Ms. Hockey

2011 Ms. Hockey 5 Semifinalists Announced

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

Minnesota’s 2011 Ms. Hockey will be named at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the St. Paul RiverCentre

The five finalists for the 16th annual Ms. Hockey Award are Rachael Bona of Coon Rapids, Taylor Kuehl of Mound Westonka, Meghan Lorence of Irondale, Rachel Ramsey of Minnetonka and Karley Sylvester of Warroad.

All finalists but Ramsey are forwards and each has committed to a WCHA school for next season. Together, the five honorees have scored an average of 35 goals and 33 assists this season. The finalists have been bound to the textbooks for the past several years as they check in with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.63.

The Ms. Hockey Award is presented to the top senior girls’ high school hockey player in Minnesota. The winner will be announced at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 27, at 11:30 a.m., at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Alphabetically, here is a look at the five finalists for the 2011 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award:

Rachael Bona, Coon Rapids

Largely credited as a major reason for Coon Rapids’ success this season, Rachael Bona leads the Cardinals and is ranked fourth in the state in scoring this season with totals of 47-35--82 in 26 games. She has been held without a point in only one game (Jan. 4 at Centennial), and owns 21 multi-point and 13 multi-goal games on the year. Bona has notched five hat tricks and has posted a pair of six-point games and a seven-point game during the season.

A team captain, Bona has helped Coon Rapids to a 21-5-0 overall record and the No. 6 ranking in Class AA. At the time this issue went to print, Bona and the Cardinals were two wins away from earning their first state tournament appearance since 2006.

“Rachael is the type of player that doesn’t come around very often,” Coon Rapids head coach Jessica Christopherson said. “She is a multi-dimensional forward that can score at will. She knows when to shoot and when to stickhandle and despite being the player everyone wants to stop, very few opponents are able to contain her.”

Owning a 3.51 GPA and ranking in the top 20 percent of her class, Bona volunteers at Unity Hospital and Feed My Starving Children. She has also been very active with the Coon Rapids Youth Hockey program and has a 14U award presented in her name each year.

Following high school, Bona will continue her hockey career at the University of Minnesota where she plans on studying to become a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant.

“Even with an awards list a mile long, Rachael goes about her business as a role model,” Christopherson said. “All the little kids know her and want to be her – she is the epitome of a true student-athlete. She understands the ‘big picture’ and genuinely wants to give back to her community. Everything she has achieved, she has earned.”

Taylor Kuehl, Mound Westonka

The first ever Ms. Hockey finalist from Mound Westonka, Taylor Kuehl wrapped up her high school career this week with the Whitehawks’ Section 5A semifinal loss to Breck. Kuehl is one of the state’s most prolific scorers with totals of 52-50--102 in 27 games to rank second in the state in points and goals. She helped her squad to a 20-7-0 record and the No. 6 ranking in Class A.

A team captain, Kuehl was held without a point in only two games and owned 22 multi-point and 18 multi-goal games on the year. She notched seven hat tricks, including three four-goal games and one five-goal game. She has posted a pair of eight-goal contests.

Kuehl was involved in over 72 percent of Mound Westonka’s goals during her career and finished her high school career with 350 points.

“Taylor has changed our program forever,” Mound Westonka head coach –and Taylor’s father – Bob Kuehl said. “Prior to her joining the varsity program, we had only one winning season. Since her arrival we’ve averaged over 18 wins a year. She is the heart and soul of our hockey program. We have young girls writing essays in the middle school about Taylor and her accomplishments and how they aspire to work hard to reach their goals as well.”

Away from the ice, Kuehl is accomplished in many different areas, from the classroom, the community and other sports. In school, she owns a 3.89 GPA to rank in the top 15 in her class. In the community, Kuehl is a member of STRIVE, an organization devoted to helping less fortunate students, as well as Link Crew, Feed My Starving Children, Respect Retreat and Peer Mediators.

In addition, Kuehl has been a member of the varsity soccer, tennis and golf programs during her high school years. Following high school, Kuehl will continue her hockey career at Ohio State and major in physical therapy.

“Taylor has always represented herself, her family, her team, her school and her community in an outstanding fashion,” Bob Kuehl said. “Her participation in various school organizations have helped her work with other students and adults who don’t always have the same advantages that Taylor has had. I believe these experiences have had a very positive impact on her and made her the person she is.”

Meghan Lorence, Irondale

Meghan Lorence becomes the second Irondale forward in as many years to be named a Ms. Hockey finalist after Gina McDonald earned the honor last season. At the time this issue went to print, Lorence and the Knights were two wins away from earning their third straight state tournament appearance.

For the fifth time in her career, Lorence leads Irondale in scoring with totals of 43-16--59. She will end her high school career with over 350 points.

A two-year team captain, Lorence has notched a point in all but two games this season, posting 17 multi-point and 12 multi-goal contests. She has six hat tricks on the year, including a six-goal game in Irondale’s 6-2 win over St. Francis/North Branch on Dec. 18.

