WINNIPEG — Rebecca Leslie wasted no time playing hero, scoring a power-play goal 12 seconds into overtime to lift the Ottawa Charge to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire at Canada Life Centre on Sunday night.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League officially arrived in Winnipeg with the Takeover Tour matchup, treating a sold-out crowd of 15,321 at Canada Life Centre to a dramatic finish.
Ottawa (5-7-1-9) began the extra frame with a 27-second power play, carrying over a man-advantage after Montreal’s Abby Roque took a slashing penalty at the 18:27 mark of the third period. Leslie quickly capitalized, securing the win for a Charge team that is no stranger to extra time. Ottawa, fighting for crucial points in fifth place, has now gone past regulation eight times this season.
The overtime finish capped off a wild final few minutes of regulation. Leslie was whistled for goaltender interference with just 2:44 left on the clock, handing third-place Montreal (10-4-2-5) a golden opportunity to break a 1-1 deadlock.
Instead, it was the Charge who nearly ended it short-handed. Emily Clark and Brianne Jenner broke free for a 2-on-0, but Montreal netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens came up with a stick save on Clark. Moments later, Roque’s penalty negated the Victoire advantage and set the stage for Ottawa’s winner.
Before the late-game fireworks, the goaltenders stole the show in a tight, defensive battle. Desbiens finished with 26 saves, while Gwyneth Philips made 20 stops.
With less than eight minutes remaining in the third period, the hometown crowd nearly erupted when Winnipeg native Kati Tabin had a breakaway. But Philips stood tall, denying the Montreal defender to keep the game tied.
Ottawa originally broke a scoreless tie early in the second period. Forward Gabbie Hughes netted her fourth goal of the season at the 5:37 mark after Peyton Hemp initiated the sequence by sliding a cross-crease pass to Hughes.
Montreal responded just past the midway point of the middle frame. Roque won a clean offensive-zone faceoff directly back to defender Nicole Gosling, who fired home the equalizer at 11:20.
NOTES
The two local stars had plenty of support in the stands, with Ottawa defender and Ste. Anne native Jocelyn Larocque having an estimated 280 extended family and friends in attendance. Meanwhile, Montreal defender Kati Tabin, a Winnipeg native, needed around 80 tickets … Winnipeg’s Skylar Park, who captured an Olympic bronze medal in taekwondo in 2024, performed the ceremonial puck drop. … Manitoba is the sixth Canadian province to host a PWHL game. The Takeover Tour has only two stops remaining this season, with a game in Calgary on April 1 and Edmonton on April 7.
UP NEXT
Victoire: Visit the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday.
Charge: Visit the Seattle Torrent on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2026.
Jeff Hamilton, The Canadian Press
