Here’s everything fans need to know as Ottawa Charge returns home for PWHL semifinal

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There are still some tickets left in the upper 300 level, but selection is becoming sparser as Friday approaches.

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Tickets for Game 4 on Sunday also appear to be selling fast on Ticketmaster, with seats in the 300 level remaining.

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More than 17,000 fans were in attendance the only other time the Charge played at the CTC this season on April 3, as Ottawa fell 3-0 to the Montreal Victoire.

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If that was the attendance draw for regular-season hockey, then playoff hockey is bound to bring something even more special.

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“This venue offers more and more opportunity for our fans to be part of the playoff series and push, and that’s exciting for us,” MacLeod said. “So, certainly, it’s a thrill to be playing here, but it’s a privilege to play in Ottawa every single opportunity we’ve had.”

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What’s at stake?

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The PWHL semifinal series is a best-of-five matchup, meaning the first team to win three games will take the series.

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Currently, Ottawa and Boston have each won one game, and whichever team wins Game 3 will take a 2-1 series lead and will suddenly find itself just one win away from a Walter Cup final berth.

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It’s been a tight matchup between these two teams: Boston won Game 1 by a score of 2-1, but Ottawa earned its redemption with a 3-1 win in Game 2.

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Who are the Charge players to look out for?

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It’s hard to talk about this series without mentioning Ottawa goaltender Gwyneth Philips. Quite simply, she’s kept the Charge in this series with one highlight-reel save after another.

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The 25-year-old goaltender was last season’s playoff MVP, and she’s making a case for herself again this season after making a combined 56 saves in the first two games of the series.

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Also, look out for Ottawa’s Jocelyne Larocque. The veteran defender is usually best-known for her shut-down abilities in the defensive zone, but she turns it up a notch in the playoffs.

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She currently leads the team in scoring with three points and is spending the most time on the ice out of any Charge player, averaging 24 minutes a game. It’s been fun to watch her offensive mind at work in this series as she steps in on scoring chances and makes things happen from the blue line.

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And finally, keep your eye on Charge defender Rory Guilday. This series has been fast, and it’s been intensely physical: Two aspects of the game in which this 5-foot-11 rookie shines.

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Guilday also has a cannon of a shot from the blue line, which could continue to work wonders if the Charge can continue to put traffic in front of the net. It’s a thing of beauty as you watch her walk the blue line and fire off a wicked shot.

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What’s happening pre-game?

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Be sure to arrive with plenty of time before puck drop, because the Ottawa Charge fan zone will be open starting at 4 p.m. in front of the CTC.

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The fan zone will include a chance to greet the team on its way into the rink during the “Electric Avenue” player arrivals, discounted food and beer, a live DJ, face painting and mullet haircuts.

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