Get ready, Ottawa. The Charge are on the cusp of something special, with a chance to punch their ticket to the Walter Cup Final at TD Place tonight. Leading the Montreal Victoire 2-1 in their best-of-five semifinal series, it comes down to Game 4, one win away from what would be a historic achievement for the franchise.
This series has been a rollercoaster and everything that playoff hockey was meant to be. Ottawa took Game 1 with a gritty 3-2 win, but Montreal pushed back hard, evening the series in a gruelling 3-2 quadruple overtime classic in Game 2. But in true late season Charge fashion, they bounced back with a massive 1-0 shutout victory in Game 3 at home on the back of a phenomenal 26-save shutout performance from Gwyneth Philips. That kind of resilience isn't just luck but a testament to their mindset all season long, and seeing everything come together at exactly the right time.
"We’ve been through a lot as a group this whole season and I think that prepared us for these playoffs," explained defender Ashton Bell.
"Handling the adversity, the ups and the downs and not letting it sway us too high or too low, just staying even keeled. The belief in the group is something that speaks for itself. This group wants to win and we believe in ourselves.”
Defender Stephanie Markowski echoed that sentiment and emphasized how important the "one shift at a time" approach is, now more than ever.
"At times, you definitely look at the big picture and the Walter Cup, but we’re just trying to take it game by game and treat every game on its own and adjust our game plan for the situation at hand," Markowski shared. "You want to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead, just shift after shift, period after period.”
This mental toughness isn't accidental but has been instilled in this team throughout the season. The coaching staff has talked about looking at the season in five-game segments, and that mentality has prepared the group for this moment.
"We faced adversity head on, it’s not always easy, but you don’t lose sight of what the end goal is," head coach Carla MacLeod said.
"If you believe in the people around you, it’s unbelievable what can transpire. We’re still in the midst of an incredibly challenging series, but for us, we’ve always focused on us, and are trying to make sure that we’re elevating our game every single day. It clicked within our room and they really took control of the variables and understood that they could do this together.”
Their collective belief has Ottawa one step away from their first Walter Cup Final. They know Montreal won't make it easy, as every game in this series has been a battle, and all won by a single goal. But with the home crowd at TD Place ready to bring the energy, the Charge will be pushing hard.
The team has watched as the Minnesota Frost battled their way to the Walter Cup Final with a back and forth 4-3 overtime win against Toronto Wednesday night. That sets the stage, as the second spot in the Walter Cup Final could be decided tomorrow night and the Charge are ready to leave it all on the ice for a chance to play for the Walter Cup.