Boston Fleet Shuts Out Goldeneyes 2-0: Aerin Frankel's Record Performance & Standings Update

LOWELL, MA – The Boston Fleet secured a dominant 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday night at the Tsongas Center, largely thanks to Aerin Frankel’s exceptional performance. Frankel achieved her second consecutive shutout, making a season-high 35 saves. This win further extended her single-season shutout record to six and her all-time record to eight, marking her league-leading 15th win in 20 games. Despite the loss, Vancouver’s goaltender Kristen Campbell also showcased a strong effort, stopping 27 of 28 shots in her fifth consecutive start.

The Fleet’s first goal came at 9:03 of the second period, a significant milestone for Laura Kluge who scored her first PWHL goal. The play originated from Mia Biotti, who earned her first career point with a pass, followed by Megan Keller’s shot that Kluge tipped in. Susanna Tapani sealed the win with an empty-net goal from center ice in the final minute of the third period, assisted by Haley Winn. This victory propelled Boston into sole possession of first place in the PWHL standings with 45 points, surpassing Minnesota. Vancouver, however, remains seven points behind Toronto for the final playoff spot.

Both teams are now set to travel to Toronto for their upcoming matches, with Boston beginning a three-game road trip on Friday and Vancouver continuing their five-game road swing on Sunday.

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Quotes:

Boston Assistant Coach Jordan LaVallée-Smotherman expressed satisfaction with the win, acknowledging that not all victories are “pretty” but highlighted his team’s ability to “find a way to win in close games.” He also commented on the power play, noting they “liked our looks” and just need “that lucky bounce” to get it going.

Laura Kluge shared her excitement about scoring her first PWHL goal, stating she felt she was “getting closer” in recent games and was “really happy” to achieve it. She also reflected on overcoming a difficult transition back from the Olympics and feeling “in a pretty good spot now.”

Vancouver Head Coach Brian Idalski voiced his team’s frustration with a string of close losses, emphasizing they are “executing, competing, giving ourselves a chance” but “just falling short.” He believes the team needs a “mental breakthrough” to expect success in critical moments.

Goldeneyes captain Ashton Bell praised Kristen Campbell’s performance, calling her “solid” and “key in the special teams,” making “huge saves” that kept them in the game.

Game Highlights & Records:

Boston Fleet: Achieved a franchise-record 45 points and remains undefeated in five games at the Tsongas Center this season (4-1-0-0). This was their sixth shutout of the season, tying the all-time record for regular-season shutouts. They’ve scored the first goal in a league-leading 17 games this season. Fleet defenders also set a new team record with 42 combined points. Boston leads the season series against Vancouver 8-4 in points across four games, with the final game to be played in Edmonton.
Vancouver Goldeneyes: Suffered their fourth shutout in 11 road games this season, the most in the PWHL. They outshot the Fleet for the first time in four games (35-29) but continued their trend of surrendering the first goal, doing so in a league-high 17 games. Their penalty kill remained strong, shutting down all three of Boston’s power play opportunities and maintaining an 88.9% efficiency on the road.

Individual Milestones:

Aerin Frankel (BOS): Achieved her first career back-to-back shutouts, becoming only the third PWHL goaltender to do so. Her 35 saves were the most in any of the league’s 19 shutouts this season, bringing her season total to 500 saves. She is the first goaltender to reach 15 wins this season.
Laura Kluge (BOS): Scored her first PWHL goal in her 34th career game, contributing her second point of the season.
Susanna Tapani (BOS): Scored her eighth goal of the season and fourth in five games with an empty-netter, bringing her to 15 points.
Megan Keller (BOS): Recorded her 11th assist of the season, matching her career high, and now leads all Fleet skaters and league defenders with 17 total points.
Mia Biotti (BOS): Earned her first career PWHL point with an assist in her ninth game, becoming the sixth Fleet rookie to score a point this season.
Haley Winn (BOS): Registered her 10th assist, joining Keller and Kendall Cooper as the only defenders to reach double-digit assists this season. She also tied Cooper for second-most points among rookies with 13.
Kristen Campbell (VAN): Made her fifth consecutive start, allowing one or fewer goals for the third time this season, improving her GAA to 2.10 and SV% to .916.
Sophie Jaques (VAN): Led all skaters with a season-high seven shots on goal, setting a new career high with 83 shots this season.
Sarah Nurse (VAN): Led all centers with a season-high 16 faceoff wins.
Alina Müller (BOS): Led Fleet skaters with four shots on goal and had an impressive 13-for-16 performance on faceoffs.