Captain Knight Hat Tricks Sirens in 5-2 Fleet Win

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On Wednesday night the Boston Fleet (7-5-3-6) returned to the Tsongas Center for their final regular season meeting with the New York Sirens (4-4-4-9) before a crowd of 3,252.. The Sirens came into this game looking to snap an 8-game winless streak, which is the longest in the league this season. Scoring first has also been a problem for New York as they have scored only once during this stretch.

The starting goalies for Wednesday’s game were Kayle Osborne (1-3-0-2, 2.02 GAA, .927%) for New York, and for the Fleet, it was Arein Frankel (10-4-2, 1.95 GAA, .931%). The Sirens would score first in this one. Elizabeth Giguere scored her second of the season at 7:21 of the first. The goal was unassisted, as Giguere took the puck across the circles from fight to left and on the backhand beat Frankel for a 1-0 New York lead. Later in the period, Frankel (38 saves on 40 shots) was tested again. Off some confusion among the Fleet defenders in the neutral zone. Sarah Fillier was able to break in all alone and fired a wrist shot that Frankel snated with her glove.

Boston tied the game at 1-1 on a goal by Alina Muller, her 6th of the year. She buried a 2-on-1 pass from Hilary Knight at 14:48 of the period. Shay Maloney also assisted on the goal. The period would end tied at 1-1. Neither team had a power play in the period. New York outshot Boston by a 14-6 margin.

Second period got underway at even strength. The first penalty of the game was a cross check to New York’s Levis Paetyn. Fleet power play at Tsongas was at 16.6% (3/16). New York penalty kill was at 28.5% (10/35). The call was made at the :31 second mark. Boston took the lead on the PP as Hilary Knight scored her 9th of the year. Maloney and Susanna Tapani at 1:36. Knight and Maloney were working on two-point nights. New York received their first power play at the 9:45 mark as Sophie Shirley went off for a delay of game. New York PP on the road was at 28.5% (10/35) Boston Penalty kill was at 92% at home (2/25). Boston killed off the penalty then added to their lead. Knight second of the period and 10th of the year at 12:16. Muller with the assist. It was Muller who set up Knight to go in all alone on Osborn (15 saves on 19 shots) and bear her to the glove side. Knight now had a three-point night going. Muller with a two-point night. It was 3-1 Fleet.

The Sirens would get another power play chance at 13:50 when Hannah Brandt went off for cross checking. New York made Boston pay for that penalty, as Sarah Fillier scored her 8th of the year at 14:22 of the second period. She took a cross ice pass from left to right and beat Frankel at the side of the net. Jessie Eldridge and Abby Roque assisted on the goal. It was now a 3-2 game. The second period would end with Boston up 3-2. Shots were 18 for New York 32 through two periods. Boston had five in the period, 11 through two frames.

In the third period the Fleet protected their one goal lead. then added to it. Susanna Tapani with her 9th of the year at 14:54 to make it a 4-2 Boston lead. Tapani and Jill Saulnier went down the ice on a 2-on-1. Saulnier threading the cross ice pass to Tapani for the goal. New York pulled their goalie with less than two minutes left to try and scored twice. Hilary Knight finished the game off in grand style with her third of the night into an empty net at 19:52. Her 11 of the season and her first three-goal game in the PWHL. Assisted to Muller and Maloney. Fleet won 5-2. Knight with a four-point night (3G, 1A) Muller a three-point night (1G, 2A), Maloney with a three point night on three assists.. The Fleet now finds themselves in second place in the league.

New York Head coach Mark Fargo Talked about “The team needing to get better”He thought his team made a few metal mistakes that cost his team on Wednesday night. Goal-scoring Sarah Filier thought the game was played at times on the Boston side of center ice. The winless streak for the Sirens is now at nine games.

For the Fleet, coach Courntey Kessel commented on the night by saying “It was not the first 40 minutes we wanted But the last 20 minutes we wanted to finish with”.She also thought this was going to be a harder game than most because of New York’s place in the standings. Knight is looking forward to Saturday afternoon’s game at Agganis Arena. It is a place where she has had some success in the past. Montreal will be the opponent for the Fleet.