Senior Goalie

2011 Senior Goalie of the Year Finalists Announced

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

The finalists for the 2011 edition of the Senior Goalie of the Year Award are netminders with rich accomplishments on and off the ice

The puck stops here. It’s time to announce the five finalists for the 2011 Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award for girls’ high school hockey goaltenders in Minnesota.

The winner will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet at the St. Paul RiverCentre, the day after the conclusion of the girls’ high school tournament.

The finalists combine for a 1.22 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and a grade-point average of 3.81. Alphabetically, here are the five finalists for the 2011 Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award:

Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Warroad

One of the state’s top goalies the past three seasons, Shelby Amsley-Benzie owns outstanding numbers for the top-ranked Warriors. The owner of a 20-3-0 overall record, Amsley-Benzie has a state second-best .954 save percentage and 0.98 goals-against average. She has allowed two or fewer goals in 21 of her 23 starts, including 10 shutouts.

A two-time all-state selection, Amsley-Benzie owns a career record of 74-7-1 with 38 shutouts, including a state record 17 last season. She backstopped the Warriors to the Class A state title in 2010 and the runner-up spot in 2009. Amsley-Benzie will continue her hockey career at North Dakota in the fall.

“Shelby is the epitome of every coach’s dream player,” Warroad head coach David Marvin said. “It would be hard to find anyone more dedicated or hard working when it comes to the game of hockey.”

Away from the ice, Amsley-Benzie is an exceptional student, ranking first in her class with a 4.1 GPA. She has devoted numerous hours to community service, most notably with Warroad youth hockey players.

“Along with being a skilled goaltender, Shelby is also an all-around good kid,” Marvin said. “She takes her education very seriously. Being ranked No. 1 in her class is quite an accomplishment when you consider that she is a three-sport athlete. Shelby is the type of person who has the talent and determination to make a difference in our world.”

Chloe Billadeau, Blake

A mainstay in the Blake nets since 2007-08, Chloe Billadeau has led the Bears to the No. 2 ranking in Class A and a 17-4-4 overall record. Through the end of the regular season, Billadeau owns a 1.59 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage to go along with her six shutouts.

Billadeau has allowed two or fewer goals in 18 of her 25 starts and owns a 17-3-4 record. She has compiled a 78-12-5 career record, including a school record 29-2 mark in 2009. An all-state selection last season, Billadeau has two state championships (one as a starter) and owns the record for shutouts in a state tournament (two in 2009). She will play Division III college hockey at Williams College, a premier liberal arts school in Masschusetts.

“Put a pair of skates and pads on Chole and she transforms into a puck stopping machine,” Blake head coach Brano Stankovsky said. “Her greatest attribute is that she loves to play goal, and loves her teammates. Over four years, Chloe has made herself into an exceptional goaltender, but it is her pure joy of playing goal that drives her to have become one of the top goalies in the state over each of the last three years.

Off the ice, Billadeau owns a 3.6 GPA, has volunteered with the Special Olympics as a golf coach and has done community service with the Blake School Music Outreach program.

“Chloe is more than an athlete, as she participates in the Blake Jazz band and also the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphony, but her most important contribution is that she initiated the Blake Justice League social justice program,” Stankovsky said. “This alone gives insight on what she cares about and what she may be accomplishing in her adult life. There may not be a more caring student in the Blake community and she is already a wonderful citizen.”

Julie Friend, Minnetonka

The owner of some of the best statistical numbers in the state, Julie Friend has led Minnetonka to a 23-1-1 overall record and the No. 1 ranking in Class AA. Through the end of the regular season, Friend has compiled a state-best .76 goals-against average and .955 save percentage, as well as nine shutouts.

She owns a 17-0-1 record and has allowed more than one goal in only four games this season. Friend has a career record of 52-17-9 and is the Skippers’ all-time goals-against average leader at .937. She has not earned a loss since Hopkins downed Minnetonka 1-0 in the Section 6AA final on Feb. 19, 2010. Friend will continue her hockey career at St. Cloud State.

“Julie is a focused and intense competitor,” Minnetonka head coach Eric Johnson said. “She loves the game of hockey and her passion is contagious to the rest of our team. She will make a great coach someday as she is an expert on stats, a walking encyclopedia for hockey info. She anchors our defense with her skill and size as a solid backstop.”

The owner of a 3.91 GPA, Friend is involved with the MHS First Mate, Senior Leadership and Interact Club programs, as well as Relay for Life and DECA. She has also volunteered over 50 hours with the Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association.

