Victoire and Charge Border Battle

In the second matchup of the border battle the Montreal Victoire and Ottawa Charge battled it out, in another close game. Both teams entered the match off big overtime wins on the road, as they’re fighting to climb the ranks sitting in the middle of the pack. 

This was Ottawa’s second game since the biggest trade in PWHL history and their new players are fitting right in, Cava, Greco, and McQuigge are all making an impact on the ice, which is only expected to grow as the season progresses and Ottawa looks to make a push towards their second straight run at the Walter Cup. All three, have seen what it’s like to go all the way with Greco winning the Cup with Minnesota in the inaugural season, McQuigge winning last year with the Frost, and Cava winning both, they are all eager to make it back to the top. 

The Charge kicked off the game on a hot streak, with three back-to-back shots, but Ann-Renée Desbiens had the answer for all of them. The momentum continued to shift back and forth, with both goaltenders standing strong in net. Over halfway through the first period Maureen Murphy was able to find a way past Gwyneth Philips, with the assist from Hayley Scamurra. The goal marked Murphy’s second of the season, now with back-to-back games with goals. Both teams continued to push but with 15 seconds left it was Murphy again who would find a way through with the assist from Erin Ambrose, to take a 2-0 lead heading into the second period. 

Both teams continued to battle it out in the second period, but both ends of the ice were locked down until under 6-minutes remaining when Kateřina Mrázová played the puck up from the corner for Michela Cava, who fired off the shot, for what everyone thought was her first goal with the Ottawa Charge, later being edited to a tip from Fanuza Kadirova. 

The third period remained scoreless, and in a last-ditch effort pulled Philips, hoping to break through Montreal’s back-end to tie the game, but it was Abby Roque breaking out with the puck to find the empty net, securing the win for the Victoire 3-1. 

Montreal Climbs the Ranks 

With the win the Victoire jumped from 4th in the league to 2nd, now just four points behind the Boston Fleet, who have held the top position all season. Montreal has made it to the PWHL Playoffs, in both seasons, but have yet to make it out of the first round. They are looking to secure their third run at the Cup, after the Olympic break, with the standings still tight, it’s anyone's game. 

Maureen Murphy Shinning 

The Victoire have lots of big names on their roster but the standout the past two games has been Maureen Murphy, who has been with Montreal since the inaugural season, quietly making an impact. In the past two games Murphy has found her scoring touch, now with 3 on the season. She is currently playing on the third line alongside Hayley Scamurra and Dara Greig, who have a combined 11 points this season (5G, 6A). 

Up Next

The Montreal Victoire stay at home to take on the Toronto Sceptres in their last game before the Olympic break, they are hoping to continue their momentum. While Ottawa heads home for their last game, as they take on the Seattle Torrent. The Charge will look to climb in the standings, now sitting just outside the top 4.