Fleet Stay Perfect at Home: Boston Defeats Seattle in Agganis Thriller

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In a game defined by defensive grit and a historic milestone between the pipes, the Boston Fleet (7-0-1-2) proved why they sit atop the PWHL standings. The win not only snapped a two-game skid for Boston but also maintained their perfect 4–0 record in their primary home arena this season.

The Breakdown: Special Teams and Breakaways

The scoring opened late in the first period when Jamie Lee Rattray blocked a shot at the point and turned it into a textbook 2-on-0 breakaway. Rattray swapped passes with Laura Kluge—who was celebrating her first Olympic roster nod for Team Germany—before burying it past Seattle’s Corinne Schroeder at the 17:23 mark.

After a gritty, scoreless second period, the Fleet didn’t wait long to extend the lead in the third. Just 18 seconds into the final frame, captain Megan Keller hammered home a power-play one-timer from the left circle. It was Keller’s fourth goal of the year, tying the single-season record for power-play goals by a defender.

The Homecoming

The narrative of the night was centered on the return of former Fleet icons. Now led by captain Hilary Knight, the Seattle Torrent pushed back midway through the third. Knight found Hannah Bilka—a standout rookie for Boston last season—who sniped a shot over the shoulder of Aerin Frankel to cut the lead to 2–1.

Despite Seattle pulling Schroeder for an extra attacker and a late hooking penalty on Rattray that gave the Torrent a 6-on-4 advantage, Boston’s defense remained a fortress. The Fleet blocked five shots in the final 90 seconds to seal the win.

Milestone Watch: Aerin Frankel Makes History

With 14 saves on the night, Aerin Frankel became the first goaltender in PWHL history to record a victory against all seven franchises in her career. It was a “quality over quantity” night for Frankel, who faced a season-low 15 shots but made several high-stakes saves during Seattle’s final desperate push.

Game Notables

Attendance: 6,003 (Sold-out, season high).
Standings Impact: Boston remains in 1st place; Seattle falls into a tie for 6th.
The “Unity Game”: The matchup served as the Black History Celebration Unity Game, featuring a performance by Grammy-nominated vocalist Michelle Brooks-Thompson.

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Final
Seattle Torrent	0	0	1	1
Boston Fleet	1	0	1	2

QUOTES

Boston Head Coach Kris Sparre on playing a full 60 minutes: “It was a gutsy effort by our team. I thought when things got tight in the third, we stuck together. It was a focus for us because we’ve had the lead throughout games this season, going into the third period, and found a way to close those games out. We felt like the last two slipped away from us, so the focus for us tonight was to sustain a concentrated effort to the end.”

Fleet Captain Megan Keller on playing in front of a sold-out crowd in Boston after being on the road for a month: “I feel like we haven’t played at home in a while, and it was nice to get back in front of our fans in the city of Boston. It’s pretty cool to see no matter where we’re playing, Tsongas or Agganis, our fans show up. No matter how many people are in the building, it seems like they’re always the loudest group. Super happy that we could get a win for them and hopefully the crowds just continue to show up.”

Seattle Head Coach Steve O’Rourke’s thoughts on the game: “For me, it was another measuring stick. I think we closed that gap with them a bit more. I thought we did a lot of nice things; penalties just kind of killed our momentum at times, and we just couldn’t keep going there. But I thought we did a lot of good things. I’ll give them credit. We dragged a lot of shots to the net, and they blocked them off.”

Torrent Captain Hilary Knight on how it felt to play in Boston: “Honestly, a lot of mixed emotions. I have some really lifelong friends on the other team, I know the staff incredibly well here, and it feels like home. Part of my family is from here, and the fans were electric. The body of work that we put together was just so special, so just remembering that, and then being on the other side competing, getting ready, and focusing on the game. But I really appreciate the warm welcome here tonight from everyone.”

What’s Next?

The Fleet will take their momentum on the road this Sunday as part of the PWHL Takeover Tour, traveling to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to face the Ottawa Charge. Meanwhile, the Torrent will look to bounce back in Minnesota against the Frost.