Cava’s OT winner sends Charge to second straight Walter Cup Final
Good things come to those who wait.
Just over a minute into the second overtime of Game 4 of the Walter Cup Semifinals between the Ottawa Charge and Boston Fleet, Charge forward Michela Cava scored the game-winning goal, giving the Charge a 4-3 victory, sending the team back to the Walter Cup Final for the second straight season.
The goal came after an exciting first overtime, where both the Fleet and Charge had a number of opportunities to end the contest. In the second extra frame, Ottawa forward Katerina Mrazova fired a shot toward the goal, seemingly intended for Cava, who tapped the puck past the outstretched leg of Aerin Frankel to give the Charge the victory, sending the Canadian Tire Centre into pandemonium.
The Charge join the Minnesota Frost as the only team to have advanced to the finals twice in the league’s short history.
For Cava, who was dealt to the Charge from the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the largest trade in PWHL history in January, it was her with her new team. The two-time champion with the Frost had just six assists with Ottawa since joining the roster.
The Mother’s Day matchup was the highest-scoring game of the semifinal between Boston and Ottawa, as the teams only combined for 10 goals in the first three games of the series.
The Charge certainly started the game on the right foot. They converted on an early power-play thanks to Sarah Wozniewicz deflecting a Fanuza Kadirova shot, putting the home side in front less than seven minutes into the contest. Boston carried the play for much of the opening frame, but found itself trailing by two by the early stages of the second, after Brianne Jenner set up Rebecca Leslie for her first of the postseason.
The goal was under review for a minute to ensure there was no kicking motion, but the goal stood and the CTC was alive.
The turning point came just a couple of minutes later. First, Shay Maloney jammed home her first of the postseason to give the Fleet some life. Then, 41 seconds later on the power play, Megan Keller blasted a shot by Gwyneth Philips to tie the game at two. Only 52 seconds after that, a bad rebound given up by Philips led to Sophie Shirley giving Boston the lead.
The momentum had shifted, and the energy inside the arena was almost gone. That was, until the Charge returned the favor, as a great breakout and zone entry eventually led to Brooke Hobson potting her first PWHL postseason goal to tie the game at three.
Even while both teams had several chances to go ahead in the third period, including two attempts with the player advantage for Boston, neither team could convert, and overtime was necessary for the first time in the series.
Philips was sensational, making 43 saves in the victory, picking up an assist on Hobson’s goal as well. She once again outplayed her Team USA teammate in Frankel, who made 29 stops in the loss. Kadirova posted two assists in the win, leading all skaters with five points in the series.
The loss will certainly sting for the Fleet. They were challenging the Montreal Victoire for first place to the end of the regular season, carried by Frankel, who is going to be taking some hardware in the offseason. Not to mention the fact that Alina Muller had a glorious chance to end the game early in the first overtime, missing a wide-open net, which would’ve sent the semifinal to a fifth and deciding game in Lowell. For the Charge, it’s a momentous moment for the team that refuses to quit. From having to qualify for the postseason on the final day of the season (again) to playing for the Walter Cup, Carla MacLeod’s squad is the feel-good story of the postseason for the second year in a row.
Now, the Charge await to see who they will play in the final. The Victoire and Frost will meet in a winner-take-all battle in Laval on Monday night.