EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Jessie Eldridge scored twice and the Boston Fleet capped the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s 16-game Takeover Tour with a 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Tuesday night.
Boston (14-5-2-4) won its fifth straight and remained one point behind Montreal atop the standings. The playoff-bound Fleet have five games remaining in the regular season.
Vancouver (7-1-4-14) lost its third in a row.
Boston captain Megan Keller,
Susanna Tapani and Jamie Lee Rattray each had a goal. Aerin Frankel stopped 28 shots for her 17th win this season, tying Montreal’s Renée Desbiens for the league lead.
Boston’s special teams played a significant role in the victory. Keller scored short-handed and Eldridge scored a power-play goal for her second of the game en route to a 3-0 lead in the second period.
The Fleet’s penalty kill, which ranks first in the PWHL at 88%, killed off all five Goldeneyes power plays, too.
Sophie Jaques scored for Vancouver early in the third.
Goldeneyes starting goalie Emerance Maschmeyer allowed five goals on 23 shots over two periods. Kristen Campbell stopped all six shots she faced in the third.
The PWHL brought a neutral-site game to Edmonton for a third time, which fueled speculation the city is an option for league expansion next season.
The first Takeover game last season drew 17,518 fans to Rogers Place. Attendance for the second on Dec. 27 was 10,264, and Tuesday’s announced crowd was 10,794.
Boston visits Montreal on Saturday.
Vancouver hosts Seattle next Tuesday.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
