Charge earn final playoff spot with 3-0 victory over Sceptres

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Gwyneth Philips stopped 41 shots as the Ottawa Charge defeated the Toronto Sceptres 3-0 on Saturday to capture the final Professional Women’s Hockey League playoff berth.

Fanuza Kadirova, Sarah Wozniewicz and Alexa Vasko scored for Ottawa, which will make its second playoff appearance.

Raygan Kirk had 28 saves for Toronto.

Ottawa will now wait to find out if it will play either the Boston Fleet or Montreal Victoire in the playoffs.

The Sceptres came into the game needing a regulation win to leapfrog the Charge for the final playoff spot but came up short for the second straight year.

Leading 1-0, Ottawa extended its advantage just 1:03 into the third when Toronto’s Kali Flanagan turned the puck over at her own blue line. That allowed Charge captain Brianne Jenner to find Wozniewicz all alone and beat Kirk off her backhand.

Vasko added an empty-net goal with just over four minutes remaining to seal the victory.

The Charge opened the scoring early in the second.

With a battle in front for the puck Michela Cava made a cross-crease pass to Kadirova, who took the pass off her skate to her stick to beat Kirk to the short side.

The goal changed the momentum of the game. Toronto dominated play early in the contest but the Charge fed off the energy of the goal and had sustained pressure numerous times throughout the period.

Ottawa thought it had opened the scoring near the seven-minute mark when Brooke McQuigge fired a shot that initially looked like a goal. But the review showed the puck hit the crossbar and never crossed the goal line.

Charge: Playoff game against a yet to be determined opponent.

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Ottawa Charge's Rebecca Leslie (37) pins Toronto Sceptres' Kali Flanagan (6) against the boards while battling for the puck during the first period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) tries to make a save while being pressured by Toronto Sceptres' Renata Fast (14) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Sceptres' Claire Dalton (42) takes a shot on Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Charge's goaltender Gwyneth Philips (33) blocks a shot on net against the Toronto Sceptres during the second period of a PWHL hockey game in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Charge's Alexa Vasko, center, celebrates with teammates after her empty-net goal against the Toronto Sceptres during third-period PWHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

CHICAGO (AP) — A police officer died and another was critically injured after a shooting at a Chicago hospital on Saturday, according to officials.

The suspect, who was not publicly identified, was taken in custody, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling said.

“Officers transported an individual over to the Swedish hospital for an observation, at which time two of our officers were shot," Snelling said at a news conference in the afternoon. "One was shot critically. It (the death) was pronounced. The second officer right now is fighting for his life in the hospital behind us.”

The shooting was at the Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Chicago at around 10.50 am.

The hospital said its campus was placed on lockdown, and patients and staff at the health facility were safe.

“Today is a real difficult moment for our city. It’s a tragedy,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the news conference. The city is providing mental health support services to police officers so they can do their jobs, he said.

Snelling said there is an ongoing investigation, and he could not provide details. But the hospital said in a Facebook posting that an individual in custody of law enforcement was brought the emergency department for treatment and was “wanded upon arrival,” following the protocols. He was escorted by law enforcement at all times, the hospital said.

It said that the man later fired shots at the law enforcement officers and exited the hospital building. He was later apprehended.

“Those officers were there as transport officers,” Snelling said, referring to the police officer who died and the one who was injured. A weapon was recovered, he said.

He noted that the names of the officers were not released because they want to be sure that their families have been notified. One of them was a 38-year-old officer who had been working for 10 years in the department. The other is a 57-year-old officer with 21 years of service, Snelling said.

Police officers work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Police work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Chicago. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Police officers work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Police officers work the scene outside Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in Lincoln Square, on Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)