Lee Stecklein scored twice as the Minnesota Frost staved off elimination and put the Ottawa Charge’s playoff hopes on ice with a 3-0 win Wednesday night.
The Charge needed just one point to secure their first playoff appearance. Ottawa earning the single point would have ended the defending champion Frost’s playoff chances.
It will come down to the final regular season games Saturday.
Ottawa will need a regulation win or overtime win against the Toronto Sceptres on Saturday, or Minnesota to lose its final game against Boston on Saturday in order to clinch a playoff berth. The Charge hold the tiebreaker should the two teams be tied in points.
Leading 1-0, the Frost extended their lead at 5:38 of the third period when Stecklein beat Gwyneth Philips with a wrister from the point. Stecklein added an empty-net goal with 34 seconds remaining for her second goal of the season.
Philips, who stopped 30 shots, and Nicole Hensley, who had a 24-save shutout, were solid in the second with both making a number of big saves.
The Charge got into penalty trouble late in the period, but Philips was able to hold the Frost off. With 1:17 remaining in the second Kendall Coyne Schofield beat Philips through the legs on a partial-screen to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
The Charge failed to capitalize on the power play going 0-for-3.
Stecklein’s first goal on a point shot in the third provided the Frost some much-needed insurance.
The regular season wraps up Saturday with the Frost at Boston and the Charge at Toronto.
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