“Meghan has played in our high school program for six years,” Irondale head coach Tom Rodefeld said. “Her character in the classroom, in the community and on the ice has led our program to the success that we have had: in the classroom to our first ever academic section championship; in the community by creating and fostering mentoring programs; and on the ice by leading us to back-to-back conference championships, and back-to-back Section Championships, our first two State Tournament appearances.”

A five-time recipient of the Irondale Gold Academic Award, Lorence owns a 3.85 GPA and has volunteered with numerous community organizations, including Project Linus and the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. She also assisted with the Hockey Clinic with Four Seasons A+ Elementary to teach inner city girls about other opportunities in girls’ athletics and how to skate.

Following high school, Lorence will continue her hockey career at the University of Minnesota.

“I have known Meghan Lorence for 12 years, and since the first day I met her, Meghan has added her greatness to every part of the Irondale program,” Rodefeld said. “Her ability has made us a better team, but her character has made us better people.”

Rachel Ramsey, Minnetonka

One of the state’s elite defenseman, Rachel Ramsey has captained the Skippers to the No. 1 ranking in Class AA to go along with a 24-1-1 overall record. Ranking among the top scoring blueliners in the state this season with totals of 14-30--44, Ramsey has the Skippers two wins from advancing to the state tournament for the first time.

Ramsey has posted 14 multi-point games, including a pair of five-point contests. She has been held scoreless in only seven games and owns a plus/minus rating of +47 in 26 games this season.

Ramsey is a two-year captain and has played about half of her career on the blue line for the Skippers. Ramsey’s father, Mike, was a former University of Minnesota, U.S. Olympic team and NHL star who, up until this season, was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Wild.

“Rachel thinks the game extremely well and can play any position except goalie,” Minnetonka head coach Eric Johnson said. “She controls the tempo of the game when she is on the ice. She has worked hard at improving her game each year and her example has helped push the rest of the team. She has become a powerful two-way defenseman that can shut down oppontents, and also be a constant offensive threat.”

Off the ice, Ramsey owns a 3.163 GPA and has volunteered with the Westwood Church Meals Ministry, Project Homeless Connect and the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association Big Sister Project. She has also donated over 20 hours each year to MYHA youth hockey players.

Following high school, Ramsey will continue her hockey career at the University of Minnesota.

“Rachel has been a humble teammate, always looking to give credit to others,” Johnson said. “She has dedicated much of her time to mentoring and role modeling youth MYHA players at practices and clinics as a volunteer.”

Karley Sylvester, Warroad

Looking to become the first Ms. Hockey Award winner from Warroad since Gigi Marvin in 2005, Karley Sylvester has helped the top-ranked Warriors to 23-3-0 overall record and one win from advancing to their third straight state tournament. One of the top playmakers in the state, Sylvester owns totals of 29-41--70 in 23 games this season.

A member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team at the IIHF World U18 Championship, Sylvester has been held without a point in only one game (Dec. 4 at Edina), and owns 17 multi-point and eight multi-goal games on the year. She has notched three hat tricks, including a four-goal game against East Grand Forks in Monday night’s 9-0 win over East Grand Forks in the Section 8A quarterfinal.

“Karley is the hardest working practice player that I have ever coached,” Warroad head coach David Marvin said. “She puts forth that same effort during games, and that is why she has had four outstanding seasons for the Warriors. Karley takes her hockey very seriously; it would be hard to find a player more committed or dedicated to the game.”

Along with being an excellent hockey player, Sylvester is also a top-notch student. She holds a 3.725 GPA in a rigorous curriculum with courses such as AP Government, AP English and calculus. Sylvester volunteers to assist young skaters in the Skater Tot program, and through National Honor Society, has worked with senior citizens on various projects.

In addition, Sylvester is a decorated swimmer, advancing to the state meet three years as an individual and/or team participant. Following high school, Sylvester will continue her hockey career at the University of Wisconsin where she will study math and science.

“Karley is defintely a leader in our school,” Marvin said. “She makes wise decisions and is a positive role model for other students. Because of her pleasing personality and upbeat attitude, she has earned the respect of those who know her.”

In addition to announcing Ms. Hockey, the winner of the 2011 Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year will be named at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 27, at RiverCentre. Additionally, all-state and all-academic awards will be presented by the Minnesota Girls’ Hockey Coaches Association.

Tickets for the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet may be ordered by calling 612-729-0023 and are $25 per person.

The five semifinalists for the 2011 Ms. Hockey Award are forwards Hillary Crowe of Blake, Allie LaCombe of Eden Prairie, Layla Marvin of Warroad, Abby Ness of Roseau and Sami Reber of Edina.

In addition to on-ice talent, criteria for the Ms. Hockey Award includes academics, community/extracurricular activities, citizenship and coachability.