By: Alexis Caines | Follow me on Twitter/X @alexiscaines_
Offense, defense, and special teams delivered for the Boston Fleet, all paired with another record-breaking performance from Aerin Frankel en route to a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes. The Fleet are headed to TD Garden on a high note, which they’ll look to hold onto in front of a crowd of home faithful.
The game marked the conclusion of the 2025-26 PWHL Takeover Tour, which brought the league to 16 neutral-site games in 11 different cities. The game was in Edmonton at the home of the Edmonton Oilers.
Vancouver’s Hannah Miller headed to the box for boarding early in the first period, giving the Fleet a look at their power play. Jessie Eldridge fired one past Emerance Maschmeyer, but it was overturned for goaltender interference. Just 30 seconds later, as the penalty expired, Eldridge went bardown, and this one would count.
The Fleet kept putting pucks on net as the period went on, taking advantage of some defensive breakdowns from the Goldeneyes. Just as it seemed like the period might end 1-0, Laura Kluge headed to the box, giving the Fleet penalty-kill their second look of the night.
Immediately after a defensive-zone faceoff, Megan Keller broke out with Abby Newhook and Susanna Tapani, who were able to hammer in their own rebounds for a shorthanded jailbreak goal.
It was a strong showing from the penalty-killing unit, going six for six at the conclusion of the game. It marked Keller’s first jailbreak goal of her career, freeing Kluge from the box to start the second period at even-strength.
Early into the second period, Jessie Eldridge got her second of the night, coming on the power-play. She potted a pass from Alina Müller, who got an assist on both of Eldridge’s goals. Less than halfway through the game, the Fleet were already on the board with a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal.
Jill Sualnier returned to the lineup for the Fleet after missing five games for concussion protocol. Despite slotting in as the extra forward, her four minutes on the ice contributed massively. Saulnier broke away from the pack and held onto the puck patiently before passing it to Tapani, who tapped it in for a huge 4-0 lead. Saulnier’s tally set a career high at 2-3-5.
Less than one minute later, Jamie Lee Rattray got in on the fun, making this game 5-0 late in the second period. Sophie Shirley’s shot on net was unsuccessful as Maschmeyer batted it away, but right onto the stick of Rattray, who netted the rebound. This was the alternate captain’s fourth goal of the season.
Fleet rookie Abby Newhook recorded three assists in the game. She now has 6-6-12 in 24 games played, which makes her sixth in rookie standings.
Kristen Campbell came into the net at the start of the third for the Goldeyes to relieve Maschmeyer. This was a close-to-home game for Maschmeyer, who recorded her lowest SV% of the season at .783.
The change certainly sparked some life into the struggling Goldeneyes, who were able to put an end to Aerin Franke’s shutout streak. The streak lasted 236:45 across three consecutive shutout wins.
It was Sophie Jaques who delivered the heartbreaker. She found a way to weave through four different Fleet players to fire one past Frankel and get her team on the board. She became the second defender in the PWHL to score eight goals in a single season.
Despite the end of the streak, Frankel was still able to make history. The game marked her 17th win of the season, which broke the record of most wins in a single season for a goaltender. The record was previously held by Campbell, who stood across from her for the third period.
Vancouver recorded 13 shots on net during the final frame, desperately trying to generate some offense. But Frankel stood tall and did not give up another goal, ending the game 5-1.
The game marked Stefanie McKeough’s first win as Interim Head Coach. She will be serving in this position while Kris Sparre is home, after welcoming a baby girl with his family.
The Fleet went up to 54 points on the season, and are in second place just narrowly behind the Montréal Victoire, who hold 55 points. The two will face off Saturday night at TD Garden for a battle that will determine who earns the top spot.
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