Sirens Struggling to Find Rhythm, Fall to Charge 3-1

Photo via PWHL

   The Sirens had a golden opportunity to right the ship on Sunday, December 29th, but the Ottawa Charge proved too strong, snapping their three-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory, and leaving the Sirens with back-to-back losses at Prudential Center. Sarah Fillier provided a glimmer of hope for New York when she scored the lone goal, but it proved to be too little, too late. Emily Clark, Shiann Darkangelo, and Katerina Mrazova each found the back of the net to help the Charge secure this win and put an end to their losing streak. Corinne Schroeder kept the Sirens in there with her total of 19 saves on 22 shots. The Sirens head to Minnesota on Saturday to take on the Frost in search of a win to make sure the losing streak doesn't extend to three, and the Charge will be going to Toronto to take on the Sceptres on Tuesday.

Sirens Lineup:

Tulus - Carpenter - Fillier

Eldridge - Roque - Levis

Hartje - Rosenthal - Giguere

Fecteau - Downie-Landry - Aurard

Saulnier

Zandee-Hart - Nylen Persson

Simpson - Bourbonnais

Hobson - Knowles

Schroeder

Osborne

Charge Lineup:

Clark - Mrazova - Jenner

Scamurra - Hughes - Meixner

Vanisova - Darkangelo - Serdachny

Snodgrass - McMahon - Leslie

Roese - Harmon

Tejralova - Savolainen

Markowski - Bell

Maschmeyer

Philips

   Emily Clark got the party started early into the opening frame when she put Ottawa ahead 1-0 at 13:45 of the first. The goal came after Corinne Schroeder made a save on a shot by Aneta Tejralova, and Katerina Mrazova got ahold of the puck, shot from just below the right circle, and Clark ended up redirecting it in past Schroeder for her fourth goal of the season.

   Giving the Charge a 2-0 lead with 16:34 on the clock in the second period, Shiann Darkangelo found the back of the net from the left boards for her second of the season when she picked up the puck along the left boards as she was driving up into New York's zone after Ottawa took the puck out of their zone when a 2-on-1 was intercepted and taken back into the Sirens' zone. Katerina Mrazova recorded her second point of the night when she increased the lead to 3-0 not long after the second Ottawa tally at 13:07. Her initial attempt was blocked by Schroeder, but her second chance did not fail when she struck again from the top of the left circle and got it past Schroeder for her sixth goal of the season.

   Sarah Fillier struck early into the third frame, avoiding getting shutout with her third goal of the season at 19:38. Fillier shot from the top of the right circle off a pass from Elle Hartje for her first snipe at home and for the 3-1 final.

Jill Saulnier on her return to the lineup after being activated from long-term injured reserve: "Obviously, it's nice to get back in the lineup. It's great because we have a great group of girls and fun staff. It's just been really nice to enjoy the presence of everybody, but obviously, it's more exciting to be on the ice. I definitely won't be a hand model in my future, that's for sure. I am happy to be back out there and in some games."

Head Coach Greg Fargo on the back-to-back losses, and the game overall: "It's certainly been a trend for us, getting down and having some slow starts to games over the course of the season so far. But ultimately, I think a lot of that had to do with how we started the game and being ready to go. I think we started on our heels a little bit, and I give them a lot of credit, but we must find ways to start games, ready."

Notes:

- Jill Saulnier made her return to the lineup after being activated from long-term injured reserve due to the upper-body injury she sustained on December 1st against the Minnesota Frost (the Sirens' opening game). ...Saulnier was credited with 6:44 time on ice and one hit.

- Kayla Vespa was placed on the Sirens' Reserve Player list.

- The Sirens were held without a goal through the first two periods for the first time this season.

- With her third goal of the season, Sarah Fillier has moved into a tie for first in PWHL scoring with a total of eight points in six games (three goals, five assists). Picking up a secondary assist, Alex Carpenter has eight points this season, earning her a share of the scoring lead (four goals, four assists). ...Carpenter has extended her point streak to six games straight to open the season. She has points in nine games straight dating back to last season.

- In her last two games played, New York rookie Elle Hartje picked up her third assist.

- In this matchup, both Jessie Eldridge and Abby Roque led the game with six shots on goal apiece. 

- Emerance Maschmeyer made a total of 34 saves on 35 shots for Ottawa.

- Ottawa rookie Ronja Savolainen is the first player in the league to record five minor penalties in the season. The team is tied for the league lead with 21 minor penalties in five games.

- This was the Ottawa Charge's first road win of the season.

- Emily Clark leads the league in first goals with two, and she added an assist for her first multi-point game of the season, as well as the third of her career.

- Tereza Vanisova, the team's top goal-scorer, picked up an assist and now has a total of three points in her last two games (one goal, two assists) and six points overall (three goals, three assists).