Clark Scores OT Winner for Charge to Defeat Frost 2-1 in Game 1

On May 20, the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Final began. The Ottawa Charge hosted the Minnesota Frost for Game 1. Although the game went into overtime, the Charge defeated the Frost 2-1.

Game Recap

In the first period, both teams took a penalty each. Seven minutes in, Stephanie Markowski took a seat for slashing, and then six minutes later, Michela Cava took a seat for hooking. Neither team scored on their extra player advantage, and the first 20 minutes came to an end with zeros up on the scoreboard. The Frost had four shots on net to the Charge’s nine.

Halfway into the second period, Jocelyne Larocque passed the puck to Tereza Vanisova in the center of the ice. She skated it into the Charge’s offensive zone and sent a backhand pass to Rebecca Leslie. With a shot, Leslie scored the first goal of the game. The second period ended with the Charge up by one.

Five minutes into the third, Gwyneth Philips came out of her crease to try and play the puck off the boards. The Frost quickly took advantage, as Katy Knoll stole the puck. She passed it to Klara Hymlarova, who took a shot into the empty net to tie the game.

With six minutes remaining in the game, Kelly Panneck took a seat for holding. Although the players were ready to continue, the officials came out and said there was a review on the play for Leslie. After review, it was determined Leslie would receive a two-minute minor for cross-checking. The two teams played two minutes of 4-on-4, but neither was able to score. The 60 minutes of regulation came to an end, and this game would need overtime to determine the winner.