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Aerin Frankel makes 35 saves to help Fleet’s early lead stand up in win over Toronto
“She brings that physicality, plays with a little bit of an edge.”
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LOWELL — After suffering a pair of two-goal losses to the Toronto Sceptres this season, the Boston Fleet got their revenge on Wednesday night.
Boston scored twice in the first period and held on for a 4-1 win thanks to a standout game from goaltender Aerin Frankel, who made 35 saves for her second game this season with at least 30.
The Fleet (3-2-2-4, 15 points) remain in fifth place in the PWHL standings ahead of only Toronto (3-0-2-6, 11), but just five points separate Boston from second-place Minnesota with the Fleet having two games in hand.
The Fleet sustained pressure in the offensive zone for most of the first five minutes of the game, which resulted in an early goal from Alina Müller. The Swiss forward hit a one-touch shot off a pass from Hannah Brandt to beat Toronto’s Kristen Campbell. It was the first goal of the season for Müller, who was a prolific scorer at Northeastern and led Boston in points last season with five goals and 11 assists.
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“It took a little longer than I hoped it would, obviously, but I got a lot of support from my teammates and coaches, staying patient,” Müller said.
Boston doubled its lead with under two minutes remaining in the first period when Sydney Morin’s slap shot was blocked, and Müller collected the rebound and sent a behind-the-back pass to Emily Brown, who scored from the doorstep to make it 2-0.
The Sceptres’ offense came alive in the second period, but Frankel made 13 saves to keep Toronto scoreless in the frame.
Shay Maloney added a third goal for the Fleet 58 seconds into the third period when her pass intended for Sophie Shirley in front of the net snuck its way through Campbell’s five-hole.
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Frankel sent the crowd of 3,951 fans at Tsongas Center into a frenzy when she stopped Julia Gosling from scoring on a breakaway with eight minutes left. The goaltender said after the game she fed off the crowd’s energy throughout the night.
“It’s great to play at home in front of these fans,” Frankel said. “We had such a long road trip, and I think we all missed that little bit of support coming from them. It was a great crowd tonight.”
After playing six straight games away from home, the Fleet were playing at home for the first time since Dec. 17.
Toronto broke up the shutout with 5:10 remaining when Blayre Turnbull tipped a pass from Kali Flanagan over Frankel’s right shoulder to end the goaltender’s shutout bid.
Megan Keller added an empty-net goal with 14.2 seconds on the clock to seal it for the Fleet.
Jill Saulnier, acquired Tuesday in a trade that sent Taylor Girard to New York, played just under four minutes with minimal contributions; She was called for a roughing penalty midway through the second period after a teammate got hit by a Toronto player in front of the Sceptres’ net.
“She brings that physicality, plays with a little bit of an edge,” Fleet coach Courtney Kessel said. “It’s something we appreciate here in Boston — when you stand up for each other.”
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The Fleet return to the ice Sunday against Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
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