Junior leads state in scoring as Tigers eye return trip to state

by Robert Brent, Let’s Play Hockey

One of the most compelling storylines of the Minnesota High School State Tournament is the rise of programs from contender to section champion to title contender. Last season, Marshall took that step, earning a return to the girls state tournament as Section 3A’s representative for the first time since 2018. 

The experience was significant, but the Tigers are focused on making sure it was only the beginning.

Marshall’s winning mindset was forged during a season in which the Tigers won their first 14 games. Marshall continued their momentum late into the season, defeating Luverne, the team that had won Section 3A five straight seasons, in the section finals.

Marshall entered the State Tournament as a sixth seed and faced off against perennial powerhouse Warroad in the first round. They lost that game before defeating Fergus Falls in the opening round of the consolation bracket. The Tigers once again dropped a close contest to storied program Proctor/Hermantown in the consolation finals.

Despite the tournament not going the way they hoped, head coach Cassi Weiss says it was a massively valuable learning experience for the team. 

“We could see the inexperience in the first game, but we calmed down and got more comfortable as the tournament went along,” Weiss said. “I think you could see that it was our first time as a group.”

The experience led Marshall to schedule a gauntlet of games this year against several of the state’s top teams to prepare the Tigers for another tournament run. They’ve faced multiple top 20 teams in Class A so far this season and will do so throughout the campaign. 

Coach Weiss spoke about how the team’s schedule and last season’s success has sharpened Marshall’s mindset. 

“We always get everyone’s best game, which is great for us. It helps us stay at our top level,” Weiss said. “We still want to get back to the state tournament, and we still have that hungry mindset… We know we’re going to have to work for it.”

All signs point to the Marshall Tigers being a team on the rise, and it’s impossible to discuss that emergence without recognizing one of the team’s standout players, Brooklyn Mauch.

Mauch is an 11th grader this year, playing her fourth season for Marshall. For Mauch’s first two seasons, she was already an excellent scorer with 58 points in 56 career games. Then everything clicked.

Mauch caught fire last year with 48 goals and 35 assists for 83 points in 30 games, good for the second-most points in the state. Coach Weiss cites Mauch’s maturity and drive to improve as factors in her breakout season last year.

“I think it’s an age and maturity thing. And, again, she is never content with where her game is at. She’s constantly texting the coaches with something specific in her game that she wants to get better at,” Weiss said. “I also think that as she grew and got stronger, she figured out how to drive the net a little bit more, and that’s probably what resulted in more goals.”

Mauch’s 2025-26 season has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that last season was the new normal for the talented forward. So far this season, Mauch has scored 47 goals and added 26 assists for a state-leading 73 points. That’s 23 more points than Sarah Johnson of Moundsview/Irondale, the state’s second-leading scorer. 

Girls HS Scoring Leaders

Source: MinnesotaTribune Girls Hockey Hub

Mauch reached another major career milestone when she scored her 200th career high school point on Dec, 22nd against Windom in a 13-0 victory.

The statistics are eye-popping for the Marshall forward, but she’s hardly just a scorer. Her coach says she’s most impressed by her versatility.

“It’s her diversity as a player. She can do anything and everything, and she does it extremely well,” Weiss said. “She’s a two-way hockey player, and she backchecks just as hard as she drives the net.”

While Mauch is racking up individual statistics, her sole focus is on being a team player and getting the program back to the state tournament this season.

“I feel as though our team has a very strong bond and can use that to make it to state again this year,” Mauch said in a preseason feature from Breakdown Sports. “I even believe we can compete at state as well. We have so many key veteran players who will help guide us to success.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by the coach of the team as well. 

“Every girl on that team works hard and is constantly striving to be better,” Weiss said. “We don’t just have one girl, we have 12.”

Marshall boasts plenty of high-level talent throughout the lineup, including Abbey Foley (6-31-37) and Peyton DeMuth (19-20-39), both of whom are among the top 20 scorers in the state. Foley is leading the state in assists with 28. 

While they’re a high-scoring squad, one of the team’s steadiest players is goaltender Lily Stelter. Stelter started the lion’s share of games for the Tigers last season, registering a .908 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average. She’s improved this season with an even more sterling .924 save percentage.

Mauch and company’s strong play has the Tigers flying high once again. The team is currently 15-4 and riding a 3-game win streak including a 5-3 win over #10A Minnesota River last week.   averaging 5.22 goals per game and allowing just 1.35 goals per game.

As Marshall continues its push toward another postseason run, the Tigers look less like a program hoping to return to the state tournament and more like one expecting to be there. With a veteran core, a tested goaltender, and one of the state’s most complete players setting the tone, Marshall’s rise no longer feels temporary.