Braendli Named Starting Goalie for Team Switzerland
4/20/2021 7:17:50 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – When the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships begin on May 6, there will be a familiar face to Buckeye fans between the pipes for the Swiss National Team.
Andrea Braendli, a Zurich, Switzerland native who recently finished her junior season for the Scarlet and Gray, has gotten the nod as the starting goalie for Team Switzerland. Her team will compete in Group A alongside Canada, Finland, Russia and the United States.
“I was so excited to hear the news,” said Braendli, who is currently training in Switzerland with her teammates. “It’s such a huge honor to represent your country. I’m so grateful, honored and proud to be part of the Swiss team. The whole team and staff have supported me so much.”
The 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship is scheduled to take place in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia from May 6-16, 2021. The 2020 championship, which Braendli was on track to compete in, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As she prepares to take the ice next month, she said the work she’s put in while in Columbus will serve her well on the international stage.
“I can’t thank Coach Muzerall and the entire Ohio State team and staff for their support throughout the last three years,” said Braendli. “It’s them who prepared me for this role every single day in practice. They made me stronger not only on the ice, but off it, too. They’ve made me a better and stronger person.”
Switzerland opens preliminary round play on May 6 by taking on the United States. Following group play, the quarterfinal round of the tournament will take place beginning on May 13, culminating with the gold medal game on Sunday, May 16.
In her three seasons with the Buckeyes, Braendli has been an All-WCHA selection and this past season was a finalist for the Hockey Commissioners Association’s Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year Award. She played in and started 18 of 20 games last season with a 1.99 goals-against average, .964 save percentage and 378 total stops. She also became Ohio State’s all-time leader in wins and enters the 2021-22 season with a 47-22-7 career record.
