PWHL Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Minnesota, but couldn't hold of the visitors' high power offense as Minnesota came back to win in overtime.
PWHL Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Minnesota, but couldn't hold of the visitors' high power offense as Minnesota came back to win in overtime.
In their return home from a 5-1 win against Toronto on Saturday, Ottawa once again fell in overtime with a 3-2 loss to Minnesota. Despite a 2-0 lead in the early stages of the game, Minnesota would fight back to even the game up. Eventually, a fluky overtime goal would end the night for the home team. Though Ottawa has dropped both of their games on home ice, head coach Carla MacLeod made it clear about the confidence she has for her players.
“We’re just three games in. Right now, we’re still young and we’re still learning,” she said. “We’re making sure we’re getting better and there were a lot of pieces I liked in our game today.”
Like their past two games, Ottawa came out swarming in the first period. They continued to push play in the offensive zone and use their speed to their advantage.
Just three and a half minutes in, Emily Clark carried the puck in on the left side of the offensive zone. She would drop it off for defender Savannah Harmon, who ripped one past Nicole Hensley for the 1-0 lead.
After a hooking penalty on Minnesota player Clair DeGeorge, Ottawa would capitalize on the power play once again. A point shot from Jincy Roese would be stopped by Hensley, but Lexie Adzija would bury the rebound. That would mark Ottawa’s third power play goal in the last three attempts, going back to last game against Toronto.
Minnesota would pick up the pace but couldn’t get a puck behind Emerance Maschmeyer sending Ottawa to the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.
As Minnesota came out with pace at the start of the second period, Ottawa struggled in the middle frame. An early boarding penalty from Emily Clark sent Ottawa to the penalty kill, where Minnesota made them pay. Taylor Heise sent a cross pass to Susanna Tapani, and the Finn wired the puck past Maschmeyer.
After some back and forth play for the next nine minutes, Ottawa went to the power play after Tapani tripped Katerina Mrazova. Instead of Ottawa scoring with the player advantage, a costly defensive zone gaff ended up in the back of their net. Grace Zumwinkle, who came into the game with four goals on the year, weaved around Amanda Boulier and roofed a shot over Maschmeyer. The shorthanded goal created a jailbreak as well, cancelling out Tapani’s minor. The shots favoured Ottawa at 8-5 in the second period, but it didn't result in a goal leaving the game tied at 2-2.
Ottawa would clean up defensively in the third, once again outshooting Minnesota 10-6. On two separate occasions, Hensley made diving saves on Gabbie Hughes keeping the game tied. Hughes credits linemate Emily Clark for the setup and Hensley for the second effort.
“I got an amazing pass from Clarky and hit the post, then the goalie [Hensley] made a great save with her stick,” she recalled. “Props to Hensley for playing so good, but I couldn’t really do much about it.”
Hughes led the team (and game) with five shots on goal. But both teams hunkered down and would head to overtime.
Overtime was back and forth, with no time wasted on both sides. Emerance Maschmeyer made her best stop of the night on Lee Stecklein all alone, but Ottawa would survive.
Minnesota then carry the puck over the blue line on the stick of Susanna Tapani. She looked for a pass seeing forward Denisa Krizova, but Jincy Roese got a stick on the puck which deflected off of Roese’s stick and over the shoulders of Maschmeyer to end the game. Though it was a tough break for the starting netminder, she understands that it’s all a part of the game.
“Unfortunately, the puck went off of one of our sticks,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t get the puck luck.”
Minnesota would come out on top with a 3-2 overtime win, improving to a record of 4-0-1 on the season.
Ottawa drops to a record of 1-0-2 on the season.
Ottawa's next game will be at home once again, where they will host Toronto for the second match of the “Battle of Ontario”.