Charge full of confidence in backup goalie Gywneth Philips

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Coaches and players often speak of overcoming adversity, but it comes in varying degrees.

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On Wednesday morning – if they hadn’t been told before going to bed the night before – members of the Ottawa Charge were waiting to hear if they would have to continue to push for a playoff spot without their MVP.

That’s not a hectic schedule or a flu bug that runs through the dressing room or a few flight cancellations.

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Losing goalie Emerance Maschmeyer for a length of time would seem to be an eight or nine on the adversity scale that peaks at 10.

Everything was running quite smoothly for the Charge through the first 51 minutes of its attempt to rebound from a 5-0 loss to Minnesota on Friday with a three-point victory against the Frost in front of 5,851 fans at TD Place on Tuesday.

Ottawa held the visitors to just a couple of shots on goal in the first period and remained in control. Up 2-0 and stop in play, it was announced over the P.A. system that Maschmeyer had just become the first goalie in PWHL history to record her 1,000th save.

The crowd rose in unison to give “Masch” a stirring, standing ovation and chant her name.

And just seconds later, the roof started falling in.

Bending awkwardly to make a save, Maschmeyer managed to recover long enough to have her shutout bid broken by a shot from the point. When she tried to get up, she couldn’t. Trainers carried her off the ice, and Maschmeyer was replaced by rookie Gwyneth Philips.

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She gave up a controversial goal less than two minutes later, and less than one minute after that, Ottawa took a penalty.

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In the time it would take a paying customer to leave her/his seat for a trip to the washroom, the Charge went from cruising to a win to what seemed like a loss that would have served as a crushing blow to their post-season hopes.

Instead, in another dramatic turn, Alexa Vasko scored a “jailbreak” goal and the home team hung on for what might be remembered as a season-salvaging victory.

How did the players manage to recover from such a series of blows?

“You guys give us credit that we’re thinking all the time … ‘what did you think?’,” captain Brianne Jenner snickered as she rose to leave her Q&A with the media. “The game happens so fast.”

It’s also rare for momentum to swing from one side to the other and then back so quickly.

“You don’t have the vantage point that I have, but when I hear them on the bench, and I see them rise and I see them cheer each other on, it’s incredible what that energy can do in those moments,” coach Carla MacLeod said earlier. “We found a way. It was a nice finish.”

And a strong display of character.

“It’s unfortunate seeing Masch go out, but we have huge confidence in Gwyn going in there,” said Vasko, a 26-year-old fourth liner from St. Catharines who also scored the Charge’s first goal of the night but before that hadn’t put the puck in the net since April 28 when she scored her second of two on the season for the Toronto Sceptres. “We rallied as a group. We have such confidence in everyone on our bench. We’re a family and we’d run through a wall for each other. That’s just how we play.”

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Can the rally continue?

Next up for the Charge is a 2 p.m. Saturday showdown with the Boston Fleet at TD Place.

Ottawa is five points back of both Boston and Minnesota for the final playoff spot, with the same number of games played as the Fleet but two games in hand on the Frost.

The Charge has lost all three games against Boston this season, but did salvage an overtime point in the two at home.

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Even in a best case scenario with a Maschmeyer, it would seem very unlikely she plays this weekend.

“Since the inception of this league and our franchise, she’s been a pillar for us, and that’s not going to change,” MacLeod said in explaining the importance of the 30-year-old puck stopper who also plays for Canada’s national team. “She’s not only an incredible goalie, she’s just a wonderful human being and incredible leader. It’s never easy to see anyone go through this. We’ll just get her healthy.”

In the meantime they’ll rely on Philips, which isn’t a bad thing.

A third-round pick in last spring’s draft, the 25-year-old Athens, Ohio native is a member of the USA national team.

In 2022-23, the fourth of her five seasons at Northeastern University, Philips posted a 34-3-1 record with an incredible 0.87 goals against average and .960 save percentage in being named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association National Goalie of the Year.

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In seven appearances with the Charge, she has 3-2-1-0 record, a shutout, and a 2.29 GAA to go along with a .908 save percentage.

She also has a mental makeup that exudes confidence from her coach, who believes Philips would rise to the occasion if she had to step into the spotlight during this pressure-filled time of the season.

“She’s so built for that,” said MacLeod. “She’s so calm in her demeanor. She’s focused, but in her way. She’s a relaxed presence. Not a lot throws her off. I think it’s what’s made her great.

“We’ve seen it in multiple outings now, where she just goes in and does her job, and she does it her way. She’s a great character. She’s a fun teammate. She doesn’t let moments be bigger than they are. She just recognizes, ‘go do my job’, and she does her job.

“She’s a great goalie, and she’s only gaining more and more confidence as she plays in this league.”

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