The Ottawa Charge now have home ice advantage in their best out of five semifinal series with the Boston Fleet in the 2026 Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup Playoffs.
On Saturday at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, the Charge defeated the Fleet by a score of 3-1 to tie the best out of five series at one game apiece. The Fleet won the opening game of the series by a score of 2-1 on Thursday.
In Saturday’s win, the three Charge goal scorers were defenseman Ronja Savolainen, Fanuza Kadirova and Gabbie Hughes. It was also a very notable game offensively for Charge defenseman and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jocelyne Larocque of Ste. Anne, Manitoba. Larocque led the Charge in scoring with two points as she had two assists.
Ottawa scored one goal in each period. The series now shifts to the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario for game three on Friday night. The fourth game of the series is also in Ottawa on May 10.
There was history made in the Montreal and Minnesota game on Saturday. That is because Canadian Olympic gold medalist Laura Stacey of Mississauga, Ontario became the first player in PWHL history to record a hat trick in a playoff game. Stacey’s Montreal Victoire still lost 5-4 to the Minnesota Frost in overtime. Larocque won a gold medal for Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and teamed up with Stacey to win a gold medal for Canada at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
