So much depends on the goaltender, especially in big ice hockey tournaments. On Monday, Northeastern senior criminal justice and psychology major Aerin Frankel—an undersized underdog for much of her career—will be facing the biggest challenge of her career.
Her No. 1 Huskies (20-1-1) will open the eight-team NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship as favorites to win the national title in Erie, PA.
“I’m excited, but I also feel calm and prepared,” Frankel says as she looks ahead to the NCAA quarterfinal Monday at 2 p.m. against No. 8 Robert Morris (16-7-1). “You can stress yourself out in the moments leading up to the game, but at the end of the day you just need to remember all the work that you’ve put in, and that’s why you are in that place. I just think that it’s not really worth stressing.”
Her confidence is affirmed by the records she has set at Northeastern, including her 76 victories and 28 shutouts. Hockey East recognized her as its top goaltender for the past three years, and as its current co-player of the year alongside teammate Alina Mueller, a junior forward. For the second straight season, Frankel is one of 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier national player of the year award. And she joins two competitors as finalists for NCAA Division 1 national goaltender of the year.
Read the full story on Northeastern News.
