Jenner Plays Hero: Ottawa Stuns Fleet in Overtime Thriller, 2-1

On Wednesday night, the Boston Fleet returned to the Tsongas Center with an opportunity to reclaim first place in the PWHL standings. Following Montreal’s loss in Vancouver on Tuesday, the Fleet still maintain a mathematical shot at the regular-season title, though they would need to win their remaining games in regulation to secure it.

The Fleet entered the night with significant home-ice confidence, boasting a 5-1-0-0 record at the Tsongas Center while outscoring opponents 15–8 in the building. A crowd of 5,215—the largest regular-season weekend crowd for a Fleet game at Tsongas—turned out to see if Boston could extend its success against an Ottawa Charge team it has battled closely over the last two seasons.

The Goaltending Duel

The matchup featured a premier battle in the crease between Ottawa’s Gwyneth Phillips (2.25 GAA, .927 SV%) and Boston’s Aerin Frankel, who entered with staggering numbers (1.19 GAA, .953 SV%).

The first period remained scoreless, characterized by tight defense and a single unsuccessful power play for the Charge. Despite the lack of scoring, Boston held a slight edge in play, outshooting Ottawa 8–5 in the opening frame.

Breaking the Deadlock

The Fleet finally broke through at 8:40 of the second period. Abby Newhook notched her seventh goal of the season, cleaning up a rebound from a Megan Keller shot and lifting it over Phillips’ shoulder. Jessie Eldridge also earned an assist on the play.

Boston carried that 1-0 lead into the second intermission, leading in shots 16–11. However, special teams remained stagnant, with the Charge starting the game 0-for-3 on the power play and Boston 0-for-1.

Ottawa Forces Extra Time

Early in the third, Boston nearly doubled their lead when Eldridge rang a backhand off the right post on a partial breakaway. Moments later, Ottawa found their opening. Following a series of matching penalties and a head-contact minor against Boston’s Alina Müller, the Charge capitalized on the momentum. At 8:22 of the third, Rebecca Leslie tipped a Rory Guilday shot past Frankel to tie the game at 1-1.

The Fleet had one final power-play opportunity late in regulation after Müller hit the post, but the Ottawa penalty kill held firm. With neither side able to break the tie in the final three minutes, the game moved to overtime.

Jenner Ends It

Overtime saw high-danger chances at both ends. Phillips denied Shay Maloney on a clean look, while Frankel stood tall against Kateřina Mrázová from point-blank range. The stalemate finally ended at 3:46 of the extra period when Ottawa captain Brianna Jenner fired home the game-winner off a feed from Ronja Savolainen, securing the 2–1 victory for the Charge.

Post-Game Reactions

The atmosphere in the building mirrored a postseason environment. Charge assistant coach Haley Irwin and forward Rebecca Leslie both noted the team’s improved starts and playoff-level intensity.

Fleet head coach Kris Sparre lamented the missed opportunities, noting that hitting three posts and failing to capitalize on Grade-A chances proved costly. However, goal-scorer Abby Newhook remained optimistic, noting that the team is “ramping up” effectively with the playoffs looming.

The Fleet conclude their regular season this Saturday as they host New York, while the Charge look to carry this momentum into their weekend clash with Toronto.