Girls Hockey: 2021-22 Southeast Minnesota Team-Specific Views

Head coach: Tom Aney

Assistant coaches: James Luke, Lucas Hughes

Last season: 7-11-0, lost to Northfield 4-0 in the 1stAA quarterfinals

Key returnees: F Kailey Birkestrand (9-514); F Grace Oyen (2-79); D Collette Barry (4-59); G Help Conners (7-11-0, 3.74 GAA, 0.898 percent savings, 1 lock).

Outlook: The Panthers will return six of their top seven scorers and their starting goalkeeper as they want to improve on their 7-11-0 mark a year ago. They are led by a junior class that has accumulated a lot of ice time in the last two seasons. Now those players are upper class and have gone through the battles of the Big Nine conference season twice. Conners once again defend the Panthers after scoring 3.74 goals against the average and a strong 0.898 rebound a year ago. Barry and Ella Tomminello anchor a defense team that has some depth but little experience in college. Along with them at the back are Alix Gary, Klaus Gilbertson, Nina Luke and Paige Groslie, among others. C / JM have a strong team of veteran strikers to share the goal. The group is led by Birkestrand, Oyen, Megan Gamble, Daelyn Williams, Annika Torbenson and Zoey Manzardo.

Coach Aney says: The big thing is that we have this huge class that has got a ton of ice time as freshmen and last year as 10th graders they started stepping out. Now they’re all juniors and now they’re upper class and they’re starting to see (they) a little more experienced, bigger and stronger, and you’ll notice that. So be bigger and stronger than we have been. Because they have had so much ice time as a freshman and sophomore, they really understand our system and work hard. They were excited to move into those upper class roles.

Head coach: Mike McCormack

Assistant coaches: Nicole Root, Brad Berge

Last seasonThe overall score is 4-5-0

Key returneesA: So. G Alivia Haakenson; Fr. G Grace Kober; Sr. F Elizabeth Arendt; Sr. F / D Milla Sadowy; So. F Cassidy Arendt; So. F Claire Siems.

Outlook: The COVID-19 pandemic paid its toll on the Spartans last season, limiting them to just nine matches and ending the season just days before some of the playoffs began. This year, Mayo will return a relatively young team, but with solid experience at the university. Mayon anchors goalkeepers Alivia Haakenson, a sophomore, and Grace Kober, a freshman. The duo shared their net time last season and showed very good numbers. This is not a bad problem. From a coach’s perspective, it’s really in their control, coach Mike McCormack said. We use the combination until one goalkeeper separates himself with a steadily strong game. Mayo has only three seniors, but all are important players, striker Elizabeth Arendt and strikers / defenders Milla Sadowy and Abbi Jacobson. Jadyn Lester, Sydney Albrecht, Elle Roth are the defenders expected to join Sadowy’s blue line. It will take some time to find players to fill the roles of graduating veterans Devynn Priest, Luella Bianco and Maggie Augeson. Newcomers Katie Cumming and Layla Rippentrop have college experience and are strong additions to the team. Sophia Sather, Ariyah McKibben, Hailey Gurtner, and Fiona Nickelson have moved up from youth hockey and made good progress in understanding the more complex systems of high school hockey.

Coach McCormack says: These three (Priest, Bianco, Augeson) had a total of 14 years of university experience, so it will take time to fulfill their role. We are very young, only three seniors and three juniors. The three seniors are all leaders, whether on the ice or in the locker room. We have a big second year class and if they progress according to their talents, we have a good season. We want to build a base wide, and we’re not dependent on one or two players to carry the team.

Head coach: Troy Holtz

Assistant Coach: Kendra Maxfield

Last season: 8-10-1, lost to Rochester Lourdes 4-2 in the semifinals of Part 1A

Key returnees: Sr. F Kate Holtz (22 – 1032); Sr. F Izzy Hermann (5-813); Sr. F Megan Schultz (2-810); Jr. F Sarah Wangen (4-1216); Sr. D Samantha Krueger (plus-24 plus / minus).

Outlook: Austins strength is its depth. Coach Holtz said the Packers play on three offensive lines and five defenders in almost every situation. Packers has seven seniors who have logged a lot of ice age and are expected to lead the way throughout the season. Top lineup Kate Holtz, Hermann and Wangen are among the best in the Big Nine Conference, and Krueger is one of the best defenders in Southeast Minnesota. Kiah Radford-Garcia, a sophomore with some college experience, will step in as goalkeeper after Shelby Davidson graduates.

Coach Holtz says: We want to continue to improve the coverage of our defense zones. With the new goalkeeper, we want to try to keep the shots down. We’re also running a few new opening games to give us more opportunities after the draw.

Head coach: Jeremy Gunderson

Assistant coaches: Joseph Wieners, Dana Rasmussen, Emily Gunderson, Nicole Schammel, Hollywood Hermanson, Molly Shelton, Dustin Stevens, Tait Carlson.

Last season: 10-9-0, lost to Owaton 2-0 in the 1stAA quarterfinals

Key returnees: Sr. F Lyndi Schubert (9-817); Sr. F Halle Determan (5-510); Sr. F Natalie Ahern (6-410).

Outlook: The Wildcats have a strong leadership of six seniors on the list, but it also has a good mix of veterans and talented young players. They are led by Schubert, Determan and Ahern’s adult lineup, the team’s top three returning goal scorers. They also expect points from the youthful second line, featuring freshmen Mollie Koch, Nora Carstensen and seventh-grader Maysie Koch, who have provided offensive pop in the early races of the season. Young Abby Zeitler, senior McKenzie Horton and eighth-grader Zoe Heimer form the third row of the team. There is plenty of competition since then, with 40 players on the Wildcats list. Freshman Ida Huber takes on the completed Sky Hughes. Huber moved from Lourdes after the breakup of its program. Abby Simons and Emily Anderson will lead the defense force, and Greta Petree, Mady Krause, Kylie Meyer and Kately Gursky are expected to be involved immediately.

Coach Gunderson says: We have four solid attacking lines and our defensive force is pretty solid. When Ida comes here to the finish line, it’s a great opportunity and the shell fits into just that talented (freshman) class. It’s been great (when there are so many kids outside). We try to maintain a good culture. Kids who want to be here have fun and work hard.

Head coach: Nicole Olson

Assistant coaches: Benjamin Bluhm, Brad Johnson

Last season: overall score 4-11-0, lost to Albert Leag 5-1 in Part 1A semi-finals

Key returnees: F Tatum Zylka, F Allison Roe, F Madison Snyder, F Jamie Chaska, D Allison Kruger, G Allie Meyer.

Outlook: Wingers will move from block 1A to block 4A this season and add more teams north. Coach Olson has behind him half a dozen of the best returning players to help lead and defend defensive hockey. He likes his team’s work ethic so far and its determination. Wingers is a young team that wants to develop in all areas as the season progresses.

Coach Olson says: We know the girls have been excited not to have to wear a mask under their helmets while actively on the ice. Otherwise, we just enjoy things one day at a time, we can play the game and spend time with each other.