Legendary Northeastern hockey goaltender is three wins away from Boston's inaugural PWHL title.

Legendary Northeastern hockey goaltender is three wins away from Boston's inaugural PWHL title.

Aerin Frankel, who played five seasons with the Huskies, helped Boston defeat Montreal in three overtime games and advance to the Championship Series. “We wouldn't be here without her,” coach Courtney Kessel said.

Northeastern University women's hockey coach Dave Flint watched former goaltender Aerin Frankel with nostalgia and amazement.

The first playoffs of the new women's professional hockey league are underway, and Frankel's team, PWHL Boston, has become an unexpected semifinalist. For Frankel, it was a comfortable role. Frankel, a lifelong underdog who seemed undersized for his position, led from behind with a remarkable performance as Boston overwhelmed favored Montreal in three overtime games.

Boston opens the PWHL finals early next week against either Toronto or Minnesota. The league's best-of-five championship round, available to stream for free via YouTube, revolves around the 5-foot-5 Frankel.

“She always feels like she has something to prove to everyone,” said Flint, who coached Frankel for a record-setting five years as a Husky. “That's what makes her so good. She's never satisfied with her status quo, she's always trying to be better, she's always trying to prove people wrong. And So many times she does that.”

The PWHL semifinals were like deja vu for Flint, as Frankel made 53 saves in Game 1 and watched the visiting team win 2-1 despite trailing 54-26. It was the same in Game 2, with Frankel making 57 saves in a nearly two-hour game that silenced the Montreal crowd of 10,172 in the third overtime period as Boston won 2-1.

Montreal was in a desperate situation and took a 2-0 lead in the third game. However, Frankel held his own and prevented two breakaways, allowing Boston to recover 3-2 and win in OT. Former Northeastern teammate Alina Mueller provided the assist in the win.

“It was a great play by her,” Boston manager Courtney Kessel said of Frankel, who made 142 saves while scoring four points in the series. “She's a great goalie and can make big saves. She's small, but she plays like a giant goalie. She can't get the puck away. We wouldn't be here without her. Probably not.”

Frankel's leadership under pressure reminded Flint of the years of hard work that helped her become one of the world's top goalies.

“When I recruit or coach goalies, people always ask me what I'm looking for,” said Flint, who was a college goaltender himself. “A lot of goalie coaches will give you a technical answer on that. But for me it's whether they stop the puck. And do they compete?

“Aerin's not the best at stopping the puck,” Flint said. “But she does it over and over again. And she's one of the most competitive people I've ever met in that she hates losing and hates scoring.” She's one of a kind. She's obviously a great athlete, but that's what makes her special.”

Frankel was able to apply the lessons of the past to help him persevere and win.

“It's been a long season and it's not going to be perfect,” Frankel said. “Every team is going to have adversity. But this is a time where we want to play our best hockey, so I think the most important thing is that we found our style and our own path.”

Turn your underdog size into strength

Frankel was not a top player coming out of high school for two reasons. Her shooting numbers were limited because she was playing for the powerhouse Shattuck St. Mary's in Minneapolis. And she was considered small compared to her status.

Frankel uses his size to be an asset with his aggressive play. She routinely steps out of the net to cut the angle of her shots. That means she'll be able to react more quickly to shots without worrying about how she's perceived.

She grew up playing men's hockey in Chappaqua, New York, and as a high school sophomore, she committed to her hockey career and transferred to a boarding school called Shattuck. The school deepened her dedication and gave her the independence that all goalkeepers need.

“I left home at a pretty young age, and I think that's a sacrifice that a lot of young players make to put themselves in the best position to be successful and commit to a Division 1 school. ” Frankel explained during his appearance. Northeast. “It's not for everyone. I think everyone has times when they get homesick or want to fly home to see their parents, but the hockey schedule doesn't allow for that.”

Flint remembers leaning on Frankel, a freshman, the day before a game against the nation's top-ranked team in a tournament in Washington, D.C.

“I looked at her and said, 'Hey, do you want to play against Wisconsin tomorrow?'” Flint recalled. “She said, 'Yeah, I think so.'” The next day, I started her against the No. 1 team in the country and we won 3-2. At that point, I thought, “This kid is real.'' ”

After the Huskies finished .500 in conference play that season, Frankel helped lead Northeastern to the NCAA Tournament by winning four straight one-goal games in the Hockey East playoffs. She will leave Northeastern in 2022 with an 18-0 record in the Hockey East Tournament and five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Frankel received the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the 2021 National Player of the Year. She was the inaugural recipient of the National Goaltender of the Year award for the second consecutive year. She led the Huskies to the Women's Beanpot in 2020 and holds Northeastern University records with 3,349 saves, 39 shutouts and 139 wins.

All of this success set the stage for what will go down as a historic championship season for women's hockey.

“It's really special to be a part of,” Frankel said. “Everything was great this year, from the fans to the venue. Everything about the hockey was great, and the level of competition was high. It's great for us and for Boston to be able to advance to the championship. This is really exciting for hockey and the sport.”

3 wins in Walter Cup

Frankel has had to adapt to the PWHL's unique style of play. The new league is more physical, more talented, and generally faster than NCAA Division I.

“The most important thing for a goaltender in general is speed,” Flint said of the six-team PWHL. “And when you look at how good the players are, they're all good shooters. In college, the top two lines are elite, but here they're all elite. They're all great players.

“They shoot the puck harder, more accurately, are faster and think about the game better,” Flint says.

Boston started the season as potentially the most talented and balanced team in the PWHL. But somehow the pieces just didn't fit together, forcing trades and lineup changes in search of better chemistry.

Mr. Flint offered Mr. Frankel advice during his four-game losing streak in February.

“I think everyone went through some growing pains early on trying to figure things out,” Flint says. “At one point we talked. They were losing some games and she was frustrated. And I said, 'You're not used to losing, that's good. ” Then learn how to handle it. The most important thing when your team is on a losing streak and not doing well is to not stay in that rut for too long. Find a way out of it. ”

“She steadily figured it out and got through some tough stretches.”

Frankel finished third among regular season league goaltenders with a 2.00 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.

“It's a completely different game than the college game,” Frankel said. “There’s a lot of talented players in college hockey, but when you get to this level, you can’t take any breaks because the opponents are going to make you pay.

” I will say [Flint] It was a little refreshing to realize how cool it is to be here and that I can achieve my goals. This is a whole different level and just keep getting better, watching film and working on what you can work on. But don't hold yourself to unrealistic standards either. ”

Muller, who joined Boston as the No. 3 overall draft pick after a career in which he was Northeastern University's all-time leading scorer, had to adapt to not only his evolving role within the team, but also his hard-hitting style.

“Arena went through some growing pains adjusting to that physicality,” Flint said, suggesting the PWHL should consider making police checks a little more stringent to reduce injuries to players. “She's one of the best players in the world and she can play all day long at that speed. She's really stepped up towards the end and she's playing great with confidence.”