Charge blank Victoire, inch closer to PWHL final berth

Mannon McMahon scored off a rebound at 8:42 of the third period, giving the Ottawa Charge a 1-0 win over the visiting Montreal Victoire in Game 3 of a PWHL semifinal series.

Gwyneth Philips posted a 26-save shutout for Ottawa, which leads the best-of-five series 2-1 and can clinch a berth in the finals with a home win on Friday. Game 5, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday in Montreal.

On the decisive sequence, the Charge kept the puck in the Victoire zone and Gabbie Hughes took a shot from low in the right circle. The puck bounced to an undefended McMahon in front of the net, and she fired it into the vacated left side of the net.

Hughes and Ronja Savolainen were credited with assists.

Montreal goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 24 shots.

The Victoire finished the regular season with the PWHL's best record, and they chose to face the third-place Charge in the semifinals.

In the other series, the Minnesota Frost hold a 2-1 edge on the Toronto Sceptres entering Game 4 on Wednesday in Saint Paul, Minn.

--Field Level Media