Ottawa Charge Gained Series Lead (2-1)

The Boston Fleet traveled to the Canadian Tire Centre where they faced the Ottawa Charge in Game 3 of this series which took place on Friday, May 8, 2026. Read about how the Ottawa Charge came up on top and secured a 2-1 series lead against the Boston Fleet after their Game 3 victory in the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs.  

Game 3 | Friday, May 8, 2026 | Ottawa Charge 2, Boston Fleet 1

Feeding off their momentum from their Game 2 win, the Ottawa Charge came in hot and struck first in Game 3 of this series with an opening goal scored by #71 Fanusza Kadirova (1-0). This goal for the Ottawa Charge gave them a 1-0 lead going into the second period of regulation despite both teams having 12 shots on goal recorded and a couple unsuccessful attempts on the power play. 

Down by one, the Boston Fleet fought hard and eventually tied the game early in the second period with a goal scored by #13 Liz Schepers (1-1). This goal jumpstarted the Boston Fleet and helped them to maintain puck possession throughout the period (17 SOG vs. 5 SOG). Both teams had another series of chances on the man-advantage but struggled against each other’s penalty kill units which remained undefeated after forty minutes of regulation. Each team entered the third period eager to break the standstill especially with the series lead being on the line. 

Despite the Boston Fleet's abilities to maintain puck possession throughout the third period (11 SOG vs. 8 SOG) and having the only attempt on the man advantage, the game remained at a tied standstill until the final minute of regulation. The standstill was broken by Ottawa Charge’s #88 Ronja Savolainen when she scored the go-ahead goal with fifty-nine seconds remaining in regulation (2-1). This gutsy win for the Ottawa Charge would not have been possible without the stellar goaltending performance of #33 Gwyneth Philips who saved 36 out of 37 shots on goal by the end of regulation. The Boston Fleet’s loss does not take away from the admirable in net performance of #31 Aerin Frankel who saved 20 out of 22 shots on goal. With a vital 2-1 win secured in Game 3 of this series, the Ottawa Charge are now one step closer to closing out this series and advancing to the finals. 

Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats

Ottawa Charge

• Points leaders: #71 Fanusza Kadirova (1G, 1A) and #88 Ronja Savolainen (1G, 1A) both recorded 2 points by the end of this game

• Goals leader: #71 Fanusza Kadirova(1G) and #88 Ronja Savolainen (1G) each scored one goal 

• Assists leaders: #16 Kateřina Mrázová (1A), #71 Fanusza Kadirova (1A), and #88 Ronja Savolainen (1A) all assisted one goal 

• Goaltending: #33 Gwyneth Philips saved 36 out of 37 shots on goal

Boston Fleet

• Points leaders: #13 Liz Schepers (1G), #26 Ella Huber (1A), and #27 Shay Maloney (1A) all recorded 1 point by the end of this game

• Goals leader: #13 Liz Schepers (1G) scored the only Boston Fleet goal of this game

• Assists leaders: #26 Ella Huber (1A) and #27 Shay Maloney (1A) assisted the only Boston Fleet goal of this game

• Goaltending: #31 Aerin Frankel saved 20 out of 22 shots on goal

Overall Stats

• The Ottawa Charge outscored the Boston Fleet (2G vs. 1G)

• The Boston Fleet outshot the Ottawa Charge (37 SOG vs. 22 SOG)

• Both teams ended with a 0% power play success rate

• Both teams ended with a 100% penalty kill success rate

SUMMARY: The Ottawa Charge’s ability to capitalize on their goal scoring chances ultimately helped them to secure this win despite the Boston Fleet maintaining puck possession throughout this game.

After another close battle, the Ottawa Charge are now one win away from advancing to the 2026 PWHL Walter Cup Finals. Looking ahead and analyzing the overall stats from this series, the Ottawa Charge have outscored the Boston Fleet (6G vs. 4G) despite being outshot (61 SOG vs. 96 SOG). In regards to special teams, the Ottawa Charge have an edge over the Boston Fleet as they have a higher power play (8.33% vs. 0.00%) and penalty kill success rate (100% vs. 91.7%). With the stakes even higher, it is guaranteed that each team will be playing with another level of intensity as the Ottawa Charge hope to end this series on Sunday, May 10, 2026. If Ottawa Charge are unable to close out this series in Game 4, then the Boston Fleet have a chance to come out triumphant after forcing Game 5.

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

Sunday, May 10, 2026 (Game 4)

• The Boston Fleet will face the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of this series on Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT. This game will take place at the Canadian Tire Centre

  • Watch on TSN, Scripps Sports Network, NESN, PWHL YouTube Channel

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (Game 5) If necessary

• The Ottawa Charge will face the Boston Fleet in Game 5 of this series on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM EDT. This game will take place at the Tsongas Center

  • Watch on TSN, Scripps Sports Network, NESN, PWHL YouTube Channel

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