Aerin Frankel earns third straight shutout as Fleet take 4-0 win over Sceptres

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TORONTO (AP) — Aerin Frankel made 18 saves for her third straight shutout and seventh of the season as the Boston Fleet topped the Toronto Sceptres 4-0 on Friday night.

Liz Schepers, with two goals, Jessie Eldridge and Sophie Shirley scored for Boston, which extended its lead atop the standings to five points ahead of second-place Montreal.

Elaine Chuli stopped 19 shots for Toronto, which had its six-game point streak snapped. Three of the Sceptres’ four wins during the streak came against Vancouver and Seattle, the PWHL’s last-place teams.

The Sceptres last played on March 17, a 2-0 win at Boston. It was the second of back-to-back shutout wins for Toronto, including a 2-0 home win over Seattle on March 15.

Schepers opened the scoring 11:38 into the first period when she put home a rebound after Shirley’s point shot was initially tipped by Hadley Hartmetz.

Schepers added her second of the game at 10:54 of the second period after she tipped in a wrist shot from Haley Winn.

Eldridge scored with 5:28 remaining in the middle frame.

Shirley put home a rebound with 5:46 left in the third period after Chuli stopped consecutive shots from Jamie Lee Rattray and Mia Biotti.

The Fleet now hold the best goal-differential in the PWHL at plus-23, and have scored first in a PWHL-leading 18 games this season.

Fleet: Visit the Minnesota Frost on Sunday.

Sceptres: Host the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Sunday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey