Minnesota Frost force their way back against Ottawa but fall on late goal

Movement in the PWHL standings comes quickly these days, with three teams a point apart in the competition for second place.

The Frost missed out on a chance to move Tuesday night, falling 3-2 to the Ottawa Charge in The Arena at TD Place in Ottawa.

The Frost remain tied with Boston for third place with 35 points. Toronto is second, a point ahead. Fifth-place Ottawa crept up on those three, running its point total to 30. Six games remain in the Frost’s regular season.

“Our season’s not over, and we know the rest of the way we’re going to have to play well to get points and get ourselves where we need to be,” Frost coach Ken Klee said.

The Charge won when Alexa Vasko scored her second goal of the game — shorthanded with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the third period. She broke a tie the Frost forged with two goals in the third period.

The Charge took advantage of an interference penalty on Claire Thompson to score the game’s first goal. Brianne Jenner, with assists from Gabbie Hughes and Jincy Roese, scored on the power play with 15:59 gone in the first period. Meanwhile, the Frost put just two first-period shots on goal.

BOXSCORE: Ottawa 3, Frost 2

PWHL standings

The Charge made it 2-0 13:41 into the second period, when Vasko scored on assist by Natalie Snodgrass.

The Frost pushed back when Taylor Heise scored through traffic with 8:55 left in the game. Barely two minutes later, Thompson put the puck into the net, but it was waved off immediately for interference by Michela Cava, who had gotten behind the goalie and both stumbled. After a lengthy review, the goal was ruled good.

Gwyneth Philips was in Ottawa’s goal by then, after Emerance Maschmeyer left injured after giving up Heise’s goal. Maschmeyer had endured the Frost’s onslaught Friday in a 5-0 loss in Raleigh, N.C., in a stop of the PWHL Takeover Tour, but she made 19 saves Tuesday. Philips made two.

The Frost hadn’t allowed more than two goals in their past five games, the longest such run in team history.

Maddie Rooney made 16 saves for the Frost.

The Frost and Charge played a closer one than usual. Their past two matchups have been decided by five goals, Ottawa winning 8-3 in a record-setting game Feb. 13 and the Frost with that 5-0 win Friday.