PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Sophomore Aerin Frankel made 32 saves and freshman Chloe Aurard added a goal and an assist to propel the No. 3 Northeastern women's hockey team (26-5-5) to its third straight Hockey East title game appearance following a 3-2 victory at Providence on Saturday.

Frankel stopped 11 shots in the first period, 13 shots in the second period and all eight Providence (24-11-2) shots in the final frame to earn her 20th win of the season and improve to 7-0-0 in her career at the Hockey East Championship. Frankel (20-3-3) is the ninth netminder in program history to win at least 20 games in a season.

Freshman Alina Mueller notched her 20th goal and 50th point of the season to move into sole possession of second place on NU's single-season rookie scoring chart.

Providence opened the scoring after just 18 seconds on its first shot of the game, but Mueller quickly tied it 1:34 later with a wrister over the glove of PC netminder Madison Myers (15 saves) after Aurard caused a turnover in the Friars' zone.

Junior Matti Hartman gave Northeastern a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, taking a long feed from freshman Miceala Sindoris, before firing a wrister short-side on Myers from the right circle.

Providence tied it up at 15:11 on a goal by Kate Friesen, but again NU had an answer as Aurard fired home a loose puck in the low slot at 17:43 of the second stanza for the eventual game-winner.

With two points in the game, Aurard hit the 30-point plateau, making Northeastern the only team in the NCAA to have five players with at least 30 points on the year.

The Friars held the Huskies to their lowest shot total of the season (18), but could not find a way through Frankel in the third period as Northeastern held on for the semifinal win.

The Huskies will face either Boston College or Boston University in Sunday's Hockey East title game at 1:35 p.m.