MacLeod Watches As Ottawa Shuts The Door On Toronto To Clinch Fourth And Final Playoff Spot

It all came down to this: one final game to decide the last remaining spot in the pursuit of the Walter Cup. For the Ottawa Charge, they needed one single point to punch their ticket, while the Toronto Sceptres required a regulation win. And on this sunny afternoon at a sold-out TD Place, and on Fan Appreciation day no less, the Ottawa Charge did just that, as they shut out the Sceptres by a final of 3-0. The win is the team’s second consecutive against the Sceptres, both of which were shutouts, and the second year in a row in which they eliminated Toronto on the final day of the regular season.

“This will be one that I’ll remember for a while,” said Brianne Jenner, who assisted on Sarah Wozniewicz’s third-period goal. “I think just the energy in the building when we were getting close to closing it out. Kudos to Toronto for a really back-and-forth game, but to get that done in front of our fans is really special.”

This game was a great embodiment of how the Charge have matured over the final stretch of the season. For long stretches of this game, Toronto held the momentum, much as they did in their last meeting, generating great scoring chances and dictating the pace of play. If it weren’t for the play of Gwyneth Philips, who made 41 saves for her third shutout of the season, then it could have been a very different score. But Ottawa never wavered, building off the confidence from each save by Philips, and leaning on the “next shift mentality” to capitalize on opportunities. It paid off, as they now embark on their second straight trip to the playoffs.

Ottawa showed their persistence and relentless pursuit of offence in a way that eluded them in the past, and truthfully, many times throughout this season. They were scrappy and carried a never-back-down attitude, even when they were being outshot. While Toronto most certainly had its chances, they weren’t able to sustain momentum because of Ottawa’s grit. That’s the sort of character that has been built over this final stretch of games for the Charge, and those skills become invaluable during a playoff run.

Now that the standings have been set, the first-place team will have a 24-hour window to select its semi-final opponent. And, according to the interim head coach Haley Irwin, the team will use that time to rest and recover.

“We’re not going to get caught up in who the opponent is,” she said. “That’s not in our control. What is in our control is making sure we figure out the things we need to attack in practice and just get ready for whoever that is.”

Ottawa's head coach Carla MacLeod, who remains around the team, was in the building for the game, and came down to ice level to congratulate her coaching staff and the players.

"She's such a beacon of strength for us," said Philips. "She comes when she can, and it's really inspiring to see her and to know that she is behind us. We're really proud of how hard she's working to come back and be with us. We're holding down the fort while we can."

As the Ottawa Charge embark on their second consecutive playoff run, this time playing their home games at the Canadian Tire Centre, the team can reflect on a stretch of hockey that's prepared them for the ups and downs of postseason hockey and given them the mentality that will undoubtedly create many more electric moments for the fans.