The Ottawa Charge are one game away from their season ending. They’ll need a win at home Monday to stay alive. The first two games against the Montréal Victoire were incredibly close, with both requiring overtime.
Ottawa’s top players will need to be at the top of their game. The Charge have scored just three goals in this Walter Cup Final series. Some of their best players will need to hit another level in Monday’s game to keep their season going.
Fanuza Kadirova
Ottawa Charge winger Fanuza Kadirova was on another level in the team’s semifinal against the Boston Fleet. She had two multi-point games and five points in just six games – a key piece of the team’s offensive success.
But she’s been kept off the scoresheet in the Final so far. To her credit, she had a team-high five shots on goal in game one, despite playing just 13:06. In game two, she was a minus-1, as she was on the ice for Maggie Flaherty’s game-winner. She played 19:59 – her highest ice time of the entire season.
Kadirova really seemed to find her offensive flair in the series against the Fleet. Can she rediscover it in Monday’s game?
Jocelyne Larocque
Ottawa Charge defender Jocelyne Larocque will also need to be at her best Monday night, both defensively and offensively. She can contribute across the ice and she’ll expected to do just that.
Larocque had three assists and a goal in the Boston series, but has been kept off the scoresheet against Montréal. In game one, she was a minus-2 and played a team-high 23:51. She was on the ice for both of the Victoire’s goals in regulation.
Game two was marginally better, though she certainly worked. She once again skated a team-high, this time 32:30. She’s used to playing big minutes – and played over 34 minutes in game four against the Fleet – but it is a lot.
Ronja Savolainen
Ottawa Charge defender Ronja Savolainen can be a big part of the team’s success when she’s on her game. She had two goals in the Boston series, including the game-winner in game three. But like her aforementioned teammates, she’s been limited during this series.
In game one, Savolainen was a minus-1 as she was on the ice for Abby Roque’s OT game-winner. She also failed to register a shot on goal. (She registered two in each of the last three games against the Fleet, comparatively.)
Game two was better. Savolainen notched a team-high six shots on goal; no other Ottawa skater had more than three. She also played 25:38, third-most among Charge skaters and one of her highest ice times this season. Again, like Larocque, she’s a player the Charge rely on, specifically on the backend – and they need to her play big.
The Charge will hope to stave off elimination when they host the Victoire on Monday, May 18 at 6 p.m.