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HS: Last Month in Recruiting

By Peter Odney , 08/04/21, 1:00PM CDT

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Four GHS players and one BHS defenseman verbally pledge to Division I programs in July.


Mound Westonka's Gretta Pioske tallied 15 goals and 26 points for the Whitehawks during the 2020-2021 season.

Avery Farrell 
Rogers 
College commitment: Franklin Pierce University 

Farrell becomes yet another Minnesotan to verbally pledge to the Ravens, who have cleaned up in the State of the Hockey in recent recruiting cycles. Elk River/Zimmerman’s Kylie Huseth and Roseau’s Memphis Mertens committed to the Ravens in July and May, respectively.

Farrell recorded 15 goals and 24 points while leading the Royals to the Class AA, Section 5 semifinals before falling to Maple Grove, and has totaled 30 goals and 59 points in her 65-game varsity career. With a full slate of games on deck for the 2021-2022 season, Farrell is within striking distance of reaching the 100-point threshold with a strong senior campaign. 

Ryane Kearns 
Prior Lake 
College commitment: Long Island University 

Since her eighth-grade year, Kearns notched seven goals and 10 points for the Lakers in last year’s shortened season as a varsity regular. Kearns has appeared in 71 career games for the Lakers over the last three seasons.

The forward is currently the lone Minnesotan committed to the Sharks, who went 5-8 last season against a heavily regional schedule, and captured the New England Woman’s Hockey Association Commissioner’s Cup by sweeping Sacred Heart in back-to-back games. 

Olivia LaRoche 
Minnetonka 
College commitment: Sacred Heart University 

LaRoche is a coach’s dream on the blue line, consistently handling her own zone with responsible play and getting physical when she has to. 

LaRoche tallied three goals and 11 points as the Skippers went 16-4-3 last season, ultimately conceding their season with a loss in the Class AA State Tournament semifinals. 

The senior-to-be impressed with six points in six games during the Skippers’ 2020 run to third place in Class AA, and showed well at this summer’s USA Hockey Girls 16/17 camp with a pair of assists in four games. 

Sacred Heart had six Minnesota natives on its roster for the 2020-2021 season. 

Gretta Pioske 
Mound Westonka 
College commitment: Lindenwood University 

Like Farrell, Pioske is likely to eclipse the 100 career point mark during the 2021-2022 season, as the junior-to-be has registered 38 goals and 69 career points since joining the Whitehawks varsity as an eighth-grader. 

Last season, Pioske finished second on the team in goals with 15 and third in points with 26 as the Whitehawks fell to eventual Section 5A champion Chisago Lakes in the section semifinals. 

Already on the Lindenwood roster are Rochester Lourdes product Sarah Dravis and former Maple Grove standout Chloe Corbin. 

Max Rud 
St. Cloud 
College commitment: University of Minnesota 

Standing at 6-foot-2, 174 pounds, Rud is a lanky defender with a good reach that has shown good command of the blue line in his two-season career with the St. Cloud public school co-op.

Rud netted five goals and totaled 26 points for St. Cloud last season and recorded a pair of goals and 20 total points as a sophomore in 2019-2020. 

A 2019 fifth-round USHL draft pick by Sioux Falls, Rud appeared in nine games for the Stampede in 2021, notching three assists. 


Minnetonka's Olivia LaRoche has verbally committed to Sacred Heart. LaRoche notched three goals and totaled 11 points for the Skippers last season.

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