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Ottawa Charge

Charging On – Ottawa Finals Bound After Game 4 Win

The Ottawa Charge are headed to the PWHL Finals for the first time in franchise history, set to face the defending champions the Minnesota Frost.

Charging On – Ottawa Finals Bound After Game 4 Win
Victoria Bach and Marie-Philip Poulin. (Photo Credit: PWHL)

The Ottawa Charge are heading to the Walter Cup Finals.

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In front of 8,011 roaring fans at TD Place, Ottawa defeated the Montréal Victoire 2–1 on Friday night to close out their semifinal series in four games. It was gritty, emotional, and historic, everything this team has built toward all season.

And at the heart of it all? Homegrown forward Rebecca Leslie, who scored just two minutes in to set the tone for the night.

“A dream come true,” Leslie said postgame. “I grew up a 67’s season ticket holder and I’ve never heard it so loud. To be able to keep playing here in the playoffs — it’s really special.”

The early strike came off a rush with Anna Meixner, who threaded a pass that left the rebound sitting perfectly for Leslie to bury. It was Meixner’s first career PWHL playoff point, and arguably her best performance in a Charge jersey.

Ottawa extended the lead early in the third when Emily Clark snapped an eight-game goal drought with a snipe just 31 seconds into the period. It stood as the game-winner and gave Ottawa a rare bit of breathing room in what’s been a razor-thin series.

Still, Montréal wasn’t going away. Maureen Murphy scored with just under five minutes left, cutting the deficit and setting up a tense finish.

For Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips, the goal was bittersweet.

“Now it hurts because she’s, like, my best friend,” Philips said of Murphy. “But yeah, it was nice to have that little cushion, take a deep breath… we knew, no matter the score, they were gonna push.”

Philips made 19 saves in the win and now leads all playoff goaltenders in both goals-against average and save percentage. The rookie has taken the Charge net with poise far beyond her years, and MacLeod credits the environment around her just as much as the skill.

“She’s just taken it all in stride,” MacLeod said. “Her teammates love her, and it’s mutual. That goalie group we’ve got — Emmance, Logan, Lucy, and her — they just keep building each other up. It’s powerful.”

Montréal’s stars were held largely in check. MacLeod pointed to both the Hughes and Darkangelo line, who took on heavy defensive minutes, along with Ottawa’s blue line and Philips, for neutralizing the Victoire’s top guns.

“You respect who they are and how great they are,” MacLeod said. “But every shift, you just manage them. It’s subtle defending details, our group did a really nice job. It was a team effort.”

This series was close, all four games were decided by a single goal. But Ottawa’s consistency, depth, and team-first mentality were the difference.

Now, they prepare to face the defending Walter Cup champs the Minnesota Frost, who also wrapped their series in four games.

“We’re not going to stop. We’re always going to try to get better and better and better,” MacLeod said. “That’s the mission.”

So yes, the Charge are headed to the Finals. But if you ask them, they’re not done yet.

Game 1 of the PWHL Finals is set for Tuesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. ET at TD Place in Ottawa.

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