Photos and Story by Janet Schultz©, NYHOL
The Professional Women’s Hockey League made it’s first appearance in Buffalo bringing it’s “Takeover Tour” with the Boston Fleet and New York Sirens competing in Key Bank Center Arena last week.
The game provided fans with a lot of action, physicality and an overtime with shootout; everything a hockey fan could ask for. Susanna Tapani scored the shootout winner for Boston, extending their winning streak to four games and the New York Sirens to a seven-game losing streak.
New York’s Sarah Fillier scored in the first period to put the Sirens up 1-0. Just a little over four minutes later the Fleet responded with a goal from Loren Gabel. With a minute left New York’s Jessie Eldridge scored and ended the first 2-1 in favor of New York.
Boston tied the game at 2-2 late in the second period with a goal by Amanda Pelkey, her first this season.
After a scoreless third period and overtime, Tapani scored on Goalie Kayle Osborne to take the “W.” Boston beat New York 3-2. Attendance in Buffalo was 8,512.
Aerin Frankel made 37 saves on 39 shots to earn her tenth win this season and New York’s Osborne stopped 30 shots in the loss.
“She’s the best goalie in the world,” said Fleet Head Coach Courtney Kessel on Frankel. “Countless times she’s kept us in games, kept us rolling through playoffs last year and facing so many shots.
“She’s just so stead, never too high, never too low.”
“We were a hard team to play against today,” said Sirens Head Coach Greg Fargo. “I think there’s more examples tonight of some things we can continue to build on.
“Moving forward, starting with our effort from start to finish, we won’t hang our heads on this one.
The three stars of the game were Aerin Frankel (BOS); Susanne Tapani (BOS) and Jessie Eldridge (NY).
The Takeover Tour game wasn’t just about the game. It was about promoting the sport of ice hockey for women. Family and friends of players came out to cheer on their favorite player and girl’s youth teams were in attendance to witness ice hockey at the professional level. This was the first professional women’s hockey game played since the PHF (formerly NWHL) Buffalo Beauts called Buffalo their home with the final in March, 2023.
Thirteen players on the Boston and New York rosters developed in NCAA programs in New York State including Clarkson’s Loren Gabel, Jamie Lee Rattray and Ella Shelton, Colgate’s Sydney Bard, Jessie Eldridge, Kayle Osborne, Allyson Simpson and Olivia Zafuto, Cornell’s Jaime Bourbronnais, Jill Saulnier and Michal Zandee-Hart, St. Lawrence’s Kayla Vespa and Syacuse’s Jessica DiGirolamo.
In addition to Zafuto and Bard, Aerin Frankel is a native of Chappaqua and Abigail Levy is from Congers.
In some notables following this game:
The Fleet have won both of their “Takeover Tour” games this season with a shootout. New York has lost seven consecutive games, but ended their five-game streak of regulation losses.
Frankel recorded her league-leading tenth win of the season and her 39 saves are just one off her season-high of 40, recorded against Toronto in the Fleet’s first game of the season.
Sarah Fillier tallied her sixth goal of the season moving her into sole possession of second place in league scoring with 19 points.
Tapani scored her second shootout goal of the season.
Hannah Brandt played in the professional women’s hockey game that took place in Key Bank Center on December 29, 2018.
Photo Gallery by Janet Schultz© Use of these photos without permission is prohibited. Contact [email protected]
