OTTAWA – Kori Cheverie saw Monday night coming.
“I know that the third (win) is going to be the hardest,” the Montreal Victoire coach said after her team took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Walter Cup Finals. “That’s what we’re focused on right now. The girls are allowed to be happy until the puck drop of the Habs tonight and then we move on.”
The Walter Cup trophy was in the house for Game 3 of the best-of-five series and nearly six minutes away from being hauled out for the Montreal Victoire. But with their backs against the wall, the Ottawa Charge staged a late-game comeback, scoring two goals in the final 5:30 of regulation to beat Montreal 2-1 and stay alive.
For nearly 50 minutes, the game was deadlocked 0-0 as goalies Ann-Renée Desbiens and Gwyneth Philips turned over 40 shots aside.
But just moments after Ottawa killed off a third Montreal power play, Montreal forward Hayley Scamurra carried the puck up the middle of the ice, dished to Maureen Murphy and drove to the net, where Murphy’s shot bounced right off the end boards and onto Scamurra’s stick. Known as a reliable defensive forward, Scamurra jumped on the puck before Philips could finish her slide through the crease and banged home the opening goal.
Seven minutes later, Ottawa rookie forward Peyton Hemp tied the game with her first goal of the playoffs. Rebecce Leslie scored the game-winner with just 54 seconds remaining in regulation — her league-leading fourth of the playoffs.
The deafening crowd of 16,894 at Canadian Tire Centre was the largest of any PWHL playoff game. Game 4 will return to CTC on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET).
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Montreal Victoire, Ottawa Charge, NHL, Women’s Hockey
2026 The Athletic Media Company
