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A recurring storyline for the Ottawa Charge since their inaugural season has been their struggle to piece together a full 60-minute effort. This game proved to be no exception.
Riding the momentum of a dramatic 3-2 win over Minnesota—and with three victories in their last four games—Ottawa came out strong in the opening period. Their relentless forecheck and sustained offensive pressure generated multiple high-danger scoring chances. Despite a scoreless first frame, the Charge were clearly the better team.
However, the second period told a familiar tale. Ottawa came out flat, struggling to match their earlier intensity. For most of the frame, they found themselves chasing the play—until a last-second spark changed the narrative. With just 0.2 seconds left on the clock, Tereza Vanišová delivered a crucial goal, salvaging the period and tying the game at 1-1.
Any momentum Ottawa gained late in the second period vanished as soon as the third began. Boston took control, scoring four unanswered goals—including two empty-netters—before Natalie Snodgrass finally got one back for Ottawa with her first of the season. By then, the damage was done. The Charge suffered their first home loss since February 20th, once again falling to the Boston Fleet in front of a sellout crowd of 8,096.
For the Fleet, securing the win in such a tight playoff race was crucial. “I think any win at this point in the season is really important,” said Boston forward Lexie Adzija. “The league is so close that every game is pretty much a playoff game now, so those three points are huge for us going into the final stretch.”
Ottawa, meanwhile, knows the urgency of finding consistency. “At the end of the day, there isn’t a group of us that doesn’t realize that every game has the potential to start a run, and that’s obviously what we have to strive to do,” said head coach Carla MacLeod. “We have to start stringing points together consecutively—that’s how you move in this league. For us, it isn’t about anything external, it’s just internally, we’ve got to flip a switch here to get going and execute at the level we know we can.”
Ottawa will look to bounce back on March 22nd when they face the New York Sirens at Prudential Center.
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