Class A teams clash today in chase for glory

by Robert Brent, Let’s Play Hockey

One of the most exciting events in hockey is upon us as the Girl’s Hockey State Championships kick off today with Class A action. Eight teams will be competing for the title of best Class A Minnesota girl’s hockey team in a tournament featuring many intriguing storylines. Will Warroad capture their fourth straight title? Will we have a first-time champion? 

Regardless of the result, the state tournament will entertain fans across the state in an exhibition of highly skilled hockey. For the girls on the team, they have the opportunity to make memories that will last a lifetime. Check out the Class A contenders in our tournament preview here to get primed for the most extraordinary event in girl’s hockey.

#1 Seed: Dodge County (21-3-2, 1A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 2nd

Goals For Per-Game: 4.12

Goals Against Per-Game: 0.88

Powerplay: 27.3%

Penalty Kill: 90.7%

Goals Leader: Nora Carstensen (17)

Assists Leader: Nora Carstensen (34)

Points Leader: Nora Carstensen (51)

This year, the Dodge County Wildcats compiled another fantastic season, capturing their second straight Section 1A Title. The team went 21-3-2 and has not lost a game since December 28th. The Wildcats defeated Winona (10-0) and Albert Lea (4-2) to earn their sectional championship. 

Dodge County features a balanced attack with several key contributors. Though Nora Carstensen has the fewest goals of any of the tournament’s leading scorers, The Wildcats boast seven players with double-digit goals. The team has no problem winning games with this deep scoring attack, but their defense is their real calling card. They’re the only team in the tournament averaging less than one goal-against per game. 

Goaltender Ida Huber, playing in her final season with Dodge County, started every game this season. Huber went 21-3-2 for the Wildcats while registering an astounding .958 save percentage. That mark led all Class A goalies who played more than 10 games. Huber, a Long Island University commit, will play a crucial role for the #1-seeded Wildcats if they are successful in St. Paul. 

The Wildcats will start their tournament playing eighth-seeded River Lakes. The team is led by Head Coach Jeremy Gunderson, who is coaching in his 18th year for the Wildcats. Dodge County is looking to capture a state title while making up for last season when they fell in the finals to Warroad.

#2 Seed: Orono (19-5-3, 5A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 3rd

Goals For Per-Game: 4.70

Goals Against Per-Game: 1.63

Powerplay: 24.7%

Penalty Kill: 89.4%

Goals Leader: Zoe Lopez (32)

Assists Leader: Alex Paulsen (24)

Points Leader: Zoe Lopez (49)

Orono is entering the tournament with one of the state’s most demanding schedules behind them. The Spartans captured the Section 5A title with a 19-5-3 record. Their schedule this year included wins against tournament rivals Warroad, Academy of Holy Angels and Proctor/Hermantown. Orono also played games against Class 2A state tournament representatives Holy Family Catholic, Andover, Hill-Murray, Centennial and Moorhead. Orono should be as prepared as anyone for the highest level of hockey. 

Head Coach Paul Antonenko has coached Orono for two seasons with an outstanding 40-12-4 record. Antonenko will also come into the tournament with one of the more experienced rosters in the field. 

The Spartans have nine juniors and seniors on the roster, including leading scorer Zoe Lopez. Lopez is finishing up a storied Orono career, where she’s scored more than 45 points in four consecutive seasons. Lopez, along with fellow upper-class players Maddy Kimbrel (11th grade), Macy Rasmussen (12th grade), and Alex Paulsen (12th grade), are looking to put a stamp on their Spartan legacies after all being top-five scorers for Orono this season.

Orono has recently come close to tasting glory at the Xcel Energy Center, with third-place finishes in 2022 and 2024 and a second-place finish in 2023. They’ll begin their journey in 2025 against #7 seed Fergus Falls. 

#3 Seed: Warroad (24-3-0, 8A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 1st

Goals For Per-Game: 4.56

Goals Against Per-Game: 1.15

Powerplay: 27.8%

Penalty Kill: 94.4%

Goals Leader: Taylor Reese (25)

Assists Leader: Jaylie French (32)

Points Leader: Jaylie French (56)

While they may not be the #1 seed, it’s challenging to consider Warroad anything but a top contender to take home the title. The Warriors are five-time state champions, including three straight titles from 2022-24. Their head coach, David “Izzy” Marvin, boasts a career record of 441-85-20 over 19 seasons. That sterling record includes the Warriors’ excellent mark of 24-3-0 this season. 

