Boston dropped Game 2 of the Walter Cup semifinals to Ottawa, tying the series as both sides head to Game 3.
A single late breakdown ended Boston’s momentum in Game 2, as the Ottawa Charge grabbed control of the Walter Cup semifinal and leveled the best-of-five series.
Playing at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, the Boston Fleet slipped after Ottawa took a 2-0 lead in the second period. Boston outshot the Charge 31-21, but the equalizer never came, and an empty-net goal sealed a 3-1 win for Ottawa.
With the series now knotted at one game apiece, the focus shifts to what each team learned during the long stretch of playoff intensity, especially after Game 2’s momentum swing.
Ottawa struck first when Ronja Savolainen scored 6:44 into the game. beating Boston goaltender Aerin Frankel with a shot from the blue line.. The tally came as Brooke McQuigge set a screen. and it followed a sequence that began after an icing-related dispute at center ice. which led to an ensuing faceoff and offensive zone time for the Charge.
In the second period, Boston had stretches of pressure but struggled to fully clear the zone early on. Ottawa extended the lead after nearly two minutes of sustained offensive-zone work, when Fanuza Kadirova fired a one-timer that ricocheted and slipped past Frankel to make it 2-0.
This matters for the way both clubs play: even when one side dominates the shot totals, hockey still hinges on who turns sustained pressure into goals at the right moments.
Boston responded just before the period ended as Megan Keller scored with nine seconds remaining.. After Alina Müller carried the puck into the offensive zone. Abby Newhook found space in the slot. but Hughes blocked the shot.. The puck bounced to Keller. who produced a rapid move and finished through traffic to cut Ottawa’s advantage in half and ignite the home crowd.
Ottawa put the finishing touch on the night with a late empty-net goal by Gabbie Hughes, turning a tight game into a decisive final score and setting up the next chapter of the semifinal series.
After a six-day break, the Fleet will take the series to Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre for Game 3 on Friday, followed by Game 4 on May 10.
For fans and players alike, the pause may be as important as the next puck drop: it offers a chance to reset after a performance that showed Boston can create chances, even if it needs sharper execution when the margin shrinks.