‘Just so exciting’: Victoire ties game late, notches 3-2 OT win over Charge

A season ticketholder of the Montreal Victoire since the first game, Cullen Petersen described seeing his team advance to the championship round of the PWHL playoffs against the Ottawa Charge as “indescribable.”

“No matter who wins, the Walter Cup is coming to Canada,” he said ahead of Game 1 at Laval’s Place Bell on Thursday.

He cheekily added: “But I just hope that Ottawa is OK driving to Montreal to visit it.”

Heidi Van Regan said she felt “just everything all at once” when the Victoire made history and clinched a spot in the Walter Cup final for the first time.

Victoire players celebrate their overtime win against the Ottawa Charge Thursday night in Laval. Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette

“Confusing, exhilarating, wonderful — like so many feelings, so many emotions,” she said. “A little bit of ‘is this is really happening?’”

Decked out in deep burgundy sparkles in support of the Victoire, she arrived well ahead of the puck drop for Game 1. As the founder of a PWHL fan club, she said she was “all-in” before the “league even played a game.”

“I love the whole league, but Montreal is my team,” Van Regan said. “And it’s just so exciting.”

The first game of the final was packed with drama, too. The Charge notched the first goal of the night in the second period, only for the Victoire’s Abby Roque to tie it up at 12:12 of the third period. Rebecca Leslie restored Ottawa’s lead when she scored with just over four minutes left, but Montreal’s Nicole Gosling found the back of the net with only two seconds left on the clock to send it to overtime.

Victoire’s Nicole Gosling (61) scores in the dying seconds of the third period Thursday night in the middle of a scrum. Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette

Roque scored her second goal of the night 2:29 into overtime to give Montreal the first win in the best-of-five series. Game 2 will be played Saturday afternoon at Place Bell in Laval.

Fans knew the competition would be fierce, but Petersen said his message in any outcome would be: “See you Saturday.”

“Hard-core committed” fan Katharine Childs said they hope the Victoire players get “a chance to go out and celebrate, and really feel the joy of everything that is going on with this playoffs. And I hope they get a moment to enjoy it.”

Amid a tough battle against the Minnesota Frost in the semifinals, Childs admitted to being “not 100 per cent convinced” until the end of Game 5 that the Victoire was going to make it to the championship round.

“Definitely doing all of the knock on wood, don’t jinx it, superstitions, everything that we possibly can,” they said of the series.

Family drove all day to see first Victoire game

The Victoire’s first game against the Charge brought fans from as far away as Abitibi-Témiscamingue, where a family of four said they hit the road at 5:30 a.m. to make it on time.

Sisters Maeva and Marie-Félix Plante, ages 14 and 8 respectively, weren’t tired at all after the long drive.

“I am so proud of them and they are so good. I am so happy to be here,” Maeva said of seeing her first Victoire game.

Marie-Félix was excited to see her favourite Victoire player, goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, in action. She wanted “to see strategies so I can improve” in the nets ahead of her own hockey tournament this weekend.

Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens is fan Marie-Félix Plante’s favourite player. (Evan Buhler / MONTREAL GAZETTE) Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette

Inside the arena, the cheers were loud even as the crowd was smaller than some of the regular-season games.

Fans filled out only parts of the lower bowl of Place Bell. Game 1 took place at the same time the Montreal Canadiens were winning 6-3 in Game 5 against the Sabres in Buffalo.

Asked why it was important to attend the Victoire game on Thursday, Maeva said she thinks “it’s not just the guys who should be encouraged.”

“The girls push themselves just as hard,” she said.

Ottawa Charge’s Ronja Savolainen is checked by Montreal Victoire’s Natalie Mlynkova during first period Thursday night. Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette

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