Ottawa Charge finds just enough offence to even PWHL playoff series against Boston Fleet

A PWHL playoff logo is on the ice at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass. Photo by Tessa McAndrews /PWHL

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The Ottawa Charge managed a feat few other Professional Women’s Hockey League teams have accomplished this season.

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The rest was left up to Gwyneth Philips.

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The Charge scored twice before the 22-minute mark on Boston Fleet goalie Aerin Frankel, who had allowed one or fewer goals in 19 of 27 starts heading into the game, then built a near-impenetrable fortress around Philips, their MVP goalie.

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As a result, they left the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Mass., with a 3-1 victory over the Fleet that evens the best-of-five PWHL semifinal at one game apiece.

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Game 3 will be played at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday.

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Philips stopped two breakaways, the second of which was off Susanna Tapani with 10 minutes remaining in regulation time, among her 30 saves, while Frankel blocked 18 shots.

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Ottawa held a one-goal lead until Gabbie Hughes sealed the outcome with an empty-netter 90 seconds from the end of the game.

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The Charge gave Boston ample opportunity to score the night’s first goal when Kathryn Reilly took a tripping penalty 88 seconds in and Jocelyne Larocque was sent off for cross-checking at 7:37, but the Ottawa penalty-killing units rose to the challenges.

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In between the two shorthanded situations, Philips made a big blocker stop off Fleet sniper Jessie Eldridge on a clear breakaway.

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While Philips recorded 14 first-period saves, Ronja Savolainen gave Ottawa the lead for the second game in a row with a wrist shot from the point that appeared to deflect off a Fleet stick near the launching point and off Frankel’s trapper before entering the net just under the bar.

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It was the first PWHL playoff goal for the outstanding Finn, and the second game in a row that an Ottawa defender broke the ice.

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