When Sydney Brodt descended on Chicago, Ill., for the Four Nations pre-camp in early November, there was a sense of unknown about her soon-to-be impact on the U.S. Women’s National Team.
After the Women’s Winter Camp this week Dec. 17-21 in Plymouth, Mich., Brodt feels more settled. It’s certainly been a whirlwind couple of months.
The Four Nations Cup was her first time adorning a U.S. sweater since Brodt, 20, won gold in the Under-18 World Championships back in 2016. Recently appointed head coach Bob Corkum was still in the process of getting to know his newly-acquired players.
They expected Brodt to bring the same leadership intangibles she holds at Minnesota Duluth, where she became the youngest captain in Bulldogs history as a sophomore, propelled by her quality work ethic and strong amount of hockey sense.
What they didn’t expect is for the North Oaks, Minn., native to rattle off five points in four games, including three goals as the U.S. claimed their fourth straight Four Nations Cup title.
Her national team debut took the women’s hockey stage by storm, settling in on the wing along with prolific forwards Brianna Decker and Kendall Schofield Coyne, who came away extremely impressed with Brodt’s performance.
Brodt's three goals at the Four Nations Cup tied for the most among all Americans.
“The biggest thing for me is she works hard, every practice, every shift,” Decker said. “She’s a supportive line mate and wants to get better every time she’s on the ice. I appreciate those little things from a line mate.”
What stood out most of Brodt’s performance was her hockey sense and speed. Schofield Coyne is arguably the fastest women’s hockey player, while Decker has nifty hands and smarts. Brodt was able to keep up, find rifts in the defense and capitalize with her shots.
“She’s a smart player and she moves the puck really well,” Decker said. “She kept up with the national team pace, which is different than college. She moved the puck fast and kept her feet moving.”
Initially, slotting in on their line was a bit eye-opening for Brodt. However, she quickly moved her focus to playing as best she could.
“I was so excited [to line up with them], I’ve looked up to them for so long,” Brodt said. “Even when I made the team right away, those are two of the people I think of when I think of my biggest idols and role models. I was pumped to get the chance to play with them and it ended up being awesome. They taught me a lot.”
Brodt’s level of play, along with other impactful college contributors such as Boston College’s Cayla Barnes and Quinnipiac’s Melissa Samoskevich had a lot of USWNT players forgetting that they would soon be back to their respective campuses, except for when they brought out their laptops during their free time.
“[Sydney]’s a great person, super fun to get to know,” Schofield Coyne said. “I actually remember playing against her, when I was on the Minnesota Whitecaps and she was a freshman and I’m like ‘dang this kid’s good.’ So, it’s nice to see her here two short years later.”
Brodt became the youngest captain in Minnesota Duluth women's hockey history when she took the role as a sophomore. Currently a junior, Brodt has seven points in 16 games this season.A little over two hours from her hometown, Brodt is now back on Duluth’s campus continuing her junior campaign under the tutelage of Maura Crowell. Crowell is in her fourth season as head coach of Duluth and currently helms the U-18 women’s team, with the U18 Women’s Worlds taking place Jan. 6-13 in Obihiro, Japan.
“I think one of the things that separates Syd from a lot of other people her age is the way she prepares, her commitment to the craft and her work ethic,” Crowell said. “She’s really serious about her preparation. She’s mature beyond her years. The way she goes about it in the weight room, in the locker room and on the ice, she’s very consistent with her approach.”
At the conclusion of the tournament, Brodt soaked it in before quickly re-focusing to the task at hand in her university’s maroon and yellow. The 5-foot-6 finance major has seven points through 16 games so far.
“Having a good week of hockey especially at a high level like that definitely boosts my confidence and makes me excited for the rest of the season,” Brodt said. “It makes me obviously feel like if I can produce at that level I should be able to bring that back to UMD and do that [here] too.”
Brodt’s next chance to don the U.S. sweater would be at the Women’s World Championships, April 4-14 in Espoo, Finland. After her Four Nations performance and camp invitation she certainly will be considered.
“She has some big goals for herself,” Crowell stated. “I think her performance at Four Nations shows that and shows that she belongs. It’s an exciting step in the process for her.”