The Warroad Warriors dominated their Section Championships with wins over Thief River Falls (7-0) and Crookston (4-2). They enter the tournament on a 17-game win streak, with their last loss coming on December 21st. The team has championship experience, returning several players from past state championships. This returning talent includes Jaylie French, an electric scorer. French has led the Warriors in scoring two seasons in a row with 56 this year, improving on her 48-point campaign from last year. French may lead the way, but the team is dotted with impressive performers, including 12 players with double-digit point totals.

Warroad has many strengths on the ice, but they’ll come into this tournament with the secret weapon of having excellent special teams. They’re the second-best powerplay and the best penalty kill in this field. They also have experience against three of their opponents in the tournament, with wins over River Lakes (2-0) and Fergus Falls (5-1) and an early season defeat to Orono (0-3). 

Warroad will take on Marshall in the state tournament’s opening round as they look to build on their already storied history. 

#4 Seed: Academy of Holy Angels (18-6-3, 4A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 4th

Goals For Per-Game: 4.41

Goals Against Per-Game: 1.52

Powerplay: 27.4%

Penalty Kill: 92%

Goals Leader: Taylor Lesnar (21)

Assists Leader: Taylor Lesnar (20)

Points Leader: Taylor Lesnar (41)

Academy of Holy Angels rounds out the higher seeds of the Class A Tournament after an 18-6-3 season in which they captured the section 4A Championship. The team punched their ticket to St. Paul with a 4-1 victory over Chisago Lakes and an instant classic 3-2 overtime win over South St. Paul. Holy Angels is making its second-straight tournament appearance after falling to Orono in the third-place game last year.

The Academy of Holy Angels employs a balanced offensive attack with 11 double-digit scorers. Among those 11 is a group of four players (Masyn Mullin, Harper Poehling, Genevieve Nelson, and Taylor Lesnar) who scored over 30 points each this season. Lesnar, a senior, leads the team in each offensive category and will be looking to cap off a fantastic high school career.

The team is known for its outstanding special teams. They’re dangerous with an extra player, boasting the third-best powerplay unit in the tournament. They’re also near impenetrable when they commit a penalty with the second-best penalty-killing unit in the tournament. The PK unit is anchored by Zoey Rimstad, a senior goaltender who registered a .931 save percentage this season.

Academy of Holy Angels will open their tournament against #5 seed Proctor/Hermantown. The matchup should be intense as both teams look to make their mark in the state tournament. 

#5 Seed: Proctor/Hermantown (20-6-1, 7A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 5th

Goals For Per-Game: 3.78

Goals Against Per-Game: 1.78

Powerplay: 16.7%

Penalty Kill: 89.5%

Goals Leader: Jane Eckstrom (20)

Assists Leader: Mya Gunderson (19)

Points Leader: Jane Eckstrom (32)

Proctor/Hermantown completed another standout campaign this year, going 20-6-1 and winning the section 7A title. This year, they had one of the most dominant sectional performances, outscoring their opponents Moose Lake Area (10-1) and Rock Ridge (6-1) by a combined score of 16-2. 

Proctor/Hermantown scored by committee this year, with their leading scorer, Jane Eckstrom, scoring the fewest points of any of this tournament’s leaders. The Mirage do have a deep team, however, with 13 players registering double-digit points. The team is fairly resourceful at stringing together wins, even if few of their stats stand out (other than a sterling 89.5% penalty kill.)

Proctor/Hermantown finished the season fifth in the Let’s Play Hockey Rankings, so they’re certainly a contender. If there’s any cause for concern, though, it’s that the Mirage have already faced three teams in this tournament and lost each game. Losses against Warroad, Orono and Dodge County are on Proctor/Hermantown’s record. 

If any team can turn their fortunes around, it’s the Mirage. They’re one of the more experienced teams in the tournament, so they always find a way to win. Head coach Emma Stauber guided the Mirage to a state title in 2021, a second-place finish in 2022, and a third-place finish in 2024. 

They’ll look to add to their trophy cabinet with the first matchup of the Mirage’s tournament coming against Academy of Holy Angels.

