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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.
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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
NSL Vancouver Rise Boost Playoff Hopes with Victory Over Calgary Wild
Vancouver Rise FC have ended their season on a high note and improved their chances of
reaching the playoffs after defeating Calgary Wild FC 3-2 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC. The Rise delivered under pressure thanks to a beautiful goal from Mia Pante as well as a much-needed second-half strike from Jessica DeFilippo.
The Rise marked the scoresheet twice in the first half, leading the Wild 2 to nil at the 35-minute mark after Alex Lamontagne connected with Pante who cleared the goalkeeper and calmly hit the back of the net.
Calgary responded before halftime, however, as Josie Aulicino found the net with a strike from outside the penalty area, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and keeping halting what at times looked like a runaway train.
Calgary largely dominated the second half, forcing Vancouver onto their back feet. Vancouver was pinned in their own zone, unwillingly defending their lead as Calgary took shot after shot on goal. A quiet crowd got to their feet for their Captain Shannon Woeller who made her first appearance of the season in the 88-minute mark, leaving the bench to steady the team in the final few minutes.
Despite the early charge, Vancouver managed to record the win and take the points, if in a
somewhat anxiety-filled final 45. The three points keep the Rise in the playoff conversation, with the final result to be decided Monday as Halifax faces off against AFC Toronto.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER RISE FC v CALGARY WILD FC
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin
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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