Frankel Shuts the Door as Kluge Scores First PWHL Goal in 2–0 Fleet Win

Behind another dominant performance from Aerin Frankel and a milestone first goal from Laura Kluge, the Boston Fleet skated to a composed shutout win over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday night at Tsongas Center.

After a back-and-forth opening 15 minutes, Boston earned the game's first power play when Sophie Jaques was sent to the box for tripping at 15:29. Despite some sustained zone time, the Fleet's power play continued to struggle, registering just one shot on goal.

Boston held a slight 8–6 edge in shots after the first period, with Jaques accounting for four of Vancouver’s attempts. The Toronto native and Olympic silver medalist has been a key presence on the blue line, previously winning two Walter Cups alongside Claire Thompson before the pair signed with Vancouver.

Frankel was sharp in the second period—as she so often is—turning aside several chances as the Goldeneyes generated looks from the point and the left circle. Just as Vancouver began to build momentum, Boston broke through. At 9:03 of the second, Laura Kluge opened the scoring off a feed from Megan Keller and Mia Biotti. In a special moment, the goal marked Kluge's first in the PWHL, while Biotti recorded her first career point with the assist.

Courtesy of PWHL_Boston/X

Assistant coach Jordan LaVallée Smotherman praised Kluge's persistence and work ethic postgame, saying, "So proud of Laura. She's put in so much work this season, every practice she's one of the last players out on the ice. If anybody deserved to find their first one, it's definitely her."

Biotti, a Cambridge native and Harvard graduate, reflected on her first point and what it meant to do it in Boston. "It's been such a special group and it's awesome to contribute...I love Boston. I've lived here my whole life, went to college right next door, and it's awesome to represent this city."

Mia Biotti with an official game puck after recording her first PWHL point. Courtesy of pwhl_fleet/Instagram

Vancouver earned their first power play at 11:32 when Hadley Hartmetz was called for slashing, but Frankel stood tall once again. Jaques and Thompson combined for a few quality chances early in the advantage, but Boston’s netminder held firm to preserve the lead.

Late in the period, Jamie Lee Rattray found space in the slot, but Kristen Campbell came up with a key save to keep it a one-goal game heading into the final twenty. Vancouver continued to press and carried a 22-19 advantage in shots into the second intermission, despite trailing on the scoreboard.

The third period began with Boston killing off a penalty to Riley Brengman for hooking, successfully keeping Vancouver off the scoresheet. In front of a Tuesday night crowd of 4,178, the intensity picked up as the Goldeneyes pushed for an equalizer.

A net-front scramble involving Sarah Nurse sparked a series of physical exchanges, with Izzy Daniel and Shay Maloney getting tangled up in front of Frankel's crease, while Alina Müller and Hannah Miller came together at the blue line.

Nurse was later assessed a holding minor at 11:49, putting Vancouver shorthanded at a critical moment. With 3:12 remaining, Claire Thompson was sent off for tripping, once again halting the Goldeneyes' momentum as time began to wind down. Vancouver successfully killed both penalties but were left with too little time to mount a comeback.

Susanna Tapani sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final seconds, while Frankel recorded her sixth shutout of the season in another standout performance.

Aerin Frankel signing autographs after recording her sixth shutout of the season. Courtesy of PWHL_Boston/X

Despite the loss, Vancouver showed offensive progress, finishing with 35 shots on goal after averaging just 22.7 in their previous matchups against Boston. Goldeneyes head coach Brian Idalski emphasized his team’s effort.

"We're executing, we're competing, we're giving ourselves a chance and a lot of opportunities to win hockey games,” Idalski said. "We're just falling short, I really think some of it now is flipping a switch mentally, expecting good things to happen, expecting somebody to make a play...once that gets rolling, it kinda feeds itself."

Even with Vancouver applying pressure throughout, the Boston Fleet closed out another win. Between Laura Kluge breaking through for her first goal and Aerin Frankel delivering yet another standout performance, the night showcased a team built on both growth and reliability.

Edited by: Kelly Cassette