With the Professional Women’s Hockey League season underway, NHL.com staff writer Anna Kulesa will be filing a biweekly notebook on all the happenings in the league. Today, a look at some of the top storylines, including goalie Aerin Franklin leading the Boston Fleet’s recent surge and the Toronto Sceptres’ hot streak.
Aerin Frankel steers surging Boston Fleet
Aerin Frankel is leading the way for the Boston Fleet after she made 37 saves for her league-leading 10th win of the season in a 3-2 shootout victory against the New York Sirens on Sunday. It was Boston’s fourth straight win. Frankel is second in the league with a .933 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against average. Boston has won five of its six games in February and is in third place with 30 points.
Toronto Sceptres' hot February
The Sceptres are on their hottest run of the season. Toronto has won six of its past seven games and has a point in nine of 10. The Sceptres’ six-game winning streak ended with a 3-1 loss to the first-place Montreal Victoire on Tuesday. They are currently in second place with 32 points after sitting in last just one month ago.
Goalie Kristin Campell was named the Second Star of the Week for Feb. 17-23 after getting two wins and allowing one goal in each for a .957 save percentage. Forward Hannah Miller was named Third Star of the Week with a four-point performance (two goals, two assists) in a 4-1 win against the Sirens on Feb. 19.
Hannah Miller time
Speaking of Miller, the Sceptres forward leads the PWHL with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists). Her four-point performance against the Sirens was the first time in league history a player had two goals and two assists in one game. It was the third time a PWHL player had four points in a game. Miller also had three assists against the Ottawa Charge on Feb. 16. Her 10 goals this season are ranked second in the league, two behind Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin, who has 12.
Manning, King, O’Hara cheer on Sirens
The sports stars turned out for the Sirens on Feb. 17. Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning took his daughter, Caroline, and her hockey team to the Sirens Kid’s Day at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The team gifted Manning a custom jersey before the game. Tennis legend Billie Jean King also attended the game against the Fleet and even visited Boston’s locker room. Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup women’s soccer champion Kelley O’Hara performed the ceremonial puck drop.
