LOWELL, MA – Aerin Frankel propelled the Boston Fleet to a 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday night at the Tsongas Center, marking her second consecutive shutout. Frankel showcased an exceptional performance, making a season-high 35 saves. This achievement not only extended her single-season shutout record to six but also increased her all-time record to eight, securing her league-leading 15th win in 20 games. Despite the loss, Goldeneyes’ goaltender Kristen Campbell put forth a valiant effort, stopping 27 of 28 shots in her fifth consecutive start.
The Fleet’s first goal, and the only shot to bypass Campbell, came from Laura Kluge, marking her inaugural PWHL goal. The score originated from a tip-in after Megan Keller’s shot, assisted by Mia Biotti, who earned her first career point at 9:03 of the second period. Susanna Tapani cemented Boston’s win with an empty-net goal from center ice, assisted by Haley Winn, with less than a minute remaining in the third period. This crucial victory propelled Boston into sole possession of first place in the PWHL standings with 45 points, breaking a tie with Minnesota, who holds 42 points with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Vancouver remains seven points adrift of Toronto, who currently occupies the fourth and final playoff spot.
Both teams are set to travel to Toronto for their next fixtures. Boston will commence a three-game road trip on Friday, while Vancouver will play the second game of their five-game road swing on Sunday at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Post-Game Reflections
Boston Assistant Coach Jordan LaVallée-Smotherman commented on the team’s resilience: “It was an interesting game. We’re obviously happy to come out with the win; they’re not always easy or pretty. Our team consistently finds ways to win close games, step up, and secure the necessary three points. Regarding our power play, I believe it’s about breaking through with one goal. Mental fatigue can set in when it doesn’t click game after game, and while we make minor adjustments, finding that initial breakthrough is key. We’ve had some good looks tonight, and sometimes in hockey, you just need a lucky bounce.”
Fleet forward Laura Kluge shared her excitement about her first PWHL goal: “Honestly, I’m incredibly excited. I felt like I was getting closer to scoring in the last few games, so I’m really happy to finally get it out of the way. The transition back from the Olympics was tough, but I feel like I’ve found my rhythm again over the past couple of games and am in a good place now.”
Vancouver Head Coach Brian Idalski addressed his team’s recent streak of narrow losses: “This is our fifth straight game where I felt we executed well, competed hard, and created opportunities to win. We’re just falling short. I genuinely think a mental shift is needed now – expecting good things to happen, expecting someone to make a play. Once that momentum starts, it feeds itself. We’re struggling to achieve that mental breakthrough where we’re confident we’ll get it done, not just hoping, guessing, or thinking ‘maybe.’ We need to know we’ll make the necessary plays. That mental component, that collective belief, is the last hurdle for us to overcome to win tight games like this.”
Goldeneyes captain Ashton Bell praised Kristen Campbell’s 27-save performance: “[Kristen Campbell] has been rock-solid for us over the last five games. Tonight, she was critical, especially on special teams. During our penalty kills, she kept us in the game, making huge saves and giving us a chance to win. We’re very fortunate to have her; she’s a great character on and off the ice.”
Key Statistics and Player Highlights
- Boston has achieved 45 points for the first time in team history, surpassing their 44 points from the 2024-25 season.
- The Fleet have earned 23 of 27 possible points in Massachusetts games this season and remain undefeated in five games at the Tsongas Center (4-1-0-0).
- Tonight marked Boston’s sixth shutout of the season and ninth in team history, tying New York for the most regular-season shutouts all-time.
- Vancouver has been shut out in four of their 11 road games this season, the most in the PWHL, including twice against Boston.
- The Goldeneyes outshot the Fleet 35-29 for the first time in four games, having previously been held to a season-low 22.7 shots on goal per game against Boston.
- Boston has scored the first goal in 17 of 22 games this season (a league high), with a record of 10-4-1-2 in those matches. Vancouver has conceded the first goal in 17 of 22 games (also a league high), with a record of 1-1-4-11.
- The Goldeneyes successfully neutralized the Fleet’s power play on all three opportunities tonight, maintaining the league’s best penalty kill on the road with an 88.9% efficiency.
- Fleet defenders have collectively surpassed 40 points in a season for the first time in team history, reaching 42 points tonight, the most in the PWHL.
- Boston leads Vancouver 8-4 in points across four games of their season series, with each game played in a different venue. The series will conclude in a fifth distinct venue on April 7 at Edmonton’s Rogers Place.
Individual Player Achievements:
- Aerin Frankel achieved back-to-back shutouts for the first time in her career, becoming only the third goaltender in PWHL history to do so. Her 35 saves tonight are the most in any of the league’s 19 shutouts this season, bringing her season save total to 500, making her the second netminder in 2025-26 to reach this milestone. She is the first goaltender this season to secure 15 wins, just one shy of tying the single-season record, and has triumphed in nine of her last 10 starts.
- Laura Kluge scored her first PWHL goal in her 34th career game, bringing her season point total to two in 21 games. The Fleet forward previously set a German Olympic tournament record with seven points (3G, 4A) in five games in Milan.
- Susanna Tapani’s empty-net goal was her fourth in five games and eighth of the season, reaching 15 points, three shy of her career-high. Her seven points (4G, 3A) in eight post-Olympic games are tied for the most since the PWHL resumed play.
- Megan Keller tallied her 11th assist in 22 games of the 2025-26 campaign, matching her career-high from the inaugural season. The Boston captain’s first point in four games against Vancouver gives her a second assist streak this season and leads all Fleet skaters and league defenders with 17 total points.
- Mia Biotti’s first-period assist marked her first career PWHL point in her ninth game. The defender from Cambridge, MA, is the sixth Fleet rookie to record a point this season, tying New York for the most in the PWHL.
- Haley Winn reached double-digit assists with her primary helper on Tapani’s goal, joining Keller and Kendall Cooper (12A) as the only defenders to hit this milestone. The second overall pick is now tied with Cooper for the second-most points among rookies with 13.
- Kristen Campbell made her fifth consecutive start for the Goldeneyes, bringing her season total to 10 games. This was her third time allowing one or fewer goals this season, and she has only allowed more than two goals in one of her five starts this month. Campbell improved her goals-against average to 2.10 and save percentage to .916 with tonight’s performance.
- Sophie Jaques led all skaters with seven shots on goal, matching her season-high. Her total shots on goal now stand at 83, a new career-high and second-most in the PWHL.
- Sarah Nurse led all centers tonight with a season-high 16 faceoff wins on 22 attempts for the Goldeneyes.
- Alina Müller led all Fleet skaters with four shots on goal and went 13-for-16 on faceoffs, reaching at least 80% efficiency for the third game this season.
Injury Report
- Jill Saulnier was scratched from the Fleet lineup for a third consecutive game due to a concussion.
- Emerance Maschmeyer was left off the Goldeneyes lineup for a fifth straight game and remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Three Stars of the Game
- Aerin Frankel (BOS) – 35/35 SV
- Laura Kluge (BOS) – Game-Winning Goal
- Mia Biotti (BOS) – 1 Assist
Current Standings
- Boston: 45 PTS (11-5-2-4) – 1st Place
- Vancouver: 24 PTS (6-1-4-11) – 7th Place
Upcoming Schedule
- Boston: Friday, March 27 at Toronto (7 p.m. ET)
- Vancouver: Sunday, March 29 at Toronto (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)