The Ottawa Charge opened 2026 with a confident 5-2 win over the Minnesota Frost at TD Place. Brianne Jenner scored twice, while Ottawa’s transition game and net front presence helped the team control play and extend its winning streak.
The Ottawa Charge returned to the ice for the first time in 2026 to face off against a familiar Minnesota Frost team. The two have now met three times this season, with the Charge coming away with the most recent 3-2 overtime victory in Chicago.
Game Recap
Brianne Jenner opened the scoring at 4:01 of the first period, finishing off a play that started with Ronja Savolainen's strong puck possession to gain the zone. The goal was her fourth of the season, and carried the Charge into the first intermission.
Minnesota tied the game early in the second period, as Kelly Pannek was able to capitalize on the team's first power play. Emily Clark responded just over four minutes later, scoring her first goal of the season, as the Charge regained their lead, now 2-1. Sarah Wozniewicz added her second of the season to stretch the lead to 3-1. Kateřina Mrázová scored her first, a power play goal, to give Ottawa a 4-1 lead before Minnesota's Britta Curl-Salemme added her fourth of the season to cut the lead in half.
Only one goal was scored in the third period, as Brianne Jenner put her second of the game into the empty net to help Ottawa win 5-2 in front of a second consecutive sellout crowd at TD Place.
Instant Analysis
For the second game in a row, the Ottawa Charge started the game with the lead, allowing the team to play their style of game and not chase the puck. In this game, the Charge never let go of the lead or the momentum, even when Minnesota was able to get one past Gwyneth Philips or hold the offensive zone. The confidence that the team has built over the previous three victories was on display, as they set the tone early and often in this game.
A defining part of the Charge game was their transition game, which directly contributed to multiple goals. This started with their defenders carrying the puck out of the zone with more confidence than in many of their prior games, resulting in better outlet passes and scoring chances. Those chances, generated from the transition, were often high danger, which is a direct result of the team's focus on a "shoot first" mentality in practice.
Another aspect of their game today was the team's commitment to net-front presence at both ends of the ice and on special teams. Defensively, this helped prevent the large number of shots on goal that the team has been giving up as of late. The team boxed out Minnesota's forwards more effectively and was able to transition the puck out of their zone. Offensively, the forwards looked more comfortable setting up in front of the net, doing so consistently throughout the game.
Quotables
"You look at this stretch that we're in, and the wins have come a lot of different ways, and that's an important component to have as a team when you're trying to find success in this league. We're starting to see the ingredients come to be, and we're learning how to manage our way through it and find ways to win." - head coach Carla MacLeod
Next Game
The Ottawa Charge will next play host to the Vancouver Goldeneyes on January 9 for their third matchup of the season. The Charge are 1-1 this season against Vancouver, most recently dropping a 2-1 decision in Vancouver.