Boston Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel voted PWHL MVP

For the first time, the PWHL's most valuable player comes from the crease.

Boston Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel took home the league's biggest prize at an awards ceremony on Tuesday in Detroit, one of the cities that will join the league next season. She was also voted goaltender of the year.

"Playing for the Boston Fleet and representing one of the world's most incredible cities has been nothing short of a dream come true," Frankel said onstage on Tuesday.

In both speeches, Frankel credited her teammates for making it such a special season.

"I was so fortunate to be surrounded by the best group of players and people that anyone could have hoped for," she said.

The awards capped off an incredible season for the 27-year-old, who also backstopped the U.S. national team to Olympic gold in February. She earned three shutouts in that tournament, the most for a goaltender at a single Olympics, and finished with a 0.39 goals-against average.

She carried that into the PWHL, where she was the steady and calm last line of defence and a big part of a massive year-over-year turnaround for the Fleet.

Frankel won 19 of her 26 starts, allowing only 31 goals. It was her third consecutive time nominated for the league's top goaltending award, and first win.

"She's always taken my mistakes and turned them into routine saves," Boston Fleet captain Megan Keller said about her goaltender.

Frankel finished just behind Montreal Victoire starter Ann-Renée Desbiens in both save percentage (0.953) and goals-against average (1.17).

Desbiens was also nominated for both MVP and goaltender of the year, after leading the Victoire to first place in the regular-season standings. She went on to backstop the Victoire to its first Walter Cup. (The votes