Frankel’s 30 saves, Boston’s third-period surge blank New York
LOWELL, Mass. (Interstat) — Aerin Frankel stopped all 30 shots she faced and Boston Fleet scored four third-period goals to beat New York Sirens 4-0 on April 25 at Tsongas Center in a Professional Women’s Hockey League game.
Frankel earned the win and the shutout, turning aside New York’s 30 shots. She was Boston’s top star. Boston improved to 21-9. New York fell to 12-18. The Sirens were unable to generate a comeback after a tight start. Frankel was busy throughout, facing 30 shots and keeping New York off the scoreboard. Her 30-save performance allowed Boston to stay patient before its third-period outburst.
After a scoreless first two periods, Boston broke through in the third. Jessie Eldridge opened the scoring at 2:53 of the third period, with Megan Keller assisting. Ella Huber doubled the lead at 7:28, with Hadley Hartmetz and Liz Schepers earning assists. Haley Winn made it 3-0 at 13:43, assisted by Keller and Eldridge. Jill Saulnier capped the scoring at 14:56, with Schepers picking up her second assist.
Boston’s four third-period goals came from four different scorers. Eldridge, Huber, Winn and Saulnier each found the net. Schepers and Keller each recorded two assists, while Eldridge and Winn also contributed shots on goal and hits. The Fleet turned a scoreless game through two periods into a comfortable win with a burst over the final 17 minutes. Eldridge and Winn each contributed at both ends, while Keller’s two assists helped spark the late rally.
Eldridge finished with one goal, one assist, three shots on goal and one hit. Schepers had two assists, one shot on goal and two hits. Winn scored one goal and added three shots on goal and one hit. Keller recorded two assists, one shot on goal and two hits. Saulnier scored one goal and had one shot on goal, two penalty minutes and one hit. Huber scored once and had one shot on goal and one hit. Susanna Tapani put four shots on goal. Hartmetz added one assist. Alina Müller had two shots on goal and one hit.
New York’s best chances came in a game that remained tight until the third. The Sirens were unable to solve Frankel, who finished with 30 saves on 30 shots. Boston’s defense limited New York’s chances while the Fleet pulled away late. New York had won two of its previous three games, including an overtime victory at Toronto. Boston had lost two straight, including an overtime decision against Ottawa.
Penalties were part of the game. Boston’s Riley Brengman received a delay of game penalty at 4:13 of the first period. Boston’s Rylind MacKinnon was called for cross checking at 12:51 of the first. New York’s Emmy Fecteau received a cross checking penalty at 17:08 of the second. New York’s Paetyn Levis was assessed interference at 12:34 of the third. Boston’s Noemi Neubauerová was called for boarding at 14:29 of the third. Boston’s Saulnier received a boarding penalty at 16:12 of the third. New York’s power play could not convert, and Boston’s penalty kill contributed to the shutout. The Fleet’s four-goal third period turned a defensive game into a decisive win.
Boston had won the three most recent meetings between the teams. The Fleet took a 1-0 decision at New York, a 4-3 shootout win at home and a 2-0 win at New York. The April 25 result continued that trend. Boston has now won four straight in the series.
Boston is scheduled to host Ottawa in its next two games before visiting Ottawa for two more. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Boston with a 64.4 percent probability to win before the game.