# Aerin Frankel

Aerin Frankel (born May 24, 1999) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She was one of the best goaltenders in women's NCAA history. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2021. She is a two-time recipient of the WHCA National Goalie of the Year award and was the inaugural winner in 2021. In 2023, Frankel won gold with the United States women's national ice hockey team at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship in Brampton, Ontario.

## Playing career

Frankel was raised in Briarcliff, New York, and is Jewish. She began skating at the age of four, becoming a goaltender at the age of nine. During high school, she played for Shattuck-Saint Mary's preparatory, winning three national titles and finishing with a 1.10 goals against average, a .945 save percentage, and 39 shutouts.
In 2017, she began attending Northeastern University, serving as the starting goaltender for the university's women's ice hockey programme. She posted a .934 SV% in her rookie collegiate year, leading all NCAA rookies. She then posted a 28-save shutout in opening game of the 2018–19 season, becoming the first goaltender to shutout Boston University since Florence Schelling in 2011. The Huskies would go on to win a second consecutive WHEA Championship that year. In the 2019–20 season, she set Northeastern records for GAA, SV%, shutouts, and wins, her .958 SV% leading the NCAA. She was named a top-10 finalist for the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as well as the Beanpot's best goaltender, and was named Hockey East Goaltender of the Year for the second year in a row.
Frankel currently plays for the Boston Fleet (formerly known as PWHL Boston) in the PWHL. Frankel helped the team reach the finals of inaugural PWHL playoffs, playing all 8 games for the Fleet with a record of 5-3 and a .953 SV%. Frankel would be named as a Second Team All-Star for the 2024 season. On January 31, 2025, Frankel became the first goaltender in PWHL history to record 1,000 saves during the team's 3-2 shootout victory over the New York Sirens.

## International career

Frankel made her senior American national team debut at the 2019-20 Rivalry Series, picking up her first senior international win in December 2019. She was named to the American roster for the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship before the Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frankel served as the primary goaltender at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, where the United States captured gold. Over six games, Frankel earned a 5-0-1 record and compiled a .931% save percentage and 1.48 GAA average. Frankel earned a shutout in a 3–0 win over Germany in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Frankel became the first U.S. women's goalie to start five consecutive games at an Olympics or worlds in 26 years.

## Awards and honors
### NCAA

* 2021 NCAA All-Tournament Team
* 2021 Patty Kazmaier Award
* 2019-20 CCM/AHCA First Team All-American
* 2020-21 CCM/AHCA First Team All-American

#### Hockey East

* ARMY ROTC Hockey East Player of the Week (awarded March 8, 2021)
* 2021 Hockey East Goaltending Champion
* 2021 Hockey East First-Team All-Stars
* 2021 Hockey East All-Tournament Team
* 2021 Hockey East Championship MVP
* 2021 Hockey East PNC Bank Three Stars Award

#### Hockey Commissioners Association

* WHCA National Goalie of the Year 2021, 2022
* Hockey Commissioners Association Women's Goaltender of the Month, November 2019
* Hockey Commissioners Association Women's Goaltender of the Month, January 2021
* Hockey Commissioners Association Women's Goaltender of the Month, February 2021
* Hockey Commissioners Association Women's Goaltender of the Month (March 2021)

### PWHL

* 2023–24 PWHL Second Team All-Star

### USA Hockey

* 2021 Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award

## Personal life

Frankel studied criminal justice and psychology at Northeastern University.