#6 Seed: Marshall (22-3-2, 3A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 12th

Goals For Per-Game: 5.07

Goals Against Per-Game: 1.67

Powerplay: 21%

Penalty Kill: 87.7%

Goals Leader: Brooklyn Mauch (47)

Assists Leader: Brooklyn Mauch (35)

Points Leader: Brooklyn Mauch (82)

The Marshall Tigers may come into this tournament as a sixth seed, but they should not be taken lightly. The Tigers started the season on a 14-game win streak and never looked back, with a final record of 22-3-2. The Tigers were one game away from the state tournament last year before losing to Luverne in the Section 3A Championships. They avenged that loss this year with a 5-2 victory over Luverne to punch their ticket to the Xcel Energy Center.

Marshall is notable for its high-octane offense, boasting the best goals-per-game mark in the entire tournament. Their dangerous attack is headlined by a trio of excellent forwards: Peyton DeMuth (44 points), Abbey Foley (46 points), and Brooklyn Mauch (82 points). Mauch leads the tournament field in points and goals scored and is sure to haunt opponents at the state tournament. Mauch also led all Class A in points while placing second in goals. 

Marshall finished 12th in the Let’s Play Hockey rankings, but are dangerous due to their offensive firepower. They’re also experienced in the net, with third-year goaltender Lily Stelter backstopping the Tigers. Stelter has started over 50 games over the last two years for the Tigers and has given up just three goals in her previous three games. She’s registered six shutouts this season.

The Tigers have their work cut out for them with an opening-round matchup with returning champions Warroad, but they’ve proved they can score and skate with anyone in the state. 

#7 Seed: Fergus Falls (15-11-1, 6A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 19th

Goals For Per-Game: 3.74

Goals Against Per-Game: 2.70

Powerplay: 28.4%

Penalty Kill: 84%

Goals Leader: Hannah Johnson (20)

Assists Leader: Maggie Greenagle (20)

Points Leader: Hannah Johnson (38)

Fergus Falls won their section after amassing a 15-11-1 record this year on the way to a state championship appearance. They made a huge impression in their section championship bracket, scoring 18 combined goals against MBA and Northern Lakes. Their defense was also impressive, allowing only two goals and suppressing their opposition to a combined 18 shots on goal.

Fergus Falls can make some noise in this tournament if they’re opportunistic with their special teams play, boasting the best powerplay percentage in the tournament. Unfortunately for the Otters, relying on special teams could be a double-edged sword. They have the lowest penalty-kill percentage in the tournament. They’ll have to be disciplined and take advantage of every opportunity.

The Otters do enter the tournament with some experience. Most notably, Fergus Falls won the consolation bracket in 2019. They also registered two wins over fellow tournament participants River Lakes during the regular season.

The Otters will start their tournament facing off with #2 seed Orono. 

#8 Seed: River Lakes (14-12-1, 2A Champions)

LPH Final Ranking: 16th

Goals For Per-Game: 2.70

Goals Against Per-Game: 2.11

Powerplay: 15.9%

Penalty Kill: 89.7%

Goals Leader: Sophia Hess (35)

Assists Leader: Peyton Roeske (19)

Points Leader: Sophia Hess (52)

If you’re looking for a Cinderella story in this year’s state tournament, look no further than #8 seed River Lakes. The Stars lost the last four games of their regular season before dominating their section tournament, outscoring opponents Hutchinson (4-0) and Wilmar (4-0) on their way to a tournament appearance.

Making games low-scoring affairs would be beneficial for River Lakes, as that’s how they won games all season. The Stars held their opponents to two goals or less in every win of their campaign. If they’re able to keep games low-scoring, they have their best chance at winning in this tournament.

While they excel defensively, someone needs to score the goals for River Lakes. No one was better at that this year than Sophie Hess. Hess registered 52 points this year, 26 more than anyone else on the team. River Lakes can win games if Hess keeps up her production while the team limits chances.

Despite being the #8 seed, River Lakes is no stranger to the state tournament. The Stars are making their third appearance in five years, a run with a third-place finish in 2022. River Lakes will look to continue their strong results in their first-round matchup with Orono.

You can find the full brackets and schedules for the Class A State Tournament here, or purchase tickets to sessions at the Xcel Energy Center here.