Women's Hockey: McKenna Brand caps off fifth season with Pride

BOSTON, Mass. – McKenna Brand had another solid season as a forward for the Boston Pride of the Premier Hockey Federation.

The 2014 Park Rapids graduate scored four goals, had eight assists and blocked four shots in 26 games as the Pride captured the PHF regular-season title this season. The 12 points were ninth best on the team.

Brand tallied two assists in a 5-4 win over Minnesota on Nov. 19, had an assist and scored the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime win over Toronto on Nov. 26, had assists in a 3-0 win over Buffalo on Dec. 10 and in a 6-4 loss to Connecticut on Dec. 18, and tallied two goals (including a shorthanded goal) and an assist on a season high four shots on goal in an 8-0 win over Buffalo on Jan. 14 before going eight games without registering a point. To close out the regular season, Brand had a goal in a 5-4 win over Minnesota on March 3 and had two assists in a 5-4 loss to Toronto on March 12. Brand also had four shots on goal in a 2-0 win over Minnesota on Nov. 18.

The Pride ended the regular season atop the professional women’s hockey league standings with a 19-4-1 record and 54 points. The Toronto Six was second at 17-5-2 for 51 points while the Connecticut Whale (14-8-2 for 43 points), the Metropolitan Riveters (11-13-0 for 30 points), the Montreal Force (8-14-2 for 23 points) and the Buffalo Beauts (5-16-3 for 18 points) rounded out the league standings.

Boston entered the four-team playoffs as the No. 1 seed, but saw its bid to win a third consecutive Isobel Cup fell short with semifinal losses of 5-2 on March 16 and 4-1 on March 18 to Minnesota in a best 2-out-of-3 series. Brand had four shots on goal in those two playoff games. Toronto defeated Minnesota 4-3 in overtime in the title game.

In her five-year professional hockey career for the Pride, Brand has scored 38 goals and has 55 assists for 93 points in 100 games, including one goal and five assists in nine playoff games.