Tereza Vanišová displayed her scoring prowess by netting two goals in a lightning-fast 32-second burst with only three-and-a-half minutes remaining, propelling the Ottawa Charge to a surprising 2-1 victory over the Boston Fleet in St. Louis over the weekend.
This crucial win elevates the Charge (10-11-1-4) to the fourth playoff spot with four games remaining in the regular season.
Vanišová broke the deadlock with a goal three minutes from time, capitalizing on a loose puck in front of the Fleet’s net, eluding goalie Aerin Frankel, who had shut out Ottawa for the majority of the game. Shortly after, Vanišová leveled the score at 1-1, seizing on a turnover in Boston’s end and firing a shot past Frankel with 3:32 left on the clock.
Leading Ottawa with 14 goals, Vanišová has been on a scoring spree with six goals in the last four games.
In the dying minutes of the game, Frankel made crucial saves, denying Gabbie Hughes and Danielle Serdachny in quick succession. The first goal of the match came from Boston’s Susanna Tapani, who intercepted a pass in Ottawa’s zone and scored unassisted with a wrist shot at the 8:25 mark of the opening period, marking her 11th goal of the season.
The second period remained scoreless, credited to outstanding goaltending by Frankel and Ottawa’s Gwenyth Philips, former teammates at Northeastern University.
Boston suffered only their second loss of the season (7-2) after establishing an early lead in the first period. This victory marked Ottawa’s first win against Boston this season in five encounters, with four of the games being decided by a single goal.
