Brandt Breaks Out and “It Felt Good”

Hannah Brandt doubled her season goal total with PWHL Boston, breaking out to power her team to a comeback win.

LOWELL, MA—All the emotions came out for Hannah Brandt on Sunday evening.

Ahead of PWHL Boston’s contest with New York, Brandt had scored just two goals in 14 games. In Boston’s 3-2 overtime win, Brandt doubled her season goal total, netting two goals—including the game-winner—to send the 4,607 at the Tsongas Center into hysterics.

“Our team was looking for a win tonight, so I think we're all pretty excited that we ended up on top tonight,” said Brandt. “It felt good.”

The win snapped Boston’s two-game skid on their return to home ice after a three-game road trip. Boston outshot New York 46-23.

One of the league’s most accomplished players, Brandt has racked up quite the resume over her professional playing career. She’s a two-time Olympian with Team USA and a three-time NCAA National Champion. She was named a Patty Kazmaier finalist in her four seasons at the University of Minnesota, where she finished her career with 115 goals and 170 assists. When she arrived in Boston this season for the inaugural season of the PWHL, she looked to contine her dominance in Beantown. But it hasn’t exactly transpired that way.

Totaling just two goals and an assist this season heading into Sunday’s matchup, it’s safe to say finding the scoresheet hasn’t been easy for the veteran forward.

“We've all been holding our sticks a little tight maybe,” she said. “So I think yeah, it feels good. But I think just going forward, it's been a different person every night, so I think we can just all get on a rhythm and get some more and I think our team is gonna be pretty tough to beat.”

All was well for Boston in the first period, flying out of the gate to a 1-0 lead. That’s when Brandt opened the scoring, backhanding a puck from behind the goal line that ricocheted off a defender into the back of the net just over four minutes into the contest.

Jamie Lee Rattray set up the score, executing an aggressive forecheck to cause a turnover in the corner. She won a puck battle before feathering a pass to Brandt, taking it behind the net for her trick shot. Boston took their 1-0 lead and 16-7 shots on goal advantage to the dressing room feeling confident.

“I was trying to hit (Rattray) in front of the net,” Brandt recalled. “She had a good forecheck, it popped loose to me, and I was just trying to get it back to her in front, and I don't know what it hit, but it went in, and that’s all that matters.”

After New York capitalized on two opportunities late in the second period on goals from Elizabeth Giguère and Jaime Bourbonnais, New York had Boston on the ropes, taking a 2-1 lead into the final frame. Until then, Boston still held a commanding 29-18 shots on goal advantage.

Sophie Shirley potted the equalizer at 5:22 of the third period, a laser to the bottom left corner to give Boston some momentum. Susanna Tapani and Alina Müller cycled the puck below the goal line, finding Shirley streaking into the slot.

“it was just a really good play by (them) down low and I kind of I was lucky enough to kind of be in the right spot at the right time,” Shirley said.

Brandt was the hero in overtime, shoveling a pass from Rattray past Levy for the game-winning goal. The pair connected on a perfect give-and-go opportunity, weaving down the ice on a two-on-one for the score.

“We've been working on our two-on-ones, and I tried to take the (defender) with me and let (Rattray) get a good shot, and it was perfect,” said Brandt.

Even while Brandt has had trouble finding twine this season, her impact all over the ice is felt by her teammates.

“She does a lot for us,” said Megan Keller. “The defensive side, she's matched up against some of their top lines most nights so she has tough tests there and then to go and be one of our goal scorers on the other end, it was good for her. We’re happy for her to get two in there and it helped our team tremendously tonight.

“She's such a smart player and has so much experience behind her play,” said head coach Courtney Kessel. “I mean, internationally, Olympics. She was a tremendous NCAA player as well and just someone you can really rely on on the ice, but I think off the ice, too. She brings such a presence.”