The 10 semifinalists nominated for the 2017 Ms. Hockey award, which is presented to the top senior girls’ hockey player in Minnesota, were announced Thursday, and the group represents some of the state's top talent.
The girls were selected based on their on-ice talent, academics, community/extracurricular activities, citizenship and coachability.
All are committed to Division I schools for next season, including seven in the WCHA. They average 22 goals and 19 assists for their respective teams this season and boast a collective 3.79 grade-point average.
The girls were selected based on their on-ice talent, academics, community/extracurricular activities, citizenship and coachability.
Five finalists will be named in the Feb. 16 edition of Let’s Play Hockey, and the winner will be announced at the Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Past winners include Minnetonka's Presley Norby (2016) and Sydney Baldwin (2014) and Edina's Taylor Williamson of Edina (2015).
To order tickets for the 2017 Ms. Hockey Awards Banquet, call Beth Kurtt at 612-306-1935.
This year’s 10 semifinalists are listed below in alphabetical order and the statistics are through Feb. 1.
School: Blaine | Position: Forward
College Committed: Bemidji State
In 23 games, Beebe has 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points. She has 12 multipoint games and ranks second on No. 4-2A Blaine in assists.
School: Edina | Position: Defense
College Committed: Wisconsin
Bowlby had eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points in 25 games played. With six multi-point games this season, she helped lead No. 1-2A Edina to a 23-1-1 record.
The two-year captain recorded points in 16 games this season and she anchored a Hornets defense that allowed just 1.04 goals per game.
Bowlby was a member of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team in 2015 and 2016 and is looking to become Edina's second Ms. Hockey winner.
School: Blaine | Position: Defense
College Committed: Minnesota
Brown had 14 goals and 26 assists (40 points) in 25 games, including a six-point (3 goals, 3 assists) effort in an 11-0 win over Totino-Grace Dec. 6. She recorded multiple points in 11 games during the regular season.
A three-year captain, Brown led the No. 4-2A Bengals to a 21-3-2 record this season and became Blaine's all-time leading scorer for defensemen.
The blueliner was a member of the 2016 U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team that won gold in the IIHF World U18 Championship. She is a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference honoree.
School: Wayzata | Position: Forward
College Committed: Penn State
In 17 games, Heising has tallied a team-high 11 goals and nine assists and leads Wayzata with 20 points. She was a member of Team USA at the International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women’s World Championship, where she earned U.S. Player of the Game honors after registering a goal and an assist in a 4-0 victory over Sweden in a preliminary-round matchup.
School: St. Paul United | Position: Forward
College Committed: Cornell
Phelps is tied for ninth in the state in assists (29) and has 23 goals for 52 points this season to lead the No. 3-1A St. Paul United in all three categories. She has scored two or more points in 16 of the 24 contests she has played and is averaging 2.17 points per game.
School: Eden Prairie | Position: Forward
College Committed: Minnesota-Duluth
Rogge led her team in goals (32), assists (22) and points (54) while helping No. 5-2A Eden Prairie to a 17-6-2 regular season record. She also had eight goals and eight assists as a member of the Eagles power-play unit.
Rogge ranked 11th in the state in goals, 47th in assists and 16th in points and played a major role on a power-play unit that converted a 32.3% of the time - the fourth best percentage in Class 2A.
The four-year letterwinner scored two goals in the third period of a 4-1 section playoff win over Chaska/Chanhassen. A win in the section finals would result in her third state tournament appearance.
School: Mound Westonka | Position: Forward
College Committed: Ohio State
Schepers is third in the state in goals (44) and second in points (66) and has 22 assists in 23 games. She also contributed on the White Hawks power play with six goals and five assists. Schepers has three or more points in 13 games this season, including a two-goal, four-assist effort against Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
School: Eastview | Position: Forward
College Committed: Connecticut
Snodgrass registered eight multipoint games this season, including a hat trick against Eagan in a 3-3 tie on Dec. 20. She leads Eastview in goals (18), assists (9) and points (27) in 22 games played.
School: Maple Grove | Position: Forward
College Committed: Minnesota
Wente ranked first in goals (24), second in assists (24) and tied for first in points (48) on No. 3-2A Maple Grove. The 20-4-1 Crimson boasted a top-three 1.08 goals against average in Class 2A and averaged 4.20 goals per game.
Wente had 14 multi-point games, including a three goal, three assist performance against Champlin Park on Dec. 3. She recorded points in all but two of her 23 regular season games and continues to fill the stat sheet in the section playoffs with two goals and three assists in two games.
As a member of Team USA in the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, she had two goals and two assists in five games.
School: Breck | Position: Forward
College Committed: Minnesota
Zumwinkle is tied for seventh in the state in goals with 38 this season, a total that includes eight on the power play. She also has 15 assists for 53 points (tied for 19th in the state) for No. 2-1A Breck.
The captain recorded nine hat tricks during the regular season and had points in all but one of her 21 games. She recorded five points in the section playoffs, including the game-winning goal in a 2-1 section semifinal win over Princeton.
As a member of Team USA at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, Zumwinkle netted a hat trick in a 6-0 victory over Russia in the semifinals and scored the game-winner and added an assist on an empty-netter in a 3-1 win over Canada in the gold-medal round. She earned U.S Player of the Game honors in both games.
The MN Girls' Hockey Hub poll is based on opinion and not used to determine who is named Ms. Hockey. The winner is selected by a panel of high school coaches and based on their consultations with several area college coaches.