Emilie Anderson
Holy Angels
Looking back on my notes from the game between Holy Angels and Proctor/Hermantown, I jotted "fast" and "hands" next to Anderson's name, and the senior forward has used those tools to become a critical piece of the Holy Angels infrastructure.
The St. Olaf commit turns heads with her speed and stickhandling on the ice, recording 11 goals and 27 points for the top-seeded Stars. Anderson's 16 assists rank third on the team, and her credited three game-winning goals rank second only behind the team's leading scorer, Bella LaMere.
Emilie Anderson, Holy Angels
Ella Apel
Luverne
Sometimes, a player stands out simply because of the way they carry themselves on the ice.
Fortunately for Appel, her production and skill match her confident demeanor, and the sophomore forward has been a three-season standout for the Cardinals. In Apel's first two seasons with Luverne, she totaled 12 goals - this season, she's got 13 with the potential for more. Her 28 points currently rank fifth on the team.
Ella Apel, Luverne
Kali Schmidt
Orono
Schmidt has virtually every tool in the box, highlighted by a lethal shot that's found the back of the net 14 times this season. Schmidt surpassed the 60-goal mark for her career earlier this season during a two-goal, four-point outing against Bloomington Jefferson.
Schmidt's 16 assists are five away from tying her previous high of 21, set last season. She ranks tied for second among all Spartans with six power-play helpers this season.
Kali Schmidt, Orono
Rebecca Dawson
Willmar
After a scoreless first period in last week's Section 2A final against rival River Lakes, it was Dawson whose goal at the 14:52 mark of the second period that put the Cardinals on the board, and it was her assist in Makenna Larson's goal to make it 3-1 Willmar in the third period to help cement the win for the Cardinals.
Dawson brings great energy to the Willmar lineup, and her 13 assists currently rank second among all Cardinal skaters.
Rebecca Dawson, Willmar
Maggie Greengagel
Fergus Falls
The 5-foot-8 Greenagel is two points away from a career-high after recording two goals and 14 points during Fergus Falls' run to the Class A State Tournament. Still just a freshman, Greenagel has four goals and nine assists this year for the Otters, and plays a quality shutdown defense that seems more appropriate for an upperclassman.
Maggie Greenagel, Fergus Falls
Taylee Manion
Proctor/Hermantown
Though she has yet to be needed up front due to a deep Proctor/Hermantown forward group, Manion's versatility shines most on the power play, where the eighth-grader has been trusted enough to play a key role.
Manion has two goals and three assists with the player-advantage this season and has three goals and 13 total points.
Vivienne Marcowka
Warroad
Marcowka tallied four assists in her first varsity season last year as a freshman. This season, Marcowka may be saving her best for the last few games, scoring twice in the Section 8A final to tie Crookston and set up the eventual Warrior victory.
Marcowka has six goals and four assists this year, and her two goals against the Pirates came on hard, bar-down shots that beat one of the top goaltenders in the state in Kambelle Freije.
McKenna LaFleur
Dodge County
We've mentioned LaFleur before after her inspired performance against Northfield on Jan. 30, and since then, the senior forward has totaled three goals and three assists as the Wildcats advanced to their first state tournament. For the season, LaFleur has 13 goals and 30 points.
A rangy player with strong skates, LaFleur is among the state's best in Class A at crashing the net and going after rebounds, and her motor makes her difficult for opponents to keep up with for three periods.
McKenna LaFleur, Dodge County