Alina Müller’s pair of shootout goals helped the Fleet edge the Sirens and extend its lead atop the standings.
The first-place Boston Fleet closed out the first half of the season with a 4–3 shootout win over the New York Sirens on Wednesday night at the Tsongas Center, leaning on timely goals and strong goaltending to secure two points heading into the international break.
Boston rookie Abby Newhook opened the scoring with her second power-play goal of the season, giving the Fleet a 1–0 lead late in the first period. New York responded with its strongest stretch of the night in the middle frame, scoring twice to seize control. Kristin O’Neill tied the game on the power play at 10:19 before Kristýna Kaltounková broke free through the neutral zone and beat Aerin Frankel to put the Sirens ahead 2–1 — the first time Boston trailed on home ice this season.
The Fleet had a chance to respond on a penalty shot midway through the second period, the first in team history, but second-round pick Ella Huber was unable to convert.
Boston regrouped quickly in the third. Liz Schepers tied the game just 46 seconds in, and Jamie Lee Rattray put the Fleet back in front with a power-play goal at 5:53 — her first with Boston. Rattray credited the work Boston’s special teams have put in throughout the season.
“We’ve been working really hard on the power play, so it was nice to get one for us,” Rattray said. “Our special teams have been amazing for us on both sides. We always talk about it — it can be a difference in the game, especially in this league when everything’s so tight.”
New York answered again late in regulation, with Kaltounková scoring her second of the night and league-leading 11th goal of the season to force overtime. Five scoreless minutes followed before the game moved to a shootout, where Alina Müller scored in the seventh and eighth rounds to lift Boston to the win.
Frankel finished with 30 saves on 33 shots and turned aside six of eight shootout attempts to earn her ninth win of the season, tied for the league lead. At the other end, Kayle Osborne stopped 32 of 35 shots, reaching the 30-save mark for a career-high fifth time this season.
For Boston, the result capped a strong opening half and extended its lead atop the standings. Head coach Kris Sparre pointed to the group’s buy-in and leadership as key drivers behind the Fleet’s consistency.
“I’m really proud of the group,” Sparre said. “We come in with a new coaching staff, new systems, new ideas, and they’ve grabbed ownership of it. It’s a testament to the leadership we have. They’ve come together quickly and they’re having fun — competing hard in practice so they can compete for each other in games.”
Despite the loss, New York showed resilience after missing an early five-on-three power play and falling behind.
“There was still a lot of game left,” Sirens head coach Greg Fargo said. “In a close game, one goal can be the difference no matter when it comes. I thought the group did a good job responding and focusing on the next play.”
Kaltounková echoed that sentiment, particularly with the Olympic break approaching.
“We don’t want to be discouraged by the loss,” she said. “It’s more of a motivation for us — to keep playing together and playing the right way.”
With the win, Boston improved to 30 points, extending its lead over Minnesota (28), while New York sits fourth with 24 points.