Pride Complete Goalie Tandem, Re-sign Hanson
The Boston Pride have decided to return the same goaltending battery that they rode to a league-record 23-1 season, as they announced Thursday that they had indeed re-signed goaltender Victoria Hanson for the 2020-21 season. The Boston University alum had an outstanding rookie campaign behind starter Lovisa Selander, compiling a 6-0 record with a 1.97 GAA and .919 save percentage, in addition to one shutout.
Having Hanson available is a luxury for the Pride, as reigning goaltender of the year Lovisa Selander is clearly entrenched as the team's starter, but Selander also has responsibilities with the Swedish National program, and will likely miss time again this season due to those responsibilities. Hanson could be a starter on any other team in the league.
The 25-year-old Stoughton, Mass native had a fantastic senior season with the Terriers, earning First Team Hockey East All Star recognition, the first goaltender to do so for BU since 2008. She carried that success to 20 appearances for Kurpfalz Ladies in the German Women's League (Frauen Bundesliga), before returning stateside and taking a year off from the sport to coach. She also comes from a family with a lot of goaltending pedigree - her father, Mark, was a goaltender with Providence College prior to becoming a goaltending coach with the women's program at Harvard, and her younger sister, Elizabeth, will be a senior at Elmira this season. Elizabeth stole the starting role as a junior and put up ludicrous numbers - a 15-2-1 record in 18 appearances with a 0.82 GAA and .953 save percentage.
GM Karilyn Pilch made it clear that Hanson was an important piece of the puzzle for the Pride this past season, and indicated that bringing her back would be key to the team's success this coming season. "Bringing Vic back for another season was a top priority for our staff as we built our ‘20-‘21 roster," said Pilch. "She is a fierce competitor and an excellent technical goalie.
Vic will battle to make every save for her teammates and is a true asset to our roster."Hanson, for her part, seems excited to get her second season underway. "The Boston Pride have built such a special program and fan base, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. It has been exciting to watch the NWHL and the Pride continue to make significant strides during the offseason, and I can’t wait to get back on the ice with all the new talent across the league – especially all the impressive young players we have coming to Boston." Stay tuned to Pride Diehards (@PrideDiehards on Twitter) for any additional signings and news out of our favorite women's professional hockey team.