Tereza Vanisova nets 1st PWHL hat trick in Ottawa's win over Minnesota
Charge climb out of PWHL basement and into playoff position with 8-3 victory
Tereza Vanisova had a hat trick, Gabbie Hughes scored her first two goals of the season and added an assist, and the Charge scored as many goals in one game on Thursday night in Ottawa as they had in their last seven games combined for an 8-3 win over the Minnesota Frost.
Brianne Jenner, Mannon McMahon and Victoria Bach also scored for the Charge. Shiann Darkangelo had three assists and Rebecca Leslie got two. Emerance Maschmeyer made 23 saves.
Michela Cava had a goal and an assist for Minnesota while Sophie Jaques and Britta Curl-Salemme also had goals. Nicole Hensley and Maddie Rooney had 13 saves each.
Ottawa moved from the bottom of the Professional Women's Hockey League standings into a playoff position with the win.
WATCH | Vanisova leads Charge to victory over Frost:
Ottawa and Canadian national team defender Ashton Bell left the game with an injury in the first period and did not return.
After the Charge's last loss, coach Carla MacLeod said she wasn't concerned about her team's lack of offensive production, and her players showed that her confidence was well-placed.
"I was in [the media interview room] after last game, and everyone was Debbie Downers because we couldn't score a goal, and now we're all woo-hoo, so excited, because we scored some goals," MacLeod said. "But we don't want to be that. We want to be the group that just is consistent in our effort, but recognizing there's a lot of hockey left to be played.
"The first half, we did a really nice job. We were on the road for 80 or 85 per cent of those games, which isn't easy. And now we get a chance to settle in here and make our home genuinely our home."
Up next
Frost: Visit the Boston Fleet on Sunday.
Charge: Play the Toronto Sceptres on Sunday in Edmonton as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour.
With files from The Canadian Press
