Abby Roque scored 2:29 into overtime and the Montreal Victoire beat the Ottawa Charge 3-2 in Game 1 of the Walter Cup Finals in the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Thursday night in Laval, Quebec. In a game decided by thin margins and late pressure, Montreal needed a frantic push with the extra attacker just to force overtime, then leaned on Roque to finish the job while Ottawa watched a lead slip away.
Who Had the Edge, Who Paid for It
Rebecca Leslie scored both goals for the Charge, giving Ottawa the kind of production that should have been enough to close out the opener. Gwyneth Philips made 23 saves, but it was not enough to hold off Montreal’s late surge. On the other side, Ann-Renee Desbiens also made 23 saves for the Victoire, keeping Montreal alive long enough for the final scramble to matter.
Montreal forced overtime with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation when Marie-Philip Poulin threw the puck on net. After Maureen Murphy’s attempt was blocked, Nicole Gosling made a sprawling attempt to put the puck past Philips and tied the game. The goal came with the extra attacker on for Montreal, a reminder that even in a championship series, the difference between survival and defeat can come down to a last-ditch rush and a pile of bodies in front of the net.
Late Pressure and the Machinery of the Game
The winning goal came after Maggie Flaherty’s point shot pinballed in the crease and hit Roque before going into the net. It was Roque’s second goal of the game, and it ended the opener 2:29 into overtime. Laura Stacey, who left the game after a collision with Ottawa forward Gabbie Hughes that put the faceoff outside the Charge zone with 18 seconds remaining, returned for overtime and earned an assist on the winner.
Ottawa had its own chance to seal the game when Brianne Jenner hit the outside of the post with Desbiens on the bench with less than two minutes remaining in the third period. That missed chance left the Charge exposed to Montreal’s final push, and the series opener turned on the kind of pressure that leaves one side celebrating and the other side staring at the scoreboard.
Leslie’s second goal of the game came with 4:04 remaining in the third period. She carried the puck into the zone, moved laterally to open the five-hole, and beat Desbiens to put Ottawa ahead again. Montreal had 1:12 of a 5-on-3 power play early in the third period, but the Victoire managed only one shot on goal on the advantage. Their best chance came when Erin Ambrose’s shot rang off the post.
What Comes Next
Game 2 is Saturday afternoon in Montreal. After one game, the finals already look like a contest of pressure, missed chances, and the narrow margins that decide who gets to keep skating and who gets pushed back into the grind.