Whenever Gwyneth Philips has had her chance to step into a crease, she rarely comes out. This season, she's grasped that opportunity yet again, and not only has Philips stepped into the crease for USA and the Ottawa Charge, she's stepped into elite company as one of the world's top netminders. 

At Northeastern, Philips played in only 16 games in her first three seasons, backing up Aerin Frankel at the time. When she stepped into the crease in 2022-23 for her first full season as an NCAA starter, Philips was named the NCAA Goaltender of the Year. She posted a 34-3-1 record along with a 0.87 GAA and .960 save percentage. She followed it up by earning First Team All-American honors again in 2023-24. All of Philips' accolades resulted in the Ottawa Charge making her the first goaltender selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft.

This season, as a pro hockey rookie, Philips waited patiently behind Ottawa starter Emerance Maschmeyer. When Maschmeyer went down with an injury, Philips answered and carried the Charge into the playoffs.

It was an impressive feat, but may not have been Philips' most impressive save of the season. Making her Team USA debut at the World Championships, Philips posted a 0.49 GAA and .968 save percentage in three appearances. Her third game only began midway through the third period when Aerin Frankel was knocked out of the game in a hard collision. It just so happened to be in the third period of the gold medal game. Philips stepped into the crease and made 17 saves in regulation, and then overtime to help USA win the gold medal.

Philips Leading The Charge

Down the stretch and into the playoffs, there were a number of games where if it were not for Gwyneth Philips, things would have ended very differently for the Ottawa Charge. Philips finished her rookie season with an 8-5-1-0 record, .919 save percentage and 2.11 GAA.

When you look at recency however, after Philips got her skates settled on the ice in the league, her numbers skyrocket. In her last five games of the PWHL season, Philips posted a .965 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA. 

In her first two playoff games in the league, Philips stood tall making 33 saves and 53 saves for a 1.54 GAA and .944 save percentage. They're nearly identical stats to her Montreal opponent, Ann-Renee Desbiens, and the numbers far exceed anything happening in the Toronto and Minnesota series where goaltending has been sketchy at best.

While she's a rookie, it's clear that Gwyneth Philips has already established herself as a top goaltender in the PWHL, and globally. Whether it's Ann-Renee Desbiens, or her Team USA counterpart Aerin Frankel, Philips has moved into an echelon of netminders where few reside.