University of Minnesota Athletics
Brandt Earns WCHA Weekly Honor
11/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Nov. 17, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - Senior center Hannah Brandt has been named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals in a record-breaking effort to lead the No. 3 Gophers to an 8-3 win and series sweep over No. 5 Bemidji State on Saturday.
The award marks Brandt's second WCHA weekly award of the season. Her five-goal effort began with her 100th career goal as she became the fourth Gopher women's hockey player all-time to reach 100 career goals. She gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead over BSU at 9:44 of the first period.
The Vadnais Heights, Minn., native scored a natural hat trick before adding two third-period tallies. Brandt's natural hat trick occurred with two goals in the first five minutes of the second period as she scored at 1:37 before adding a power-play goal at 4:57 to five Minnesota a 3-0 lead. She then scored the Gophers' sixth and seventh goals of the game in the third period.
Brandt's fifth goal of the game marked her 247th career point, pushing her past Natalie Darwitz (246 career points on 102 goals, 144 assists) as Minnesota's all-time career points leader at 104 goals and 143 assists.
Her five goals also tied a Minnesota program record for most goals scored in a single game, matching the nearly 16-year-old record held by Nadine Muzerall, who scored five goals against Bemidji State on Jan. 22, 2000.
Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader with 247 career points, currently ranked seventh in NCAA history. Brandt needs just two more assists to surpass Natalie Darwitz (144 assists) as the Gophers' all-time career assists leader. Brandt's 104 goals rank third in Minnesota history and 15th in NCAA history.
This season, Brandt leads the WCHA with 14 goals and 1.17 goals per game, while ranking third in the NCAA in both categories. Her three hat tricks on the season lead the NCAA. Brandt is second in the league and fourth in the NCAA with 26 points and ranks third in the league and fifth in the nation with 2.17 points per game. Her 12 assists and 1.00 assists per game rank sixth in the WCHA. Brandt's .658 face-off winning percentage is second only to teammate Kelly Pannek in the WCHA.
The Gophers host Yale in a non-conference series at Ridder Arena this weekend. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. CT both Friday and Saturday nights.
WCHA Weekly Award Recipients
Offensive Player of the Week: Hannah Brandt, Sr., F, Minnesota
Defensive Player of the Week: Jenny Ryan, Jr., D, Wisconsin
Rookie of the Week: Julia Tylke, Fr., F, St. Cloud State
2015-16 Gopher WCHA Weekly Award Recipients
Oct. 13: Sarah Potomak, Rookie of the Week
Oct. 20: Hannah Brandt, Offensive Player of the Week
Oct. 20: Sarah Potomak, Rookie of the Week
Nov. 17: Hannah Brandt, Offensive Player of the Week
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