Maureen Murphy netted two goals to lead the Montreal Victoire to a 3-1 victory over the Ottawa Charge in a packed arena at Place Bell in Laval, Quebec. Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves for the Victoire, propelling them to second place in the Professional Women’s Hockey League standings. Abby Roque sealed the win with an empty-net goal.
Faduza Kadirova scored the lone goal for the Charge, with Gwyneth Philips making 33 saves in a losing effort. Montreal took an early lead midway through the first period when Hayley Scamurra set up Murphy for a rebound goal after a turnover at the blue-line.
Murphy extended the lead with a power-play goal just before the end of the first period, firing a one-timer into the top corner off a pass from Erin Ambrose. Ottawa thought they had narrowed the gap in the second period, but a goal was disallowed due to contact with Desbiens.
The Charge finally got on the board in the second period through a deflected shot from Michela Cava. Despite pulling their goalie late in the game, Ottawa couldn’t find the equalizer. Desbiens’s stellar performance included key saves, notably denying Emily Clark on a breakaway.
Desbiens also thwarted Ottawa’s power play, which had been the league’s best, shutting them down in all four opportunities. Montreal’s strong defense has been a thorn in Ottawa’s side, with the Charge’s only two recent regulation losses coming against the Victoire.
Next up, Montreal will face the Toronto Sceptres at home, while Ottawa will host the Seattle Torrent in their upcoming matches.