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Former Northeastern teammates lead PWHL Boston’s march towards inaugural Walter Cup title
Aerin Frankel and Alina MĂĽller won four consecutive Hockey East Championships together. Now, they'll look to secure the first-ever PWHL title.
The word “inaugural” precedes every accomplishment PWHL Boston has achieved this season. And there have been plenty – during the first year of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Boston has defied expectations, mounting a dominant comeback on the backstretch of the 24-game season and advancing to the Walter Cup Finals.
The charge, led by the team’s young yet experienced crew, feels like a prophecy come true.
When Boston’s general manager, Danielle Marmer, finalized the league’s first-ever trade in February, she vowed to challenge for a title in year one.
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“I’m gonna make decisions that are best for the team and I’m gonna make decisions that are gonna help us win a championship,” Marmer said in an exclusive interview.
At the time, her vision seemed lofty. Not quite out of reach, but unlikely given Boston’s last-place standing in the six-team league.
Now, tied 1-1 in the best-of-five series against Minnesota, Boston’s dreams feel within reach. And as they prepare for another “first” — a championship matchup on their opponent’s home rink — there’s an undertone of familiarity.
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“We’ve had quite a history with championships together and it would be a dream come true to win at the pro level with her,” Boston forward Alina Müller said about her teammate Aerin Frankel.
She and Frankel’s relationship – both on and off the ice – dates back to 2018, when the two former Huskies won four consecutive Hockey East titles together at Northeastern University.
Their collegiate success, however, proved to be only the beginning of their bid to make Boston sports history.
Frankel, one of the league’s most dominant goaltenders, and Müller built something that few other teams have – trust and peerless chemistry that helped lead Boston to sweep Montreal in the semifinals.
“She became a really good friend of mine. We’re roommates on the road. I trust her so much. And I mean her abilities on the ice are unreal. Without her, we wouldn’t be here,” Müller said. “It’s just so amazing playing in front of her. She gives us so much confidence to try stuff out. And we know if we make a mistake, she’s gonna bail us out. And we’re trying to do the same for her.”
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Indeed, Frankel has assumed the identity of “savior” for Boston. She ranks second amongst starting goalies in the postseason with a .961 save percentage, just a hair behind Toronto goalie Kristen Campbell’s .962.
In the semifinals, Frankel made 109 saves on 111 shots through the first two games. During their final win of the series, a 2-1 triple-overtime match, the 25-year-old subsequently set a new PWHL record with 57 saves in a single game.
“My goal for the season was just to give my team the best chance possible to win every single game that I play in and that was kind of my approach,” Frankel said about her authority on the ice.
“If I can impact the team in that way and become a leader then that’s amazing. But for me, it just being my second year out of college and first year [in the league], and like this pro-environment, I just kind of take it day-by-day and game-by-game,” she added.
The five-game series is mostly foreign to female hockey players who, up until this year, have played single-elimination matches. So on the tail-end of a long season, the goalie reverts to what she does best – staying composed and patient in the net.
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For Müller, who became the youngest hockey player to earn an Olympic medal in 2014 at the age of 15, playing in high-pressure environments is par for the course on a path to greatness. Still, the Walter Cup Finals feel different.
“It will be a hard battle. And compared to other tournaments or other big stages, it’s very different. But this group, like from the essence, day one, we started together and it was new for everyone.” said Müller.
The newness of it all — despite growing pains — has fostered a general feeling of accomplishment towards the finals. Win or lose, Frankel and Müller both reflect on a historic season, one in which they helped catapult women’s hockey into the landscape of mainstream professional sports.
“Back in Boston, we have a great fan base,” Müller said. “When you arrive at the rink, seeing people with the Boston jersey on and just the kids in the stands, and the signs during warm-ups. It’s pretty unreal.”
For Müller, growing up in Sweden, she observed the vacuum that women’s hockey existed within. From the time she was six years old, playing for the national team was the only option.
“I think it has just exceeded everyone’s expectations, what this year has brought, and I know that it’s just gonna continue to grow. And I think this year, we’ve really just seen how big of a stage you know we have and how much impact we can have on younger girls and on the sport of hockey,” Frankel added.
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Now, emboldened by an outpouring of support from fans, bringing a title back to their “second home” feels like the cherry on top of an already-rewarding season for the duo.
“To be able to play for a championship for our city is incredible,” Frankel said. “And obviously, there’s a little bit of pressure being from a Boston team and just knowing how much success there has been in the history of their sports, but I think it’s a privilege to have.”
And as Boston gears up for Game 3 against Minnesota, they know the Cup isn’t the only light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, something brighter beckons. When the puck drops at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Friday night, they’ll be focused on the bigger picture – the long and burgeoning success of women’s hockey.
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