No. 4 seed Maple Grove (20-6-1) begins the state tournament as one of the few teams that has seen No. 1 seed Edina multiple times outside of Edina's conference foe Minnetonka, playing the Hornets twice during the regular season. The Crimson (20-6-1) typically play one of the most rugged non-conference dockets in the state, and the uptick in competition should pay dividends this week. 

Offensively, junior forwards Lauren Stenslie (26-17-43) and Quinnipiac verbal commit Tristana Tatur (22-19-41) power the Crimson's scoring attack, aided by the quality play of freshman Stella Retrum (10-17-27). One year after losing All-State goaltender Lucy Morgan, Maple Grove has found another star in the crease in junior Brooke Cassibo. Cassibo has turned in 19 wins this season to go along with a GAA of 1.75 and a save percentage of .934. 

Dueling with the standout Cassibo and the rest of the stout Maple Grove defense will be fifth-seeded Hill-Murray, the traditional power in Section 4-2A that was upended last season by White Bear Lake. The Pioneers (18-9-1) are back at the big dance and wield a powerful top unit, headlined by senior forward and Quinnipiac commit Nina Steigauf (29-22-51). The Pioneers have come a long way since a 1-3 conclusion to the regular season, finding valuable secondary scoring options in junior forward Ava Stinnett (16-13-29) and senior Alex Belde (11-17-28). 

Maple Grove blanked Hill-Murray 3-0 during the regular season, outshooting the Pioneers 31-22 and getting two goals from Lauren Stenslie.