
Ottawa Charge Goalie Gwyneth Philips’ Season to Remember
The accolades keep coming for Ottawa Charge goalie Gwyneth Philips.
Following an outstanding rookie season which saw this 24- year-old phenom post an 8-5-1 regular season record with a 2.11 GAA and .919 save percentage, she showed to be a clutch playoff performer as she continued her strong play by posting some solid stats including a 1.23 GAA and a .952 save percentage in keying Ottawa’s thrilling playoff run which saw them make it to the PWHL finals where they eventually fell short against the Minnesota Frost.
Philips, who only a year ago was picked 12th overall by Ottawa in the 2024 draft, helped the Charge to a thrilling best-of-five playoff series win against the Montreal Victoire, which punched their ticket to the PWHL finals. There, she threw a major scare into the defending Walter Cup champions, Minnesota Frost.
Riding the momentum of their 3-1 series win against Montreal, the Charge jumped out to a 1-0 best-of-five series lead by beating Minnesota 2-1 in OT, which left them just two wins away from being PWHL champions in only their second year of existence.
Unfortunately for the Ottawa fanbase, Minnesota refused to get rattled as they responded by winning the next three games, all in OT by 2-1 scores, to become the back-to-back champions.
Philips’ solid playoff showing didn’t go unnoticed as she was presented, by Ilana Kloss herself, the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award.
“The individual award is superseded by the team loss,” Philips said. “We were so close, and we really want that. My accomplishments are attributed to the players in front of me. So maybe tomorrow it’ll be nicer, but I really wanted that win.”
Philips, who is a former Northeastern University star, made history a few days later when she officially became the first PWHL goalie to be named among the three finalists for the PWHL Rookie of the Year Award.
Her fellow nominees are the 2024 first overall pick, New York Sirens forward Sarah Fillier and last year’s 11th overall selection, Montreal Victoire forward Jennifer Gardiner. The winner will be revealed on June 25 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Ottawa.
In what was a season to remember, Philips had a record-breaking season, which saw her finish first among rookie PWHL goalies in numerous categories, including 15 games played, along with eight wins, two shutouts, a .919 save percentage, and a 2.11 GAA.
Philips, who is from Athens, Ohio, will likely never forget what happened on January 21 when playing at Xcel Energy Center—she stopped all 22 shots to earn her first PWHL win in a 1-0 thriller against the Minnesota Frost. In addition to securing her first PWHL victory, it was a significant milestone as Philips became the first PWHL goaltender to achieve a shutout in her debut season.
“You know, it’s only my third game. I’m still trying to feel things out, but little taps from my teammates telling me I’m playing the puck well. It’s just that little reassurance that goes a long way to build my confidence,” Philips said in a prepared release.
Besides being a finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award, Philips is also a top-three finalist for the PWHL’s Goaltender of the Year. The other two finalists include Ann-Renée Desbiens of the Montreal Victoire and Boston Fleet’s Aerin Frankel.
The Charge have been extremely busy leading up to Tuesday’s PWHL Entry Draft.
Ottawa has re-signed forwards Rebecca Leslie and Taylor House. Another roster move includes signing free agent forward Elizabeth Giguere, as well as defencemen Brooke Hobson and Emma Bergesen.
For the Tuesday, June 24 PWHL draft taking place in Ottawa, the Charge are scheduled to pick fifth.
You can bet that many Ottawa fans will be watching closely to see what their beloved Charge can do to successfully take that next step and win the Walter Cup.
Catch the PWHL Draft live on TSN or the PWHL’s YouTube channel. Ottawa fans can head to the free FanFest Watch Party at Hard Rock Ottawa, starting at 3 p.m., with the draft kicking off at 7 p.m. — and keep those fingers crossed for Philips to snag Rookie of the Year!