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Ottawa Charge stave off elimination after comeback victory over Montreal Victoire in Walter Cup final
Rebecca Leslie scored with 54.8 seconds left as Ottawa erased a 1-0 deficit and kept its Walter Cup title hopes alive.
On Monday, the Ottawa Charge staved off elimination with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Victoire in Game 3 of the PWHL Walter Cup final. Rebecca Leslie scored the game-winning goal with 55.5 seconds remaining to extend the series.
After a scoreless 40 minutes, Montreal took a 1-0 lead on Hayley Scamurra's rebound goal at 7:32 of the first period. Peyton Hemp tied the game for Ottawa at 14:30 of the third, setting up the dramatic finish.
Following a lengthy review of Montreal's challenge for a missed stoppage, officials upheld Leslie's goal, sending the playoff-record crowd of 16,894 into a frenzy. Goaltender Gwyneth Philips anchored the win, saving 27 of 28 shots.
Montreal still leads the best-of-five championship series 2-1. Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie admitted her team needs to "manage the last 10 minutes better" as they prepare for Game 4 on Wednesday.
Charge head coach Carla MacLeod praised Leslie's off-season preparation, noting that "their confidence just has to catch up to the talent level." Leslie, who leads Ottawa with six postseason points, said "We're not done yet.