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PWHL Boston Fleet falls short to Ottawa Charge in Game Two of the Walter Cup Playoffs
The PWHL playoffs are in full swing with all four teams battling it out to win the coveted Walter Cup. Boston and Ottawa are in for a tough battle this series as both teams have battled well all season. All of their season matches have ended in either a shootout or overtime, with Ottawa taking the season series over the Fleet. But playoffs are a whole different story.
Game one went to the Fleet, 2-1 in a hard fought battle. Both teams are well balanced and feature the goalie battle of fellow Northeastern goalies Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips. So this series is going to be a fun one for sure.
Game two, took place at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA on May 2, and the energy was high to a sellout crowd of rowdy Fleet faithful. Though the Ottawa Charge flipped the script in Game 2, skating into Boston and taking down the Fleet 3-1 to even the series.
Ottawa wasted no time setting the tone. Defenseman Ronja Savolainen opened the scoring in the first period, firing a shot through traffic that beat Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel and quieted the home crowd early. Though fans did not give up on their team.
Energy was high and the battles were rough. Boston was heavily outshooting Ottawa, but they simply couldn’t solve Philips’ brilliant goaltending. Even with a few powerplay opportunities the Fleet were given throughout the game, they could not capitalize on them. The Charge kept their foot on the gas in the second. Just minutes into the period, Fanuza Kadirova capitalized on sustained pressure, snapping home a shot to extend the lead to 2-0 and put Boston on its heels. But Boston wasn’t going down quietly.
Time was winding down in the second period, but it was captain Megan Keller who delivered a spark to the Fleet, jumping into the rush and burying a clutch goal with seconds left to cut the deficit to 2-1 and breathe life back into the building. Fans were going crazy and the energy was unmatched.
Going into the third there was hope for a tying goal with numerous scoring opportunities and zone time for the Fleet, but they simply couldn’t solve Philips, who made miraculous save after save to give Ottawa the edge. Gabbie Hughes converted an empty-netter goal with 1:30 remaining, deciding the game for Ottawa, who would walk away with a 3-1 win over Boston.
Game three is set for May 8th in Ottawa at 7pm est. It is sure to be another tight battle. Game 4 will be on Sunday May 10th in Ottawa at 3pm, and game 5 if needed will be back in Boston on Tuesday May 12th at 7pm.
You can find more info on the Fleet on their socials // Website // Instagram // Facebook // X //
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
PWHL Boston Fleet v Ottawa Charge
All Photo Credit: Erin Crowley
Sport Photos
WWE Monday Night Raw Keeps the Momentum Rolling in Ottawa
WWE Monday Night Raw rolled into Ottawa on August 24 with plenty of moving pieces and a clear focus on building toward the next major chapters for both the men’s and women’s divisions. From LA Knight’s confrontation with Roman Reigns to Stephanie Vaquer’s return, a World Heavyweight Championship tournament, and a heated Oba Femi-Bron Breakker contract signing, the episode packed a lot into three hours without losing sight of its bigger stories.
This was a busy, storyline-heavy episode built almost entirely around momentum heading toward Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. LA Knight opened the show by calling out World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, only for Solo Sikoa to interrupt and thank Knight for backing him up the previous week, before the Usos showed up and set a tag match in motion for later in the night. That opening angle paid off with a hard-hitting brawl, and the show closed with Knight, Sikoa, and both Usos left laid out while returning duo Royce Keys and OTM stood tall over the wreckage.
In the ring, the standout was Stephanie Vaquer‘s return match against Roxanne Perez, which saw Judgment Day interference from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez met by a counter from Becky Lynch. Vaquer sealed the win by dodging a moonsault and connecting with a butterfly backbreaker into a lungblower combo, and the post-match staredown with Lynch added a nice extra layer of tension. It fed directly into the next chapter of her title chase, with Vaquer told backstage that she’ll get her shot at Liv Morgan‘s Women’s World Championship on the September 7 RAW.
The tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship shot also moved forward, with Penta defeating LA Parka and Rey Fenix defeating Dragon Lee to set up a Penta-vs-Fenix final. The Penta/Parka match got a nice reaction, as Parka survived a Penta Driver and answered with a top-rope Spanish Fly before Penta eventually got the win.
The other big story beat was the contract signing for Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker. Breakker accused Femi of taking the spot he used to hold and vowed to make him live in his shadow, while Femi shot back that Breakker could’ve been the future of WWE in a different era, just not while he’s around. The segment boiled over into a physical confrontation, with Breakker jumping Femi before Austin Theory got involved, and Femi eventually powering back to put Theory through a table.
Overall, this felt like a well-paced go-home-style episode even though the pay-per-view is still two weeks out: hot angles up top and at the close, a satisfying tournament advancement, and a women’s division storyline that’s clearly building toward something bigger
Check out our favourite photos of both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown below or head to our Facebook page for the full galleries: Raw – Smackdown
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport
Sport Photos
NSL Vancouver Rise FC Stun Halifax Tides FC With Last-Minute Winner
Drama took over Swangard Stadium on Saturday night as Vancouver Rise FC rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Halifax Tides FC 2-1, with Jessica De Filippo scoring the winner deep into stoppage time.
Rise nearly opened the scoring inside the first two minutes. De Filippo found herself at the edge of the six-yard box, but her first-time effort sailed over the bar.
Vancouver continued to create chances. Ten minutes later, Anna Bout slipped Anaïs Oularbi through on the left, with Oularbi cutting the ball back for De Filippo. Her sliding attempt just missed the pass.
Halifax had a chance of its own moments later, but Rise goalkeeper Morgan McAslan came up with one of the saves of the night. She stopped Julia Benati’s point-blank effort before quickly smothering the rebound.
The Tides eventually broke through in the 18th minute. Benati sent Rhodes in behind the Vancouver defence, and Rhodes finished past McAslan to give Halifax the lead.
Rise pushed for an equalizer before halftime. Bout tried her luck from distance in the 30th minute, but her shot skipped wide of the far post.
Vancouver‘s pressure picked up as the half progressed, with crosses repeatedly sent into the Halifax box. Just before halftime, Myla Ewasiuk met an Oularbi free kick with a header, but Tides goalkeeper Anika Tóth was ready for it.
Rise came out of the break with renewed pressure, bringing Latifah Abdu into the match to add another attacking option. Her impact was almost immediate.
Camila Reyes found Abdu behind the Halifax defence, sending the forward in alone against Tóth. Abdu slipped as she took her shot, though, leaving Tóth with an easy clearance.
The equalizer finally arrived in the 56th minute. Bout delivered a cross into the box, and De Filippo rose to meet it, powering her header past Tóth to make it 1-1.
Vancouver kept coming in search of the winner.
Josie Longhurst nearly put Rise ahead in the 74th minute when she popped the ball up just outside the box and launched an ambitious volley. She got plenty of power behind it, but the effort went just wide.
Abdu came even closer seven minutes later. After turning two defenders, she unleashed a volley that forced Tóth into a fingertip save.
De Filippo then came within inches of a second goal when her header was deflected onto the post and out.
With the match moving into stoppage time, the pressure from Rise finally paid off.
Abdu found space on the left and floated a cross toward the penalty spot. De Filippo brought the ball under control before firing it into the net, sending Swangard Stadium into a frenzy and completing the comeback.
The win gives Rise another dramatic result at home as the club continues its push through the season.
Vancouver Rise FC will return to action on Saturday, August 22, against Ottawa Rapid FC in Ontario. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT. The team then returns to Swangard Stadium on Saturday, August 29, to host Calgary Wild FC at 3 p.m. PT.
Tickets are available through Vancouver Rise FC.
Check out our favourite photos of the match below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
NSL VANCOUVER RISE FC v HALIFAX TIDES FC
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin