PWHL Ottawa misses shot to clinch playoffs as New York sews up top pick in draft

Kayla Vespa scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and New York rallied to beat Ottawa 4-3 on Tuesday night to secure the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL draft.

New York scores 3 goals in 5 minutes to erase early Ottawa lead

The Associated Press · Posted: Apr 30, 2024 10:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 1

Two hockey players celebrate together. — New York's Ella Shelton, right, celebrates with teammate Savannah Norcross, left, during a game earlier in April. The PWHL squad beat Ottawa 4-3 on Tuesday to secure the first overall pick in next season's entry draft. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Kayla Vespa scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and New York rallied to beat Ottawa 4-3 on Tuesday night to secure the first overall pick in the 2024 PWHL draft.

New York (4-4-3-12), which had already been eliminated from playoff contention, snapped a three-game losing streak with just its third win at home this season.

New York scored three goals in less than five minutes to take a 3-2 lead with 7:40 remaining in the second. Jade Downie-Landry started the sequence with her seventh goal of the season and Ella Shelton tied it at 2-all with her sixth.

Vespa backhanded a loose puck in front of the net to put New York ahead and Elizabeth Giguere scored the fourth straight goal for a 4-2 lead.

WATCH | Vespa leads New York past Ottawa:

PWHL Ottawa misses opportunity to lock down playoff berth against New York

7 months ago

1:18

Ella Shelton's three point second period delayed PWHL Ottawa's bid to secure a playoff spot as New York skates to a 4-3 victory.

Ottawa (8-1-6-8), which had a four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, could have clinched a playoff spot with a regulation win.

Akane Shiga, the youngest player in the PWHL at 23 years old, scored her second goal of the season to give Ottawa a 1-0 lead nearly six minutes into the game on an easy redirection as Corinne Schroeder was out of place.

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Hayley Scamurra gave Ottawa a 2-0 lead with 5:35 left in the first by beating Schroeder on the glove side with a shot from just inside the right circle.

Ottawa got within 4-3 with 58.1 seconds remaining when Daryl Watts slotted a shot between the pads of Schroeder for her ninth goal of the season.

WATCH | Hockey North takes you through the latest on the PWHL: