Montreal rolls to 4-0 win over Ottawa Charge to claim Walter Cup series in four games

OTTAWA — Prince Albert’s Kaitlin Willoughby and the Montreal Victoire are Professional Women’s Hockey League champions for the first time in franchise history.

Montreal scored all four of its goals in the third period and went on to a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the best-of-five series, to claim this year’s Walter Cup.

While Willoughby didn’t hit the scoresheet in the title game, she saw 14:50 in ice time and had a shot on net. All told, the 31-year-old winger finished with three goals and six points through 29 regular-season games, and finished plus-2 with 14 shots on net in nine playoff contests.

Montreal opened scoring 3:49 into the second period, and it was a bit of puck luck for the Victoire. Abby Roque got off a harmless-looking shot from high in the left faceoff circle, but it went off a defender’s stick in front and through Gwyneth Philips’ five-hole to give Montreal a 1-0 lead.

Roque then struck again midway through the third period, and it was a huge one. After picking up the puck in her own zone on the penalty kill, Roque beat a defender to the outside, cut across the front of the net and lift a backhand home with 9:58 gone. The jailbreak goal sprung teammate Marie Philip-Poulin from the penalty box and put Montreal 10 minutes away from winning the PWHL title.

Maggie Flaherty added a third goal on a seeing-eye shot from the point with 6:06 remaining in the game and Lina Ljungblom scored her first of the playoffs with 4:16 to play.

Saskatoon product and Team Canada forward Emily Clark and Prince Albert’s Brooke Hobson both suited up for the Charge. Clark played 18:17 in the deciding game and had three shots and four hits while going minus-two on the night. Hobson played 17:45 on the blue line and had four hits while being held without a point.

Ann-Renee Desbiens finished with 23 saves to earn the shutout. Philips turned aside 12 shots in the losing effort.

The first three games of the Walter Cup series were much closer, with Montreal winning 3-2 in overtime Thursday to open the series and winning again in extra time, 2-1 on Saturday, before Ottawa kept its season alive with a 2-1 victory Monday.