OTTAWA — It was a valiant third-period comeback for the Ottawa Charge, and a dominant overtime, but in the end it was not enough.
Susanna Tapani scored on a breakaway with just 47 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Boston Fleet a 3-2 win over the Charge in Professional Women's Hockey League action on Thursday night.
The Charge dominated play in the overtime period but Tapani broke free in her own end and outskated Ottawa's defenders before beating Emerance Maschmeyer in the Ottawa goal.
“I saw they were on for a while so I just went up the middle and thought I’m just going to go,” Tapani said.
“I was just thankful we were able to get that extra point. That was in our head the whole overtime.”
Tereza Vanisova tied the game for the Charge with 2.9 seconds left in the third period after Ronja Savolainen scored the first Charge goal. That came at 16:37 of the third period to cut the Fleet lead to 2-1.
There were some other fireworks in the third period. With eight minutes to play in the game, the fists were flying and several punches landed between Vanisova and Boston’s Jill Saulnier, but at the end of the battle, the combatants were handed just a roughing minor each.
“I think you see the intensity of the game and that’s the fun part of this league,” Charge coach Carla MacLeod said.
“Neither player backed down, they both were intense and think there will be a little bit of buzz around it which is never bad for the game either.”
Theresa Schafzahl and Alina Muller scored first-period goals for Boston (6-3-3-6) before Ottawa's (6-1-3-8) third-period comeback.
“That was the best OT we have played as PWHL Ottawa or as Ottawa Charge. I was really proud of the way we played,” MacLeod said.
Aerin Frankel finished the game with 21 saves for the Fleet while her counterpart, Maschmeyer turned aside 27 shots in the Charge goal.
The Fleet took control of the game early and were much quicker on the puck. That early pressure led to a 2-0 Boston lead after the opening 20 minutes.
“I think our first period was great but once we got up by two we sat back a little bit,” Fleet coach Courtney Kessel said.
“I thought Ottawa had a great second period and in the third period I thought both teams showed up and had opportunities. We had an opportunity with a power play at the end of the game and we have to bury those chances.”
Schafzahl opened the scoring at 8:18 as she took a pass from Ottawa native Jamie Lee Rattray and beat Maschmeyer glove side with a shot from the slot.
Just under eight minutes later, the Fleet went up 2-0 has Muller went five-hole on Maschmeyer on a short-handed partial breakaway.
The play was much more evenly distributed in the second period, although neither side was able to score.
NOTES: Five of the seven meetings between these teams have been decided by one goal, including both this season, both Fleet wins… Frankel recently surpassed 1,000 saves to lead all PWHL netminders all time. Maschmeyer is second with 951 saves after Thursday’s game… The two were also ranked first and second in save percentage this season with Frankel at .932 and Maschmeyer at .922.
UP NEXT: The Charge host the Montreal Victoire on Saturday. and the New York Sirens Feb. 26.
The Fleet will be up next on the Takeaway Tour when they will be in Buffalo, N.Y., to face the New York Sirens on Sunday at KeyBank Centre.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.
Darren Desaulniers, The Canadian Press
