Ottawa Scores Two Jailbreak Goals In Win Over New York And Moves Closer To Securing A Playoff Berth

A mere two points separated Ottawa and New York when the puck was dropped on this afternoon's matchup, but it was the Charge who, following their 6-2 loss in their last meeting on March 8, flipped the script and scored five unanswered to win 5-1 and move five points up on the Sirens and Toronto Sceptres for the final playoff spot with two games left to go on the season.

"This is huge. It's almost like you're in the playoffs," Jocelyne Larocque said. "So we see that as a playoff win. That's how important it is. These points are important, and it was a huge team win."

It wasn't that the Charge "found a way to win" this game, or that they were merely beneficiaries of puck luck. Quite the contrary, in fact. They created every chance on their own, dictated the play at both ends of the ice from puck drop to the final buzzer, and were physical throughout, playing "Charge" hockey along the way.

"Tonight's game, Ottawa deserves a lot of credit for how they played and how they handled us," New York head coach Greg Fargo said. "We had a harder time establishing our game in the offensive zone, and they deserve a lot of credit for that, too. Ottawa wanted this one too, and they deserve the credit."

The Charge find themselves playing their best hockey when it matters the most. Sure, there were chances at both ends of the ice throughout this game, making this feel every bit like a playoff game. But the chances Ottawa generated, the way they exited their zone, the way defenders helped break up plays on the back check, and the way they boxed New York out in front of Gwyneth Philips felt different in this game. Philips, who made 23 saves in this game, eclipsed the 700 save total on the season.

"We have some great veteran leadership in our room," interim head coach Haley Irwin said. "For those who have been here in past seasons, we understand the importance of this time of year. It's about composure, being able to push, and managing times in the game."

Ottawa, which has struggled at times this season with special teams, used it to their advantage in this one. Larocque and Peyton Hemp would each score second-period jailbreak goals, while Brianne Jenner capped off the game with a third-period power-play goal.

"I don't even know what I was thinking," Hemp said of her goal. "It's been drilled into our heads to drive the net every day at practice, so I feel that was all I was trying to do, just get to the back post. I didn't know if I was going to beat them, but I was skating as hard as I could."

The Charge will have to wait until Wednesday for their next game and a matchup against the Boston Fleet. That game falls after both New York and Toronto play, and with the regular season dwindling, one could expect that, much like fans, the players may be keeping an eye on the score clock with two games left.