This afternoon, Rebecca Leslie ended the game just under three minutes into overtime, lifting the Ottawa Charge to a 3–2 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes at Pacific Coliseum.

With the teams trading chances in extra time, Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner carried the puck up ice before finding Leslie in space. Leslie fired a quick shot through traffic that beat the goaltender bar-down, sealing the victory in front of a crowd of 11,201. The goal marked the 11th time this season that Jenner and Leslie have combined on a score.

Vancouver controlled much of the early play. The Goldeneyes pushed the pace in the first period and held a 12–3 advantage in shots, though neither side found the net.

Ottawa finally broke through late in the second period on the power play. Fanuza Kadirova stepped into a one-timer after a redirected pass from Sarah Wozniewicz, giving the Charge a 1–0 lead in the final minute of the frame.

The third period swung the game in Vancouver’s favour. Sarah Nurse electrified the crowd with an end-to-end rush, finishing a highlight-reel solo effort to tie the game midway through the period. Five minutes later, defender Sophie Jaques snapped a shot past the goalie to give Vancouver its first lead of the afternoon.

The Goldeneyes looked set to close it out, but Ottawa forced overtime in the final minute of regulation. Wozniewicz found the equalizer with 54 seconds left, quieting the home crowd and sending the game to extra time.

In goal, Gwyneth Philips turned aside 34 shots for Ottawa, recording her 10th win of the season and becoming the first goaltender in the league to surpass 500 saves this year. Vancouver netminder Kristen Campbell made 14 saves in the loss.

Vancouver finished with a 36–17 edge in shots but dropped its second straight overtime game at Pacific Coliseum.

The Goldeneyes continue their homestand Wednesday night against the New York Sirens, while Ottawa heads to face the Minnesota Frost.

Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

VANCOUVER GOLDENEYES vs OTTAWA CHARGE

All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer

The HSBC SVNS Vancouver wrapped up Sunday night after drawing more than 42,000 fans to BC Place across the weekend. The annual rugby sevens stop once again turned the downtown stadium into a loud, costume-filled celebration of the sport, with strong performances from both Canadian teams on the final day.

Canada’s women closed their tournament on a high note with two wins, defeating Japan and Fiji to secure a fifth-place finish. The Canadian men finished their weekend by claiming the Teck Tri-Nations Challenge title with a 3–1 record.

In the women’s Cup Final, New Zealand women’s national rugby sevens team defeated Australia women’s national rugby sevens team to claim gold. The Black Ferns extended an incredible streak, winning their fourth straight Vancouver title and remaining unbeaten at the event since 2023.

Canada women finish strong against Fiji

Canada’s women closed their tournament with a 26–19 win over Fiji women’s national rugby sevens team in one of the more entertaining matches of the day.

Claire Gallagher opened the scoring with her first career sevens try for Canada, converted by Chloe Daniels. Daniels later helped create another score, drawing two defenders before offloading to Charity Williams for an easy finish.

Fiji cut into the lead late in the first half, but Carmen Izyk broke free just before halftime to restore Canada’s momentum. Gallagher added the conversion to give Canada a 21–7 lead at the break.

Carissa Norsten added another try in the second half, and despite two late Fiji scores, Canada held on for the 26–19 win to finish their campaign with back-to-back victories.

Canada men claim Tri-Nations title

The Canadian men ended the weekend on a high note with a 31–7 win over Japan national rugby sevens team.

Japan scored first, but Canada quickly took control. Captain Lockie Kratz and Jack Shaw each crossed for tries before combining on one of the game’s flashiest plays, with Kratz delivering a behind-the-back offload to Shaw.

Shaw completed a hat trick early in the second half to extend the lead to 26–7. Morgan Di Nardo added a late try to seal the 31–7 victory and secure the Tri-Nations Challenge title.

What’s next

Canada’s women head to the United States for the next stop on the SVNS circuit at the HSBC New York SVNS on March 14–15.

The Canadian men will travel to South America for the final two events of the HSBC SVNS 2 Series, starting in Montevideo, Uruguay on March 21–22 before the final stop in São Paulo, Brazil on March 28–29.

Check out our favourite photos of the weekend or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!

All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer