W
INNY BRODT BROWN STOOD IN
AWE OF HER SURROUNDINGS at
TRIA Rink before the Minnesota Whitecaps
were set to take on the Metropolitan Riveters.
With the national anthem blaring in the background, the
40-year-old Brodt Brown was suddenly overcome with emo-
tions, standing smack dab in the middle of an empire she
helped build.
"It was very emotional for me," Brodt Brown said. "I was
ref lecting on everything we've done to get to this point. It
was like, 'Wow. We are still here 15 years later.'"
Brodt Brown, who has been a pillar of the Whitecaps since
the franchise's inception 15 years ago, wasn't the only one
that was consumed by the moment.
"That first game really was incredible," said Whitecaps
coach Ronda Engelhardt, who suited up for the University
of Minnesota from 1999-2003. "That was the first time in a
long time that I've actually felt like playing again."
Minnesota's
first professional
women's team
ushers in a new era
b y D A N E M I Z U TA N I
22
M H J ON L I N E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8
Photos / Kirsten Burton
