MAPLE GROVE (5AA)
Grace Erickson

EDINA (6AA)
Nora McConnell

ANDOVER (7AA)
Cailin Mumm

ROSEAU (8AA)
Jasmine Hovda

So much for a breezy opponent in the first round for the No. 2 seed Hill-Murray. 

Roseau (18-10) has won seven straight games coming into the state tournament, knocking off Section 8AA top seed Moorhead 5-4 in the process in arguably the most entertaining game of the section playoffs.

The Rams’ top handful of players can skate with any team in the state, and the team is led in scoring by exceptionally talented sophomore Jasmine Hovda (23-36-59) and junior St. Cloud State commit Peyton Remick (25-21-46). Junior forwards Lily Erickson (19-15-34) and Ella Ketring (11-18-29) offer the Rams extra firepower up front, and senior Jada Pelowski can steal a game in goal. 

Despite the coaching staff shuffling during the offseason, the Pioneers enter their first state tourney since 2020 as one of the most polished teams in the field. 

Four players have totaled 30 or more points this season for the Pioneers (23-3-1), and 14 players have recorded 11 or more points. Leading the way in senior St. Thomas commit Chloe Boreen (30-25-55), followed by eighth-grade wunderkind Emily Pohl (20-20-40) and electric freshman Jaycee Chatleain (24-15-39). 

Senior goaltender and Dartmouth commit Grace Zhan (22-3-1/1.34/.947/6) is one of the top 2006-born goaltenders in the country. Zhan was named to the Star Tribune’s All-Metro First Team earlier this week. 

Rosemount has advanced to the state tournament out of Section 3AA for the second consecutive year, and the Irish have done so again after not being the top seed in said section. Despite a pedestrian 14-9-5 recording entering the tournament, the deeper numbers indicate the Irish could be a snoozing giant. Seven of the team’s nine losses have been by a single goal, including two defeats at the hands of state tournament teams Northfield (Class AA) and Warroad (Class A). 

Junior forward Annalee Holzer (24-16-40) teams with Cece Hanson (15-21-36) and junior Minnesota State commit Sophie Stramel (15-21-36) to give the Irish a formidable offensive core, and senior Kayla Barton (1-6-7) offers veteran leadership to a young blueline group. 

Senior goaltender Natalie Kendhammer has been Rosemount’s rock all year but has upped her game for the win-or-go-home postseason. Kendhammer stopped 41 of 44 shots in the Irish’s upset of Section 3AA top seed Lakeville North, then made 32 saves on 33 shots in the section final win over Apple Valley. 

It’s a new look for perennial power Andover (21-4-3) this season, with much of the offense and leadership coming from the backend after the graduation of star senior forwards Ella Boerger, Isa Goettl, and Maddie Brown. To wit, two of the Huskies’ three leading scorers are defenders this season, including junior Wisconsin commit Mackenzie Jones and junior St. Thomas commit Courtney Little (11-18-29). Junior forward and Northeastern commit Hannah Christenson (15-17-32), and senior St. Thomas commit Nora Sauer (15-14-29) lead the forwards in production. 

Sophomore Clairebella Hills has played well in her first season with the Huskies, posting a 1.19 goals-against-average, .923 save percentage, and nine shutouts. 

Four third-period goals sent Maple Grove (20-7-1) to the state tournament with a 6-3 upset win over Section 5AA top seed Centennial/Spring Lake Park, and the Crimson are preparing for an appropriate swan song for senior goaltender and program stalwart Dani Strom. 

Senior forward Bella Shipley (28-26-54) is as dangerous on the power play as on the penalty kill, where the Minnesota State commit has scored three of her goals. Junior forward Kelsey Olson slots in behind Shipley in the scoring hierarchy with 12 goals and 41 points, and senior defender Grace Erickson produces 10 goals and 33 points from the backend. 

Keep an eye on young guns Maddie Elfstrand and Hadley Bakker this week. The freshmen have combined for 19 goals and 48 points this season. 

Qualms about seeding and first-round opponents aside, top-seeded Minnetonka (25-2-1) matches up well with every team in every field, state, country, and hemisphere.

The Skippers allow fewer than one goal per game and hum along on the power play at a 38.7% success rate. Division I talent abounds on the Minnetonka roster, which is led in scoring by Cornell-bound Lindzi Avar (22-30-52) and Providence commit Lauren Mack (19-31-50). Minnesota commit Kendra Distad (19-25-44) could eclipse the 50-point mark this week, and senior captain Lauren Goldsworthy (11-27-38) produces well for a defender.

The Skippers also have the luxury of dressing two of the country’s best goaltenders, Ashlyn Hazlett and Layla Hemp. The duo has combined for 24 wins and 12 shutouts this far. 

Northfield (27-1) makes the trip to St. Paul armed with the state’s leading scorer in Minnesota commit Ayla Puppe (61-49-110) and one of the state’s No. 2 leader in assists in sophomore defender Mia Miller (21-47-68). Add in seniors Emerson Garlie (30-29-59) and Grace McCoshen (19-29-48) and the Raiders have more than enough horses to keep pace with the Hornets.

Junior goaltender Macy Mueller has played every minute for the Raiders this season, resulting in a 1.42 GAA, a .937 save percentage, and 10 shutouts. 

Edina (21-6-1) wasn’t the No. 1 seed in its section for the first time in years, and it didn’t matter. The Hornets edged top-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s 5-4 for the Section 6AA crown could be peaking at the right time as winners of five of their last six games. 

Senior forward and Wisconsin commit Hannah Halverson (26-24-50) leads the Hornets in scoring, followed by sophomore Lorelai Nelson (13-25-38) and junior Whitney Horton (19-17-36). In typical Edina fashion, the team’s depth is good, with a dozen players have tallied 10 or more points this season. 

Junior St. Thomas commit Nora Hannan will likely get the State Tournament starts in goal, though fellow junior Reese McConnell has won 12 of 14 games played this year.