The Ottawa Charge overcame an early three-goal deficit to earn a 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Sceptres. While lineup changes sparked the offence and depth scoring emerged, defensive zone issues and shot volume remain concerns moving forward.
The Ottawa Charge, coming off only their second multi-goal game of the season, made several lineup changes to help spark their anemic offence ahead of their matchup with the Toronto Sceptres. Most notably, Sarah Wozniewicz, the overtime hero against Minnesota, was elevated to the top line alongside Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie.
Those changes paid off. Despite falling behind by three goals early, Ottawa found its offensive spark and rallied for a 4-3 overtime win, driven largely by Leslie’s play.
For a team that has struggled to find consistency, any win, no matter how imperfect it may be, is one they will gladly take. Games like this help build momentum and confidence, both of which have been lacking early in the season. Still, despite the positive results, this was another victory that presented itself with areas which will need to be addressed if success is to be maintained.
Defensive Focused
The Charge continue to rely heavily on their defenders, but they entered the game allowing a league-worst 227 shots on goal, an average of 32.43 per game. That trend continued against Toronto, as Ottawa surrendered 37 shots by the final buzzer.
If not for another strong performance from Gwyneth Philips, who entered the game leading the league in saves, this could have turned into a lopsided Toronto victory. Philips finished with 34 saves, meaning she has now faced 75 shots across two wins. That workload is unsustainable, particularly if Ottawa hopes to be playing meaningful games later in the season.
Zone Exits
Zone exits remain another major issue for the Charge. Ottawa continues to favour quick plays up the middle, a tendency Toronto was able to counter consistently. Rather than adjusting and using the boards to drive play out of their zone, Ottawa often forced passes into traffic, leading directly to extended defensive zone time and scoring chances for the Sceptres, including Ella Shelton’s second period goal.
Even when Ottawa does gain the offensive zone, support for the puck carrier is often lacking. The result is frequently a single-shot attempt with no follow-up pressure. When there was support, the difference was noticeable. Scoring chances from Wozniewicz and Peyton Hemp in the first period, for example, showed how quickly Ottawa can generate high danger looks and control the pace.
Scoring Touch
Jenner's strong play to start the season continued in this game, and her chemistry with Leslie was once again evident, as the duo combined for four points, capped by Leslie’s overtime power play winner. Ottawa also received much needed depth scoring, with both Gabbie Hughes and Brooke Hobson scoring their first goals of the season.
Seeing multiple lines contribute offensively is an encouraging sign, and a necessary one if the Charge want scoring to become a consistent part of their identity rather.