University of Minnesota Women’s Hockey Adds Two High School Prospects
University of Minnesota Women’s Hockey added elite in-state talent with the commitments of Mackenna Schlieman and Mia Sutch.
By Robert Brent
For the first time since the 2006-2007 season, the University of Minnesota Women’s hockey team will be led by someone other than Brad Frost. Greg May signed on to lead the Gophers in March after Frost’s historic tenure as head coach of the program.
While it will be exciting to see how the team looks on the ice, it’s just as crucial to track how the team will handle recruiting moving forward. The University has long been able to attract top-end prospects both from within Minnesota and world-wide.
If the first commits of May’s tenure as coach are any indication, the team will continue to be a destination for the top young players in the state. Shortly after recruiting opened on June 15th, two high-end high school players committed to wearing the maroon and gold for the Gophers.
Mackenna Schlieman Joins Gophers
Mackenna Schlieman, a 2010-born forward from Breck high school was the first player to commit to Greg May’s Gophers in late June. Schlieman’s comitment comes after a standout year for the Breck Mustangs. Schlieman led the team in points with 55 and scored the second-most goals with 25 tallies. The young forward took a significant step forward in playmaking, after upping her assist numbers from seven in her freshman season to 30 in 2026.
Schlieman’s strong play contributed heavily to a dominant season for Breck in which they went 28-1-1 and ultimately captured their fifth state championship. Schlieman scored four goals in the tournament, including an empty-netter in the third period to seal their victory.
The forward, who will play her junior season at Breck this year, will play with several players bound for the collegiate ranks. Schlieman’s teammates Taylor Hall (Minnesota Duluth) and Aleah La Fleur (Boston College) also recently making their college decisions.
Schlieman is expected to join the Gophers for the 2028-29 season.
Mia Sutch Commits to University of Minnesota
Mia Sutch of Centennial/Spring Lake Park was the second high school hockey player to commit to the Gophers this Summer. The talented forward made her decision official in early July. Sutch led the Cougars with 60 points in 31 games which included 25 goals and 35 assists.
Much like Schlieman, Sutch’s excellent season contributed to a year in which her team experienced a lot of winning. The Cougars were ranked #1 in the state several times throughout the season and entered the state tournament as the #2 seed in the AA bracket. Centennial/Spring Lake Park knocked off Farmington and Holy Family before falling 4-3 against Hill-Murray in the state championship game.
Sutch possesses a lot of size, standing 5’10, but is also a speedy and skilled forward that works hard in the corners and scores goals with skill and persistence. The winger earned a spot on the Elite 35 Underclassmen list in Breakout Sports’ season preview prior to last season and will look to build on her impressive resume with the Cougars as a junior this year.
Sutch will also join the Gophers for the 2028 season.
University Of Minnesota Gets Positive Recruiting Outlook
The commitments of Schlieman and Sutch are positive signs for the early days of Greg May’s administration with the Gophers. While the two won’t take the ice for a couple of years, the additions show that the team will still be aggressive and competitive in courting elite talents from the state of hockey.
Both Schlieman and Sutch could both be contenders for Team USA at the U18 championships this season. That accomplishment would place them among other recent standout Minnesota High School Players to join elite collegiate programs like Maddy Kimbrel (Wisconson), Emily Pohl (Wisconsion) and Katya Sander (Minnesota). The two being among those names shows the level of talent the Gophers will get when they arrive on campus.
While the Gophers have had success in recent years attracting elite talent from outside the state, Minnesota will be a hot bed of high-level women’s hockey talent for the foreseeable future. The commitments of Sutch an Schlieman show the team still has a strong foothold in the State of Hockey.
