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Gwyneth Philips made 41 saves as the Ottawa Charge blanked the Toronto Sceptres 3-0 on Saturday, clinching the final playoff spot in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Ottawa’s Fanuza Kadirova, Sarah Wozniewicz, and Alexa Vasko scored for the Charge, who finished with a 9-8-1-12 record. Raygan Kirk stopped 29 shots for Toronto, which ended the season at 10-1-6-13.
The Sceptres needed a regulation win to overtake Ottawa for the final playoff berth but fell short.
Ottawa took the lead early in the second period when Michela Cava set up Kadirova, who converted a pass off her skate to beat Kirk on the short side. This goal swung momentum in Ottawa’s favor after Toronto had dominated the opening period.
With Ottawa leading 1-0, Toronto’s Kali Flanagan turned the puck over early in the third. Charge captain Brianne Jenner capitalized by finding Wozniewicz for a backhand goal, putting Ottawa up 2-0.
Alexa Vasko sealed the victory with an empty-net goal late in the game.
The Sceptres had two power-play chances but failed to score. Ottawa goalkeeper Philips was tested early by Toronto’s Blayre Turnbull and Maggie Connors but kept the net clean.
Brooke Hobson made her return to Ottawa’s lineup after seven games out with an upper-body injury.
Ottawa will now await the outcome of the Boston Fleet versus Montreal Victoire matchup to discover its first-round playoff opponent.
In other key PWHL action, Lina Ljungblom’s shootout goal propelled Montreal Victoire to a 2-1 win over the Seattle Torrent. The victory secured Montreal the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the second straight year.
Abby Roque gave Montreal a 1-0 lead with a second-period power-play goal. Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 23 shots for the Victoire, who finished 17-5-2-6 with 62 points, tied with Boston but holding the tiebreaker. Montreal will choose between Minnesota and Ottawa for their first-round opponent.
Seattle’s Alex Carpenter tied the game late in the third, but the Torrent fell in the shootout. The loss ensured Vancouver Goldeneyes the first overall pick in the 2026 PWHL entry draft. Montreal’s Marie-Philip Poulin and Maureen Murphy returned to action after long-term injuries.
The Vancouver Goldeneyes closed their inaugural season with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Minnesota Frost. Sophie Jaques scored just over a minute into overtime, highlighting Vancouver’s fourth straight win to finish sixth in the league with a 9-3-4-14 record.
Minnesota, finishing third with 50 points, had rallied late to tie the game in regulation but fell in OT. Key contributors for Vancouver included Jenn Gardiner, Sarah Nurse, and Hannah Miller, while Kendall Coyne Schofield and Kelly Pannek scored for Minnesota. Goalie Emerance Maschmeyer made 28 saves for Vancouver.
In Boston, Jessie Eldridge scored early in the third period to break a scoreless tie, leading the Fleet to a 4-0 win over the New York Sirens. Aerin Frankel earned 30 saves and her eighth shutout this season, extending her scoreless streak against New York to over 130 minutes.
Ella Huber, Haley Winn, and Jill Saulnier also scored for Boston, who finished 16-5-4-5. New York’s Callie Shanahan stopped 24 shots in the loss.
With these results, the PWHL playoffs are set to begin, featuring some intense matchups ahead.
