Ottawa Charge clinches PWHL postseason berth with 3-0 win over Toronto Sceptres

Ottawa Charge forward Sarah Wozniewicz puts the puck in the net to put the Charge up 2-0 in the third period in a do-or-die game with playoff hopes on the line against the Toronto Sceptres on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Photo by PWHL /Handout

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Charge 3, Sceptres 0

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It came down to the wire, but can you expect anything less in the Professional Women’s Hockey League?

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The Ottawa Charge rose to the occasion when it mattered most and officially punched a ticket to the postseason with a 3-0 win over the Toronto Sceptres on Saturday, April 25 in its last game of the regular season.

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It was a must-win game on both ends of the ice with the last playoff spot on the line to finish off the regular season. Toronto had its back against the wall and needed a regulation win to clinch the PWHL’s final playoff spot. Any other result and Ottawa was off to the postseason.

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With the victory, the Charge extended its win streak to four heading into the postseason, while the Sceptres will miss the playoffs for the first time in league history.

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Both teams were strong out of the gate, clearly understanding what was at stake. Toronto produced many of the more dangerous chances early in the game and held the shot advantage for the majority of the game, but Ottawa settled in as the game progressed.

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Gwyneth Philips earned her third shutout of the season, turning aside all 41 shots faced, and was once again a difference maker for the Charge as she led her team to a postseason berth for the second season in a row. It’s the culmination of a heavy regular-season workload for the Ottawa netminder, who shares the league lead with the Sceptres’ Raygan Kirk with 17 games of 25 or more saves.

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Fanuza Kadirova opened the scoring for the Charge four minutes into the second period as she buried a rebound chance from one knee off Michela Cava’s shot. The Russian forward became the third Charge player this season to reach the 10-goal mark, joining Brianne Jenner and Rebecca Leslie.

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Sarah Wozniewicz then extended Ottawa’s lead, opening the final frame with a backhand goal over Kirk’s shoulder off a wonderful feed from Jenner.

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Needing a regulation win, Toronto pulled Kirk with five minutes left, but Ottawa capitalized and sealed the deal with an empty-net goal off the stick of Alexa Vasko, as “we want playoffs” chants rang out at TD Place Arena as the clock wound down.

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The matchup was certainly familiar territory, marking the third consecutive season that these teams have faced each other with playoff hopes on the line to conclude regular-season action. In 2024, Ottawa needed a regulation win in Toronto to qualify for a playoff spot, but fell 5-2 to the Sceptres. Last season, the Charge punched its first-ever ticket to the postseason with a 2-1 overtime win in Toronto.

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Ottawa joins Boston, Montreal and Minnesota in the PWHL playoffs, which will kick off in Boston on Thursday night. Matchups will be determined Sunday as the first-place team will have 24 hours to choose between Minnesota and Ottawa as its semifinal opponent.

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More to come …

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