LAVAL, Que. — It was another thrilling night for women’s hockey as Marie-Philip Poulin, the captain of the Montreal Victoire, delivered yet again, securing the season opener for her team with a dramatic shootout win against the Ottawa Charge. The crowd of 10,033 at Place Bell witnessed Poulin’s heroics, as she scored the decisive shootout goal, bringing the final score to 4-3.
The game was electrifying from start to finish. Although the Victoire managed to outshoot their opponents, having 36 shots compared to Ottawa's 19 shots by the end of the second period, the Charge's goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer stood her ground, making incredible saves throughout the match. Maschmeyer ended the night with 42 saves, proving her mettle against the relentless Victoire offense.
Things kicked off when Emily Clark of the Charge found the back of the net early, scoring just 7:49 minutes in. Her goal came after she delivered an expansive hit on Victoire’s forward Kristin O’Neill, which went unpenalized. The Charge increased their lead to 2-0 when Danielle Serdachny, the second overall pick of this year's draft, scored her first goal of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season. Serdachny’s pass deflected off the skate of Montreal's Kati Tabin and found its way past goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens.
Never one to back down, the Victoire regrouped and struck back through Abigail Boreen, who capitalized on a turnover to launch a top-corner shot, which thrilled the home fans. Laura Stacey continued the momentum, launching her own shot off the crossbar and in during the power play, tying the game up at 2-2.
Not to be outdone, Ottawa re-took the lead as Tereza Vanisova scored on another breakaway, beating Desbiens for the Charge's third goal late in the second period during yet another power play. But the Victoire wouldn’t be silenced too long. Jennifer Gardiner scored to bring the match back to even, converting on the power play with Cohen Yukon’s assist.
The third period saw both teams battling fiercely, but no one could break the tie, pushing the game to overtime. The Victoire had chances, with Poulin barreling through the defense for what looked like the winning goal, but Maschmeyer denied her with another spectacular save. "To get the first win, it feels good to be at home," stated Poulin after the game, adding, "We just gotta keep going and don’t take it for granted."
Though there were chances aplenty, the extra period ended scoreless, sending the game to the intense shootout. Poulin’s determination shined through as she aimed to correct her earlier missed attempts. Each round pressed heavier on the players as the pressure mounted, but Poulin delivered, sealing the match for her team.
Commenting on Poulin’s performance, her coach said, “We did the math quickly, and she’s not going to miss three in a row. I just did some quick math in my head on this one.”
With this victory, the Victoire kick off their season on the right foot, setting the tone for what promises to be another exhilarating year filled with fierce competition. They will look to continue this momentum when they host the New York Sirens next Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Charge will attempt to bounce back against the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday.