“Julie is a generous person who has gone out of her way to make friends with the youth players who look up to her,” Johnson said. “She has been an exemplary teammate the past four years at Minnetonka High School.”

Chelsea Laden, Lakeville South

For the better part of six seasons, it’s been Chelsea Laden in the nets for the Lakeville South Cougars. Since seventh grade, she has patrolled the crease, facing over 3,000 shots as one of the state’s top netminders. This season, Laden owns a 19-2-2 record, 1.53 goals-against average, .929 save percentage and four shutouts for fourth-ranked Lakeville South.

A three-time team MVP, two-time all-conference honoree, Laden has notched 19 games with two or fewer goals allowed, and has given up only four lamplighters in her last four games. She will continue her hockey career at Quinnipiac University, a Division I school in Connecticut.

“Chelsea’s play has been consistently at a high level every year,” Lakeville South head coach Perry Wilkinson said. “Our program is where it’s at because of Chelsea. Her high level of play, work ethic, character and leadership have carried us through the good and bad times of our program’s development.”

Away from the ice, Laden is a National Honors Society member with a GPA of 3.8. She has volunteered for Feed My Starving Children and Meals on Wheels, and has served as a Sunday School teacher.

“Chelsea has been the face of our program,” Wilkinson said. “The younger girls have always looked up to her and flocked to her andcheered for to her at youth events. She has worked hard each and every day, and has led by example as a two-year captain.”

Tiana Press, Benilde-St. Margaret’s

One of the state’s top goaltenders the last four seasons, Tiana Press has helped the Red Knights to a 21-2-1 overall record and a No. 3 Class AA ranking. Through the end of the regular season, she owns a 16-2-1 record, 1.24 goals-against average, .934 save percentage and six shutouts.

A two-year captain and two-time all-conference selection, Press has led the North Suburban Conference in save percentage the last three seasons. This year, she has allowed two or fewer goals 16 times, and has only given up three goals in her last five games, two of which were shutouts. Tiana’s play has been largely responsible for carrying a team which features nine freshmen and 14 underclassmen on its 21-player roster. Press will continue her hockey career at Harvard in the fall.

“Tiana has been a very reliable goalie throughout her career,” Benilde-St. Margaret’s head coach Dave Herbst said. “When I put her out there, I know I don’t have to worry about our goaltending. She is a great captain this year and has shown great leadership. That leadership role has been a big part of our team. She’s really taken over in the locker room – not only leading the team, but putting them together and taking an active role in ensuring everyone is involved.”

Off the ice, Press owns straight A’s in engineering and math to go along with her 3.62 GPA. She has worked for the Andrea Miller Foundation that past for years and has been an active volunteer with a number of charities.

“Tiana has not only been an exceptional goalie for BSM, she has been a leader for the team on and off the ice, as well as for her peers in the classroom and the community,” Herbst said. “Her volunteer work with the underprivileged, as well as for other charities, is typical of her putting the needs of others before hers. She has been an exemplary student-athlete throughout her four years with our program and will leave a legacy at the school for others to follow.”

In addition to on-ice talent, criteria for the Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award include academics, community/extracurricular activities, citizenship and coachability. Past winners: 2010 Kallie Billadeau (Hopkins), 2009 Laura Bellamy (Duluth), 2008 Alyssa Grogan (Eagan), 2007 Ashley Nixon (Blaine), 2006 Allana McCready (Centennial), 2005 Johanna Ellison (Cloquet/Esko/Carlton), 2004 Emily Brookshaw (Hill-Murray), 2003 Robin Doepke (Chaska), 2002 Amber Hasbargen (Warroad), 2001 Jody Horak (Blaine), 2000 Shari Vogt (River Lakes), 1999 Katie Beauduy (Blaine).

The five finalists for the 2011 Ms. Hockey Award will be named in the Feb. 17 edition of Let’s Play Hockey. Both awards are sponsored by Let’s Play Hockey, the Minnesota Wild, Shock Doctor and DCS Image.

In addition to announcing the Senior Goalie of the Year, the winner of the Ms. Hockey Award will be named at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the St. Paul RiverCentre. Additionally, all-state and all-academic awards will be presented by the Minnesota Girls’ Hockey Coaches Association. The five finalists for Ms. Hockey will be announced in next week’s edition of Let’s Play Hockey. Tickets for the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet may be ordered by calling 612-729-0023 and are $25 per person.