The Charge remain the only team in the PWHL without an overtime or shootout win this season.

Ottawa will have a quick turnaround as they prepare to host Montréal on Saturday afternoon at 2PM EST.

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