Ms. Hockey

2012 Ms. Hockey finalists announced

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

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The five finalists for the 17th annual Ms. Hockey Award are Hannah Brandt of Hill-Murray, Hanna Brodt of Roseville, Jonna Curtis of Elk River/Zimmerman, Milica McMillen of Breck and Lee Stecklein of Roseville.

Together, the finalists would be a formidable starting lineup with Brandt, Brodt and Curtis at forward and McMillen and Stecklein on the blue line. Four of the five finalists have committed to a WCHA school next season, including three future Golden Gophers.

The five honorees have scored an average of 32 goals and 25 assists this season and have helped their respective teams to top 10 rankings. The finalists have been bound to the textbooks for the past several years as they check in with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.72.

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. 26, at 11:30 a.m., at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

Alphabetically, here is a look at the five finalists for the 2012 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award:

Hannah Brandt, Hill-Murray

Considered one of the top players in the nation in her age group, Hannah Brandt has led the Pioneers to the No. 1 ranking in Class AA with her state-leading scoring totals of 58-31--89 in 25 games this season.

The first-ever Ms. Hockey finalist from Hill-Murray, Brandt has been held without a point in only one game (Dec. 20 at South St. Paul), and owns 22 multi-point and 20 multi-goal games on the year. She has notched 13 hat tricks, has posted a trio of six-point games and is currently riding a streak of 12 multi-goal games.

A member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team at the IIHF World U18 Championship, Brandt has helped Hill-Murray to a 25-2-0 overall record and within one win from earning its second straight trip to the state tournament. A two-year team captain and five-time team MVP, she has been named to the all-state team in three consecutive seasons.

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

“There have been some great female hockey players to play in Minnesota but I truly believe that by the time Hannah finishes her high school, college and international playing career, she will be known as one of the best to have ever played women’s hockey,” Hill-Murray head coach Bill Schafhauser said. “When you combine her physical talents with her innate ability to anticipate plays before they even take place, you will see one of the best players in the world at her age group.

Along with being an excellent hockey player, Brandt is also a top-notch student. She holds a 3.924 GPA in a rigorous curriculum with honors courses in math, English, biology, chemistry and Spanish. She earned the Hill-Murray Gold Service award for 40-plus service experiences, volunteering for several community organizations. In addition, Brandt is a two-time letterwinner for the Pioneer soccer team.

“Hannah is a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers her time to numerous community service causes that range from teaching young kids to skate to being an advocate for the homeless,” Schafhauser said.

Hanna Brodt, Roseville Area

The first of two finalists from Roseville, Hanna Brodt is looking to become the second member of the Brodt family to be named Ms. Hockey after Winny Brodt, Hanna’s oldest sister, claimed the inaugural award in 1996. At the time this issue went to print, Brodt and the Raiders were one win away from earning their sixth state tournament appearance.

A team captain, Brodt has helped Roseville  to a 23-2-2 overall record and the No. 5 ranking in Class AA. The team’s leading scorer, she owns totals of 26-35--61 in 27 games and has notched a point in all but two games this season, posting 19 multi-point and six multi-goal contests. Brodt has had a hand in 48 percent of Roseville’s goals this season.

Following high school, Brodt will  continue her hockey career at St. Cloud State where she intends to major in biomedical science.
“Hanna Brodt is and has been the motor of the Roseville hockey team the past several years,” Roseville head coach Vic Brodt said. “Her work ethic is contagious and she brings the spark to our lineup every game. She works both ends of the ice with the same energy and passion.”

A four-year academic letterwinner, Brodt owns a 3.87 GPA and has volunteered with numerous community organizations, including the Salvation Army, Feed My Starving Children and the Ramsey County Homeless Shelter.

“Being a great hockey player doesn’t automatically make you a good person. However, Hanna’s encouraging attitude towards her teammates makes her a good person, teammate and member of society,” Vic Brodt said. “She is an encouraging teammate and is very aware of people who are less fortunate.”

Jonna Curtis, Elk River/Zimmerman

Largely credited as a major reason for Elk River/Zimmerman’s success the past several seasons, Jonna Curtis leads the Elks and is ranked 20th in the state in scoring this season with totals of 36-25--61 in 26 games. She has been held without a point in only three games, and owns 22 multi-point and 12 multi-goal games on the year. Curtis has notched four hat tricks and has posted two five-point games and one six-point game during the season.

Elk River’s all-time career scoring leader with 275 points, Curtis has helped the Elks  to a 20-3-3 overall record and the No. 7 ranking in Class AA. At the time this issue went to print, Curtis and the Elks were one win away from earning their third state tournament appearance in the last four years.

Following high school, Curtis will continue her hockey career at the University of New Hampshire where she plans on majoring in chemical engineering.

