Morin Scores OT Winner For Fleet In Ottawa

8,295 fans packed TD Place, as the Ottawa Charge returned home after a lengthy, albeit successful, road trip to face off against the Boston Fleet on Minor Hockey Day. While the Charge entered on a hot streak, but were plagued by injuries and illness with forwards Katerina Mrázová and Anna Meixner, along with defenders Ronja Savolainen and Jincy Roese out of the lineup. The result was a 2-1 overtime road win for the Boston Fleet.

Fresh off of signing a 10-day Standard Player Agreement, Jessica Adolfsson dressed as the seventh defender for this game. This game marked the first home game for newly acquired players Jocelyne Larocque and Victoria Bach after the blockbuster trade with Toronto on New Year’s Eve, which saw defender Savannah Harmon and forward Hayley Scamurra go the other way.

This game also marked the first time former Northeastern University Huskies teammates Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips faced off against one another in their professional hockey careers.

The new additions both made an immediate impact, as Bach scored her first goal as an Ottawa Charge, and second of the season, at 6:48 of the first period, with Larocque credited with the primary assist for her first point as a member of the Charge. Boston found the back of the net and tied it late in the period on a goal from Sidney Morin at 15:55.

Ottawa started the second as they ended the first, aggressive on the puck despite being on the penalty kill, playing strong in the neutral zone and limiting Boston’s attack. It took the Fleet midway through the period before they were able to finally get some high danger scoring opportunities and sustained pressure. Both teams traded excellent scoring chances late in the period, but both Philips and Frankel stood their ground. With just over one minute left in the period, Boston appeared to have taken the lead on a goal by Hannah Bilka, but upon further review, it was determined that the puck was kicked into the goal. Game remained 1-1 through forty minutes.

The third period offered entertaining hockey at both ends of the ice and was Boston’s best period of the game, as it was the only period in the game in which they outshot Ottawa.

A back and forth third period, with scoring chances at both ends, including some incredible shots in tight on the powerplay by Boston, yielded no results. Despite a number of great scoring opportunities late, this game required extra time. With 3:15 remaining in overtime, following a turnover deep in the Ottawa zone, Boston forward Sidney Morin scored her second of the game on a wrist shot from the point to end the game. 2-1 was the final in this one. Both teams ended the game even in shots, 21 a piece, and snake bitten on the powerplay, going a combined 0/5.

Next up for the Charge is a rematch, at home, against the Toronto Sceptres on Tuesday evening and will feature another first, this one being the return of Savannah Harmon and Hayley Scamurra, both of whom were beloved by the Charge fans during their time with the club.