Back in Lowell, Boston Fleet Get 4-1 Win Over Toronto

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After 37 days away from the Tsongas Center, the Boston Fleet (4-4-2) returned home to take on the Toronto Sceptres (3-5-2) before a crowd of 3,951. A Toronto team that Boston has already lost to twice this season. Boston had won three of the four games played on Tsongas ice. The starting goalies were Kristen Campbell (2-4-1, 2.71 GAA, 891%) for Toronto and Aerin Frankel (4-3-1, 2.13 GAA, 917%) for the Fleet.

Less than five minutes into the game, the Fleet scored the game’s first goal. Alina Muller, who has struggled to put the puck in the net, scored her first of the year at 4:27. The goal was set up by Hannah Brandt who found Muller in the low slot from the left side of the net. Muller did the rest as she fired a low shot inside the far post past Campbell. 1-0 Fleet.

With a lead, Frankel made three solid stops. The best of the three was on Toronto forward Sarah Nurse who came down the slot and fired a wrist shot that Frankel turned aside with her blocker pad. Boston added to their lead at 17:48 when Emily Brown notched her first of the season. As she came down from her point position, she took a goalmouth pass from Muller (1G,1A) in the period) and beat Campbell (15 shots, 12 saves) along the ice. Sidney Morin also assisted on the goal. The Fleet ended the period with a rare two-goal lead and the Tsongas crowd was loving it. Shots in the first were 9-8 Fleet and there were no penalties in the period.

The second period started at even strength. Down two, Toronto came out to start the period with the intent of getting the next goal putting three quick shots on Frankel (22 saves on 23 shots), who stopped all three. Toronto kept the pressure on firing four more shots that Frankel turned aside. The ice was starting to get tilted in Boston’s direction. The first penalty was called at 6:41 on Daniela Pejsova for holding. The Boston penalty killing was at 85.7% while Toronto’s power play was at 20%. The Fleet took care of being a person down and were now looking for their first shot on goal with 10:30 left in the period. Boston’s first power play came as a result of Hilary Knight being knocked down in the offensive zone. Blayre Turnbull went off for cross-checking at 10:11. The Fleet PP was at 25%. Toronto’s penalty killing was at 71.43%. The power play registered only one shot from Amanda Pelkey that Campbell handled. It was also the Fleet’s first shot on goal in the period and it took almost eleven minutes.

A second Toronto power play came as a result of a tripping call on Theresa Schafzahl at 15:14. Toronto would get only one shot on during the person advantage and the period ended with the Fleet holding a 2-0 lead. Shots were 13-4 in favor of the Sceptres. They also had the two-period advantage of 21-13.

As the third period got underway, the question on everyone’s mind was could the Fleet hold the lead and finish the game in style? They would do one better and would add to the lead. At the 58-second mark, Shay Maloney got her second of the season from Muller (three-point night, 1G,2A) giving the Fleet some breathing room with which to work. Halfway through the third, Boston was in good shape. Frankel would come up big again stopping a breakaway from Julia Gosling as well as her follow-up shot. Frankel had her “A” game on Wednesday night. The shutout ended with a goal from Turnbull at 14:50. It was Turnbull’s third of the season and was assisted by Kali Flanagan and Jesse Campbell. It was now a 3-1 Fleet lead. Toronto pulled Campbell with a little over a minute left. Megan Keller finished off the win with an empty net goal at 19:46 from Hannah Brandt (2A) and Daniela Pejsova to make the final score 4-1 Boston.

After the game, Toronto head coach Tray Ryan though his team was the main reason for the loss. His team is struggling to score goals. He does believe his team “will start finding the back of the net soon.” Blayne Turnbull thought “The second period was better than their first” Like her coach, Turnbull believes the team can turn things around. Boston head coach Courtney Kessel liked the way the team started the game. She said the goal was to “get pucks deep,” and establish a forecheck, She praised Toronto’s second-period push and thought her team weathered the storm. Alina Muller was happy to see the puck find the net. She credits her coaches and teammates “With giving her lots of support.”

Boston heads back on the road for a Sunday afternoon game in Minnesota.