Fleet’s Aerin Frankel Continues Second PWHL Season With ‘No Heartbeat’
Fleet’s Aerin Frankel is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
The 25-year-old, 5-foot-5, small but mighty Boston netminder has a .937 save percentage and 2.02 to start the PWHL’s second season — good for best in the league for goalies that have played in three games.
What makes Frankel so good? It’s pretty simple if you ask Fleet defender Megan Keller.
“She plays with no heartbeat,” Keller said after the Fleet’s first win of the season on Dec. 8. “She never gets fazed. There’ll be five rebounds, and somehow, she’ll get every single one. So, we’re lucky to have her on our team.”
However, Frankel doesn’t take full credit for her success in the crease.
“I think it’s definitely a credit to my team as well,” Frankel told NESN.com. “They make a lot of important plays in front of me that help me with my success. … I think none of us are ever really focusing on stats other than the score at the end of the game.”
Frankel was a little bit more humble when she discussed her ability to track the puck in the chaotic situations Keller described.
“I would say just practicing the way that I play,” Frankel said. “Like, I’m never giving up on any rebounds in practice. I’m always bringing that same intensity every day. It has just become, like a habit for me.”
The Fleet got off to a slow start, dropping the first two games of the season. Frankel hopes Boston can build on its win over the New York Sirens.
“I think the beginning of the season was a little bit, not frustrating, but not exactly how we wanted it go,” Frankel said. “I wouldn’t really care what the save percentage was if we’re not winning games. Hopefully, that is changing from here with getting our first win at home, and hopefully, we can carry that momentum with us after the international break and get another win at home.”
Maybe the catalyst for the Fleet carrying the momentum was the flat-out amazing glove save Frankel made on Sirens forward Abby Roque in Boston’s lone win of the season.
“I’m working on being more patient defensively with some plays — especially with tips and screens,” Frankel said of the save. “The players are getting so good at using their sticks in front of the net, making our lives difficult.
“Think of how good the goalies are in our league. The goalies are pretty hard to beat so you have to expect that you’re going to face a lot of opportunities with screens and tips. So, it’s definitely something that I’m continuing to work on.”
Frankel and the Fleet look to make it back-to-back wins when they host the Ottawa Charge on Tuesday night. Puck drop from Tsongas Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch all the action on NESN+.