“Jonna is the type of player that does not come around very often,” Elk River/Zimmerman head coach Joe Heasley said. “She has tremendous hockey skills, she is a great leader and she is an all around humble person. I have never had a more coachable player than Jonna Curtis.”

Away from hockey, Curtis owns a 3.6 GPA  and volunteers her time at the CAER Food Shelf. She is also a school Link Leader, helping freshmen transition from middle school to high school.

“Jonna has given up many hours of her free time to help other people in the community,” Heasley said. “Jonna is always willing to give up her time to help other people who are in need.”

Milica McMillen, Breck

One of the state’s elite defenseman, Milica McMillen has captained the Mustangs to the No. 1 ranking in Class A to go along with a 23-2-1 overall record. Ranking among the top scoring blueliners in the state this season with totals of 26-20--46, McMillen has Breck one win away from advancing to the state tournament for the third straight season.

The team’s leading scorer, McMillen has posted 12 multi-point games, including a five-goal game against the St. Paul Blades on Jan. 19. She has been held scoreless only four times in 24 games this season. Like Brandt, she too was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team at the IIHF World U18 Championship.

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

“Since the inception of girls’ high school hockey in Minnesota, I have never seen a player with the combination of speed, strength, puckhandling and shooting skills that Milica has,” Breck head coach Chris Peterson said. “She very well could be the best defender in the history of Minnesota high school girls’ hockey. Not only does she have the ability to generate offense, her defensive skills are second to none.”

Owning a 3.23 GPA and a member of the Breck School Dean’s List, McMillen has volunteered with Special Olympics poly hockey, Jefferson Academy kindergarten and Trinity First Lutheran School pre-school.

“Not only is Milica a great hockey player, she is a great person,” Peterson said. “With her busy academic/athletic schedule, she still makes time to help others. Milica does not play hockey for the individual awards, media coverage, etc. She plays for ‘love of the game’ and has matured into a top notch young woman (who happens to lace up the skates every day).”

Lee Stecklein, Roseville Are

Like teammate Hanna Brodt, Lee Stecklein will look to become the fifth Roseville Raider to be named Ms. Hockey. One of the state’s top defensemen, Stecklein owns totals of 13-16--29 for the fifth-ranked Raiders.

Stecklein has points in 19 of her 22 games this season, including six multi-point contests. She is currently riding an eight-game point streak and has Roseville one win away from earning their sixth state tournament appearance.

Stecklein was also a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team at the IIHF World U18 Championship, serving as team captain for Team USA.

Following high school Stecklein will continue her hockey career at the University of Minnesota where she plans to attend the Carlson School of Management.

“Every coach should have an opportunity to coach a hockey player like Lee Stecklein,” Vic Brodt said. “I have been privileged to have had such an honor for many, many years. Lee rarely makes a mistake in execution or mental judgment on the ice. In addition, she is a leader that makes all the players around her better.

Off the ice, Stecklein is accomplished in many different areas, from the classroom, the community and other sports. In school, she owns a 3.99 GPA to rank second in her class of 458. In the community, Stecklein is a member of District Curriculum Advisory Committee, a grounp that helps in all phases of planning and improving instruction and curriculum. She also has served withRaiders Against Destructive Decisions and has been a teacher’s assistant in the RAHS activities office.

“Lee is a great role model for young girls,” Brodt said. “She is a kind young lady who brings smiles to little girls’ hockey players in her community. Although she may be intimidating by being so tall, her friendly personality overshadows that aspect. She engages with the kids showing that she truly cares about them. Lee is a great representative of her community.”

In addition to announcing Ms. Hockey, the winner of the 2012 Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year will be named at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 26, 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 2012 Ms. Hockey Award are Sara Carlson of Hutchinson, Molly Illikainen of Grand Rapids/Greenway and Megan Lushanko of Chisago Lakes, and defensemen Megan Armstrong of Edina and Samantha LaShomb of South St. Paul.

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

Past winners: 2011 Karley Sylvester (Warroad), 2010 Bethany Brausen (Roseville), 2009 Becky Kortum (Hopkins), 2008 Sarah Erickson (Bemidji), 2007 Katharine Chute (Blake), 2006 Allie Thunstrom (North St. Paul), 2005 Gigi Marvin (Warroad), 2004 Erica McKenzie (Hastings), 2003 Andrea Nichols (Hibbing/Chisholm), 2002 Ashley Albrecht (South St. Paul), 2001 Renee Curtin (Roseville), 2000 Krissy Wendell (Park Center), 1999 Ronda Curtin (Roseville), 1998 Laura Slominski (Burnsville), 1997 Annamarie Holmes (Apple Valley), 1996 Winny Brodt (Roseville).