Ottawa Charge Olympians Return As Playoff Push Resumes
· Yahoo Sports
Eight members of the Ottawa Charge, along with head coach Carla MacLeod, left the nation’s capital to represent their countries at the Olympic Winter Games. Some return with gold, others with silver, and some without medals at all, but all return having competed on the sport’s biggest stage.
That experience now becomes part of Ottawa’s playoff push as the PWHL season resumes.
Visit cat-cross.com for more information.
Charge Win Gold
Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips and defender Rory Guilday were part of a dominant American team that entered the tournament as favourites and delivered on those expectations, outscoring opponents 33-2 on the way to gold.
Philips contributed to the longest shutout streak in Olympic history, which reached 352:17, and recorded two shutouts of her own. While she was not heavily tested, the opportunity to perform under Olympic pressure adds valuable experience as she returns to Ottawa.
Guilday averaged 3:59 in time on ice throughout the tournament. Though her role was limited, competing alongside and learning from an experienced defensive group provided an opportunity for growth that will carry forward into the PWHL season.
Three Earn Silver With Canada
Charge captain Brianne Jenner, along with alternate captains Emily Clark and Jocelyne Larocque, represented Ottawa as members of Canada’s silver medal-winning team.
Jenner and Clark contributed offensively throughout the tournament, combining for six points across seven games, while Larocque averaged 17:40 in time on ice on the blue line.
While silver is not the outcome Canada had hoped for, their return to Ottawa comes after a gold-medal game that went the distance and marked Canada’s strongest performance of the tournament.
Brianne Jenner highlightsDisappointing End For Czechia
Ottawa forward Kateřina Mrázová and Czechia entered the tournament with hopes of building on the program’s recent progress, but were unable to make a deep run. Mrázová recorded one assist in the tournament and will now turn her focus back to Ottawa, where she will look to continue building chemistry on the new-look third line alongside Fanuza Kadirova and Michela Cava. Charge head coach Carla MacLeod was also the head coach for Czechia.
Upset For Finland
Ronja Savolainen and Sanni Ahola represented Ottawa as members of the Finnish team, which was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Switzerland.
For Savolainen, this marked her third Olympic appearance, having previously been part of two Finnish teams that earned medals. For Ahola, competing in her first Olympics provided a new level of experience.
“Being able to represent my country at the highest stage, and the whole Olympics experience was pretty awesome,” Ahola said. “And not everyone can, so I'm super proud of myself and the team. We gave our best there, and this time, it wasn't enough, but that's an experience. It's unbelievable.”
Now, both return to Ottawa having experienced the intensity and expectations that come with international competition.
With their Olympians returning to the lineup, the Charge resume their season sitting fifth in the standings, just two points behind the New York Sirens. They return to the ice at home against the Boston Fleet on February 28.