Ottawa Charge's Alexa Vasko, center, celebrates with teammates after her empty-net goal against the Toronto Sceptres during third-period PWHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) blocks a shot on net against the Toronto Sceptres during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Toronto Sceptres' Claire Dalton (42) takes a shot on Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) tries to make a save while being pressured by Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast (14) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Ottawa Charge's Rebecca Leslie (37) pins Toronto Sceptres' Kali Flanagan (6) against the boards while battling for the puck during the first period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyOttawa Charge's Alexa Vasko, center, celebrates with teammates after her empty-net goal against the Toronto Sceptres during third-period PWHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyOttawa Charge's Alexa Vasko, center, celebrates with teammates after her empty-net goal against the Toronto Sceptres during third-period PWHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)2 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyOttawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) blocks a shot on net against the Toronto Sceptres during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)3 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyToronto Sceptres' Claire Dalton (42) takes a shot on Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)4 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyOttawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) tries to make a save while being pressured by Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast (14) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)5 / 5PWHL Sceptres Charge HockeyOttawa Charge's Rebecca Leslie (37) pins Toronto Sceptres' Kali Flanagan (6) against the boards while battling for the puck during the first period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Associated PressSat, April 25, 2026 at 9:12 PM UTC·2 min readOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Gwyneth Philips stopped 41 shots as the Ottawa Charge defeated the Toronto Sceptres 3-0 on Saturday to capture the final Professional Women’s Hockey League playoff berth.
Fanuza Kadirova, Sarah Wozniewicz and Alexa Vasko scored for Ottawa, which will make its second playoff appearance.
Ottawa will now wait to find out if it will play either the Boston Fleet or Montreal Victoire in the playoffs.
The Sceptres came into the game needing a regulation win to leapfrog the Charge for the final playoff spot but came up short for the second straight year.
Leading 1-0, Ottawa extended its advantage just 1:03 into the third when Toronto’s Kali Flanagan turned the puck over at her own blue line. That allowed Charge captain Brianne Jenner to find Wozniewicz all alone and beat Kirk off her backhand.
Vasko added an empty-net goal with just over four minutes remaining to seal the victory.
With a battle in front for the puck Michela Cava made a cross-crease pass to Kadirova, who took the pass off her skate to her stick to beat Kirk to the short side.
The goal changed the momentum of the game. Toronto dominated play early in the contest but the Charge fed off the energy of the goal and had sustained pressure numerous times throughout the period.
Ottawa thought it had opened the scoring near the seven-minute mark when Brooke McQuigge fired a shot that initially looked like a goal. But the review showed the puck hit the crossbar and never crossed the goal line.
Charge: Playoff game against a yet to be determined opponent.
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey