Ottawa advances to the finals in the semifinal matchup
Rewritten Article:
In an electrifying showdown at the Place Bell, the Ottawa Charge snatched a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Victory in the semifinal series, captivating a crowd of 6,570 enthusiastic fans.
Shiann Darkangelo scored the game-winner at 9:17 of the third period, leaving the Montreal crowd on the edge of their seats.
The opening salvo came from Brianne Jenner in the first period, followed by defenseman Ashton Bell in the second. Ann-Renee Desbiens delivered a stalwart performance in the Montreal goal, making 24 saves.
Montreal's goals came courtesy of Maureen Murphy and Marie-Philip Poulin, who both found the twine on power plays. The Victory, unfortunately, never led in the game.
The rivalry between these two powerhouses boiled over in this game, with memorable moments around every corner.
On a power play opportunity in the first period, a slip-up by Montreal's Kati Tabin left their team short-handed. Caught off guard, Montreal had three forwards and one defenseman on the ice, and it took Ottawa just 34 seconds to capitalize on their misfortune. The goal went to Jenner, who found the net with a shot off a pass from Tereza Vanisova.
Tabin managed to redeem herself later in the game, utilizing the power play to her advantage. Sent out on the second unit after a penalty to Taylor House for an illegal check on Poulin, Tabin possessed speed and deftly redirected the puck towards Montreal's net, where Murphy was on hand to finish the play.
Both teams exchanged goals in the middle period, with Ottawa struggling to keep their lead. However, Bell, who scored all three of her regular-season goals against Montreal, stepped up to the plate again, breaking the tie with a wrist shot at 5:07.
However, the celebration was short-lived as Montreal tied the game once more, on their second power play opportunity, thanks to their captain Poulin. The ensuing periods saw a thrilling back-and-forth, with neither team able to pull ahead.
Emily Clark and Darkangelo combined forces in the third period to take the game away from Montreal, with Darkangelo delivering the decisive blow at 10:43. The Victory put forth a valiant effort, even pulling Desbiens in the closing minutes for an extra skater, but the Ottawa Charge held on for the win.
Game two of the series takes place on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm, back at the Place Bell. Despite the stunning victory, the series is far from over, as the Ottawa Charge will have to keep up the pressure to clinch a spot in the finals.
- In the first period of the exciting semifinal series at the Place Bell, Brianne Jenner scored the first goal for Ottawa Charge, with the help of Tereza Vanisova, after Montreal's Kati Tabin left her team short-handed with a slip-up.
- Later in the game, after serving a penalty for an illegal check, Taylor House, Tabin seized another power play opportunity and smartly redirected the puck towards Montreal's net, setting up Maureen Murphy for a goal.
- Ashton Bell, who scored three goals against Montreal during the regular season, stepped up again in the second period with a wrist shot, helped Ottawa reclaim the lead after Montreal had tied the game.
- In the nail-biting third period, Gwyneth made a decisive contribution to the game, combining with Emily Clark to set up Shiann Darkangelo's game-winning goal at 10:43, securing a crucial 3-2 victory for Ottawa Charge.
