With a playoff spot within reach, the Ottawa Charge rose to the occasion in front of 8,576 fans, their largest home crowd of the season.
Ottawa entered Friday’s pivotal afternoon matchup against the Montreal Victoire the same way they entered the international break — in the win column — and kept the momentum rolling. Powered by a two-goal performance from Ashton Bell, including a last-minute jailbreak winner, the Charge edged the Victoire 3-2 at TD Place.
The excitement started early, even before puck drop. Ottawa defender and assistant captain Jincy Roese surprised her teammates, and the sold-out crowd by singing the national anthem in both English and French.
“I was so nervous, but grateful for the opportunity,” Roese said.
“I've always had a love for singing, and so I kind of got to bridge two loves tonight, so it was awesome. It was kind of fun to keep the secret (from my teammates) all this time.”
Heading into the afternoon’s game, the biggest question was whether Ottawa could sustain a full 60 minutes — a challenge that had resurfaced at times this season, and one complicated by the long international break. Despite glimpses of old habits in the third period, as a 2-0 lead evaporated with Montreal goals from Anna Wilgren and Catherine Dubois, the Charge ultimately showed their growth and resilience.
“I said it after the game in the dressing room that what I really appreciate is that we don’t waver in big moments anymore,” said head coach Carla MacLeod.
“We just keep working. The variables weren’t aligned to be part of your ideal finish with us on the penalty kill, but we don’t waver. It’s nice to find a way — and we found a way. For our group, resiliency is always going to be part of our DNA, which is an important component when you’re trying to win.”
Bell finished with two goals, including the game-winner with just 12.1 seconds remaining, while captain Brianne Jenner also found the back of the net. Shiann Darkangelo added two assists in the victory.
“It was exciting,” Bell said.
“Obviously, Gabbie (Hughes) did a great job there. I think it was like a four-on-one in the corner, and she was just battling, trying to buy some time, and then she got the puck out to the slot. It went off something, but yeah, it went in the net, so we’ll take it.”
The victory keeps Ottawa in fourth place, just one point behind Boston for third. The Charge also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Boston and Minnesota, positioning them well down the stretch. They’ll have a chance to officially punch their playoff ticket on Wednesday, when they host Minnesota in their final regular season home game.