Sports Interaction Staff
May 21, 2026

Victoire vs. Charge Recap: Victoire Win Walter Cup With 4-0 Victory in Game 4

Montreal captured the 2026 Walter Cup on Wednesday night with a dominant 4-0 win over the Ottawa Charge in Game 4 of the PWHL Finals at Canadian Tire Centre.

After three straight one-goal games to open the series, Montreal finally found separation behind a huge night from Abby Roque and another steady performance from Ann-Renée Desbiens.

Roque scored twice, including a short-handed goal in the third period, while Desbiens stopped all 23 shots she faced as the Victoire closed out the best-of-five series in four games.

Montreal had opened the Walter Cup Final with back-to-back overtime wins at home before Ottawa responded with a dramatic 2-1 victory in Game 3 to extend the series. But in Game 4, the Victoire controlled the game once they grabbed the lead in the second period and never let Ottawa recover.

The breakthrough came at 3:49 of the second when Roque drove deep into the offensive zone before a centering attempt deflected off Ottawa defender Rory Guilday and past goaltender Gwyneth Philips for a 1-0 lead.

Montreal’s defensive structure did the rest.

Ottawa struggled to generate sustained pressure for much of the night, and the Charge never found the scrappy rebound chances and broken-play offence that helped them survive earlier in the series.

Roque added what felt like the dagger midway through the third period while Montreal was short-handed. After springing free on a breakaway, she cut across the crease and slipped a backhand past Philips to make it 2-0.

From there, the celebration started early.

Maggie Flaherty extended the lead with just over six minutes remaining, wiring a point shot through traffic and into the top corner, before Lina Ljungblom capped the scoring off a turnover late in regulation.

Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playoff MVP after finishing tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

The Walter Cup victory marks the first championship by a Canadian franchise in PWHL history after Minnesota won each of the league’s first two titles.

For Ottawa, the loss marks a second straight defeat in the Walter Cup Final. The Charge pushed Montreal to the limit for most of the series, but couldn’t solve Desbiens when it mattered most Wednesday night.

Final Score

Montreal Victoire 4
Ottawa Charge 0

Goal Scorers