Ottawa Charge Advances to the Finals!

The Boston Fleet traveled to the Canadian Tire Centre on May 10, 2026 where they faced the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of this series. Read about how the Ottawa Charge punched their ticket in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals after closing this series with a thrilling 2OT win!

Game 4 | Sunday, May 10, 2026 | Ottawa Charge 4, Boston Fleet 3

The Boston Fleet entered Game 4 with vengeance after continuing onto a two-game losing streak due to back-to-back losses. The build-up of frustration fueled their ability to maintain puck possession throughout the first period (15 SOG vs. 8 SOG). Despite having multiple chances to get on the board, the Boston Fleet continued to face hardships against the Ottawa Charge’s goaltender, #33 Gwyneth Philips. The first period ended 1-0 in the Ottawa Charge’s favor after a power play goal was scored by #23 Sarah Wozniewicz nearly seven minutes into regulation.

The Ottawa Charge continued to feed off their momentum and extended their lead, 2-0, with a goal scored by #37 Rebecca Leslie early in the second period. Down by a couple goals, the Boston Fleet regrouped and were able to put up three consecutive goals scored within a span of one minute and thirty-three seconds. #27 Shay Maloney got the Boston Fleet on the board with a goal scored a few minutes after the Ottawa Charge’s goal (2-1). This was then followed by the game-tying power play goal being scored by #5 Megan Keller (2-2). #9 Sophie Shirley gave the Boston Fleet their first lead of this game with their third goal secured (3-2). Unwilling to go down easy, the Ottawa Charge battled hard and were able to tie the game, 3-3, when #11 Brooke Hobson scored a goal during the latter half of the period. In regards to stats, the Boston Fleet continued to dominate when it came to puck possession (16 SOG vs. 9 SOG) and had a 50% power play success rate. 

After an intense third period, the score remained tied, 3-3, despite the Boston Fleet having a slight advantage when it came to maintaining puck possession (6 SOG vs. 5SOG). In regards to special teams, the Boston Fleet was the only team to have a power play opportunity during the third period but were unable to score while on the man-advantage. The admirable goaltending efforts of Ottawa Charge’s #33 Gwyneth Philips and Boston Fleet’s #31 Aerin Frankel kept their teams in this game and ultimately forced the first overtime in this series. 

The stakes were high going into overtime with the Boston Fleet’s playoff run on the line and the Ottawa Charge being one win away from advancing to the finals. After 20 minutes, 1OT remained tied, 3-3, despite the Boston Fleet outshooting the Ottawa Charge (9 SOG vs. 8 SOG). The Boston Fleet had their chance on the man-advantage late in 1OT but struggled to get anything past the Ottawa Charge’s penalty kill unit. Within a minute and twelve seconds into 2OT, Ottawa Charge’s #86 Michela Cava closed out this series with a game-winning overtime goal. This vital win for the Ottawa Charge was greatly benefited by the outstanding goaltending performance of #33 Gwyneth Philips who saved 43 out of 46 shots on goal by the end of this game. This loss for the Boston Fleet does not take away from the commendable in net performance of #31 Aerin Frankel who saved 29 out of 33 shots on goal. The rough start faced by the Ottawa Charge early in this series lit a spark which led to a victorious three-game winning streak that secured their spot in the finals.  

Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats

Ottawa Charge

• Points leaders: #71 Fanusza Kadirova (2A) and #86 Michela Cava (1G, 1A) ended this game with 2 points recorded

• Goals leader: #11 Brooke Hobson (1G), #23 Sarah Wozniewicz (1G), #37 Rebecca Leslie (1G), and #86 Michela Cava (1G) all scored one goal during this game

• Assists leaders: #71 Fanusza Kadirova (2) assisted two out of the four Ottawa Charge goals of this game

• Goaltending: #33 Gwyneth Philips saved 43 out of 46 shots on goal 

Boston Fleet

• Points leaders: #8 Haley Winn (2A) ended this game with 2 points recorded 

• Goals leader: #5 Megan Keller (1G), #9 Sophie Shirley (1G), and #27 Shay Maloney (1G) all scored one goal during this game

• Assists leaders: #8 Haley Winn (2A) assisted two out of the three Boston Fleet goals of this game

• Goaltending: #31 Aerin Frankel saved 29 out of 33 shots on goal

Overall Stats

• The Ottawa Charge outscored the Boston Fleet (4G vs. 3G)

• The Boston Fleet outshot the Ottawa Charge (46 SOG vs. 33 SOG)

• The Ottawa Charge had a higher power play success rate (100% vs. 20%) 

• The Ottawa Charge had a higher penalty kill success rate (80% vs. 0.00%)

SUMMARY: The Ottawa Charge’s success with their special teams as well as their overall ability to capitalize on their scoring chances despite being outshot by the Boston Fleet ultimately led them to this victory. 

After a thrilling battle, the Ottawa Charge closed out this series, 3-1, and clinched their spot in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals. Looking ahead, if the Ottawa Charge were to face the Minnesota Frost in the finals, we can expect a gutsy series ahead as they both won two out of the four regular season games played against one another. If the Ottawa Charge were to face the Montréal Victoire in the finals, we can expect the Ottawa Charge to face an uphill battle as they lost three out of their four regular season matchups. Overall, we can expect the Ottawa Charge to enter the finals with confidence and momentum from their successes during the semifinals. 

Below are the next scheduled match-up(s) and where to watch them:

Monday, May 18, 2026 (Game 1) 

• Details TBD

Wednesday, May 20, 2026 (Game 2)

• Details TBD

Stay tuned for the next recap of the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs!