The Ottawa Charge finished off a three-game homestand Wednesday night (March 4) as they hosted the Seattle Torrent at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario. This was a battle of two teams trying to work their way out of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) basement, as we are officially in the second half of the season.
At the outset of the game, the Charge sat in sixth with 23 points while the Torrent placed last in the league with 16 points. The winner would take the lead in the season series as they had split the two games played up to this point.
Related: Guide to the 2025-26 Seattle Torrent
Ottawa got two goals from Fanuza Kadirova, one from Alexa Vasko, and one from Emily Clark. It wasn’t the prettiest effort as the Charge allowed the Torrent to come back from 2-0 and 3-1 to tie it, but Kadirova’s late strike put them over the top and got them a crucial regulation win. They won by a score of 4-3.
Vasko Scores First of Season
It took 18 games this season, 33 games total, and over an hour delay to start this one, but Vasko finally has her first goal and point of the season. After Emma Greco let one go from the point, Vasko found the puck in a scrambled play to put the Charge ahead early. It may have taken her a while, but it’s an encouraging sign for Ottawa who will need everyone firing down the stretch.
Vasko isn’t known for her offensive prowess, primarily playing in the bottom-six as a shutdown player who throws some heavy checks. However, any scoring her line can add is a huge bonus as the goals become more important for the Charge over the next couple months.
Clark Stays Hot
Another Charge player who had a slow start to the season has really turned the heat up over the last few games. Clark has two goals and five points in her last five games going back to pre-Olympic break. She kept her stellar play going when Kathryn Reilly (who also potted her first points of the season in this game) fed her on a beautiful back-door pass. It’s no surprise Clark has dialled it up in the second half, as we’ve seen what she can do for this team.
She has just six points through 18 games this season, going pointless through the first nine games of the campaign. But it’s easy to forget her 19 points in 30 games last season and five points in eight playoff games during the Charge’s deep run. Clark has always been instrumental to their success, so it makes sense she’s finding her game at the most important time.
Ottawa Penalty Kill Struggles
Despite some offence coming alive for the Charge, their penalty kill did not do them any favours. They have struggled all season on this front, and it really showed in Wednesday’s game. Seattle was two-for-four on the power play with two goals from Jessie Eldridge and also added a penalty shot tally from Alex Carpenter.
This area of play is something that will need to be cleaned up by Carla MacLeod and company. If they want a chance to compete against teams higher than the Torrent, a strong penalty kill will be of paramount importance in close games.
Charge Hit the Road for Long Road Trip
Ottawa begins a lengthy six-game trip on Sunday morning (March 8) when they take on the New York Sirens at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Puck drop for that one is set for 10 a.m. MDT. The rest of their road trip is as follows, with all times listed in Mountain Daylight Time.
They start in Vancouver against the Goldeneyes on March 14 (1 p.m.), then March 18 in St. Paul against the Minnesota Frost (5 p.m.), then in Winnipeg, Manitoba for a Takeover Tour stop playing the Montreal Victoire on March 22 (5 p.m.), followed by a rematch with the Torrent on March 29 (5 p.m.), and then finally another Takeover Tour stop in Calgary, Alberta where they’ll face the Toronto Sceptres on April 1 (7:30 p.m.).
The team returns home a couple days after that, but it’s an important road trip that will test the Charge as they navigate a tight race to the postseason.
