ST. LOUIS — In a thrilling late-game twist, Tereza Vanišová netted two goals within 32 seconds to propel the Ottawa Charge to a stunning 2-1 triumph over the Boston Fleet on Saturday. These pivotal goals arrived with just three and a half minutes remaining, securing the Charge’s ascent to the important fourth-place position, ensuring their contention in the playoffs with four games still to play this season.
With only three minutes left on the clock, Vanišová delivered the decisive blow by nudging a loose puck past Boston Fleet’s goaltender, Aerin Frankel, who had consistently repelled Ottawa’s offensive onslaught for the prior 56 minutes. Before this, Vanišová had tied the match at 1-1, capitalizing on a Boston error to rifle a shot past Frankel with 3:32 left in the game.
Currently leading her team with 14 goals this season, Vanišová’s recent performance has been remarkable, scoring six times in the last four games. Prior to her sensational finish, Frankel displayed her formidable skills with a sprawling kick save on an attempt by Gabbie Hughes, and followed it up with a deft glove save thwarting Danielle Serdachny’s hard wrist shot.
Boston initially took the lead in the game when Susanna Tapani intercepted a pass in the Ottawa zone, netting an unassisted goal 8:25 into the first period, marking her 11th this season. The second period saw no change in the score, thanks largely to the exceptional goaltending displayed by Frankel and Ottawa’s Gwenyth Philips, both former teammates at Northeastern University.
The loss was just Boston’s second this season after taking a lead in the first period, holding a 7-2 record when in this position. For Ottawa, this win marked their first victory against Boston this season after four previous attempts, with four out of five matchups being decided by a single goal difference.