OttawaThe Professional Women’s Hockey League community came together Tuesday to support the Ottawa Charge’s beloved head coach Carla MacLeod in her battle with breast cancer.Many in the crowd wore pink as Frost topped Charge on the ice The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 03, 2025 11:09 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Ottawa Charge fans hold signs and wear pink on Tuesday in support of head coach Carla MacLeod, not shown, who announced earlier in the week she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)Hockey took somewhat of a backseat despite Tuesday’s rematch between the 2025 Walter Cup finalists.The Professional Women’s Hockey League community came together to support the Ottawa Charge’s beloved head coach Carla MacLeod this week in her battle with breast cancer.”She’s in our hearts, she’s on our minds and we’re behind her in this battle,” said Minnesota Frost captain Kendall Coyne Schofield. Coyne Schofield’s first career PWHL hat trick lifted the Frost to a dominant 5-1 win over the Charge. It was the first time the two teams have met since Minnesota defeated Ottawa in four games to clinch its second consecutive Walter Cup title in May. WATCH | Highlights of the Walter Cup rematch:Frost crush Charge as Coyne Schofield scores a hat trick in the nation’s capitalMinnesota Frost defeated Ottawa Charge 5-1 Tuesday night in PWHL action as Kendall Coyne Schofield had a hat trick in the lopsided affair.Still, MacLeod’s health was the first focus for all parties involved.On Sunday, MacLeod announced her breast cancer diagnosis to the hockey world, saying her goal is still to “be behind the bench as much as possible.”The home crowd at TD Place Arena turned the stands pink to support MacLeod. Despite her absence to meet with her doctors, MacLeod still earned a rousing standing ovation from both the Ottawa faithful and the visiting fans.”It’s so special to play in front of them and to see everyone wearing their pink and so many signs for Carla,” said Ottawa forward Emily Clark. “It’s pretty cool how this community is rallying together and we feel that as a team, and hopefully Carla can feel that from afar, too.”In MacLeod’s absence, assistant coach Haley Irwin stepped up as acting bench boss, with some big shoes to fill.”We’re professionals in the way that you have to show up and do what’s asked of you, and sometimes that’s just a different role,” Irwin said. “I just had to play a slightly different role.”3 early Frost goalsThe Charge opened the third and final game of their homestand flat-footed against the two-time reigning PWHL champions.”We wanted to come out hard for Carla,” Clark said. “Definitely not the first period that we wanted to come out with.”The reigning champs dispatched their hard-nosed forecheck to build an early 3-0 lead through the first seven minutes of play thanks to goals from Coyne Schofield, Dominique Petrie and Grace Zumwinkle.”We have a really skilled forward group and we know if we get to work and we’re good on the forecheck, have good sticks, we’re going to be able to create opportunities,” said Minnesota head coach Ken Klee. “We were fortunate to bury a couple right away.””We let them get there, we let them skate there, we let them have time and space there,” Irwin said. “We gave them just too much.”Ottawa regrouped heading into the second, finally finding enough footing to create dangerous chances of their own, but they couldn’t solve Frost goaltender Nicole Hensley, who turned away all 19 shots through the first two frames.Minnesota’s Natalie Buchbinder looks to clear the puck away from Ottawa Charge forward Anna Meixner in front of goaltender Nicole Hensley on Tuesday. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)”She made critical saves at critical times,” Coyne Schofield said. “Look at the second period. I don’t know how many 2-on-1s they had, there’s key saves, special teams, and it’s very enjoyable to play in front of.”If there was a bright spot for the Charge, it was rookie defender Rory Guilday’s first PWHL goal on the power play at 5:59 of the third period.”Sometimes you just have to rip it and I feel like in that moment I wasn’t really thinking about much else,” said the fifth pick of the 2025 draft.The Charge now they head into a five-game road trip starting on Thursday when they visit the Toronto Sceptres.
Charge, Frost play with Carla MacLeod in mind after breast cancer diagnosis
