DETROIT — Aerin Frankel had one of the best seasons a goalie has ever put together in the Professional Women's Hockey League. On Tuesday night, the awards ceremony reflected that.
Frankel, 27, won both the Billie Jean King MVP trophy and the Goaltender of the Year award, becoming the first netminder in league history to take home the MVP honor. According to ESPN, the Boston Fleet dominated the night, winning five of the six major individual categories.
The award was presented by tennis legend and PWHL advisory board member Billie Jean King, the trophy's namesake.
"Being named the recipient of an award in the name of Billie Jean King is such an honor for me," Frankel said after the ceremony. "Obviously, she's such a trailblazer in women's sports and the biggest reason that this league is here today."
She added: "I can't even put (this award) into words. It's very special."
The numbers behind Frankel's season were hard to argue with. Her 19 wins, including 14 in regulation, tied for the most in the PWHL and set a new single-season record. She led the league with eight shutouts, which was double the previous single-season high. She also posted three consecutive shutouts and a clean streak spanning 226 minutes and nine seconds, and finished with a record 18 starts in which she allowed one or fewer goals.
Her closest competition came from Montreal Victoire goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens, who led all goalies with a 1.11 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. Frankel finished just behind her with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage, both career highs. The other MVP finalist was Minnesota Frost forward Kelly Pannek, who led the PWHL in both goals with 16 and points with 33.
Frankel's Goaltender of the Year award came after she had been a top-three finalist in three consecutive seasons without winning. This year, she beat out Desbiens and Ottawa goalie Gwyneth Philips to take it.
The rivalry between Frankel and Desbiens extended beyond the PWHL. Frankel also posted three shutouts at the Olympic women's hockey tournament in Milan, a record for that competition.
"It's really fun for me to compete against her not only in the PWHL, but also on the international stage," Frankel said of Desbiens. "I think it's something that pushes me to be better. Competition is the most sincere form of friendship, and that's how I feel (going up) against her."
Desbiens did win a Walter Cup title this season, which complicated the overall picture of who held the edge between the two. But for individual awards, Tuesday night belonged to Frankel and the Fleet.
The Fleet also took Rookie of the Year honors through Haley Winn, who logged more ice time than any other player this season and was also a finalist for Defender of the Year.
