Abby Roque scored twice to steer the Montreal Victoire to their first Walter Cup trophy Wednesday night with a 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4.
Roque scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 3:49 of the second period and scored a short-handed jailbreak goal at 9:58 of the third to secure Montreal’s first Skilled Women’s Hockey League championship. It’s also the primary time a Canadian team has won the PWHL title within the league’s three-year history.
Marie-Philip Poulin was named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP having tied for the post-season lead with eight points (two goals, six assists). Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 23 shots for her second playoff shutout.
Montreal defeated the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost within the semifinal to advance to the championship for the primary time.
The Victoire won the primary two games of the championship series in extra time, but Ottawa avoided the sweep with a 2-1 win in Game 3 on Monday.
This marks the second straight 12 months that Ottawa lost in the ultimate.
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Ottawa’s Gwyneth Philips stopped 12 shots because the Charge were shut out for the primary time this post-season.
The Charge had three power-play opportunities, including one midway through the third, but did not capitalize. Ottawa was 0-for-10 with the advantage within the four-game series.
Montreal opened the flood gates within the third period with three goals.
After Roque’s short-handed goal made it 2-0, the Victoire prolonged their lead when Maggie Flaherty fired a floater from just contained in the blueline that looked as if it would handcuff Philips at 13:54. Lina Ljungblom made it 4-0 when she won a puck battle against Ottawa’s Brianne Jenner and wrapped a shot around Philips with 4:16 left in the sport.
Montreal Victoire forward Abby Roque (11) celebrates her goal against the Ottawa Charge with teammates during third period PWHL Walter Cup final hockey motion in Ottawa, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld.
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Montreal opened the scoring at 3:49 of the second period when Poulin dropped a pass back to Roque, whose shot deflected off Rory Guilday’s stick past Philips.
The Charge generated numerous probabilities within the second.
Ottawa had a 3-on-1 early within the period, but Sarah Wozniewicz shot wide. Jocelyne Larocque then had a pleasant likelihood from in close but put it right in Desbiens’ pads. Wozniewicz had a second likelihood only to ring a shot off the post midway through the period and Emily Clark, on a partial breakaway, couldn’t beat Desbiens.
Ottawa had one of the best likelihood in the primary period with an influence play but managed only one shot and the sport remained scoreless after the opening 20 minutes.
© 2026 The Canadian Press