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2017 Ms. Hockey finalists revealed

By Kassondra Burtis, SportsEngine, 02/16/17, 10:45AM CST

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Click to see the five players who made the final cut.

The five finalists for the 2017 Ms. Hockey award, which is presented to the top senior girls’ hockey player in Minnesota, were announced Thursday and they represent some of the state's top talent.

Forwards Naomi Rogge (Eden Prairie), Taylor Wente (Maple Grove), Grace Zumwinkle (Breck) and defenders Grace Bowlby (Edina) and Emily Brown (Blaine) were selected based on their on-ice talent, academics, community/extracurricular activities, citizenship and coachability.

The group averaged 25 goals and 21 assists this season and each player has helped her team to a top-5 ranking in the state coaches' poll. They also boast a cumulative 3.86 grade-point average and each girls is committed to a Division I program in the WCHA.

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 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 five finalists are listed below in alphabetical order and the statistics are through Feb. 1.


Grace Bowlby

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 and 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.


Emily Brown

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 on Dec. 6. She recorded multiple points in 11 regular season games.

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 blue-liner helped the 2016 U.S. Women's National U18 team win gold in the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships. She is a two-time all-state and three-time Northwest Suburban all-conference honoree.


Naomi Rogge

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 percent - the fourth best percentage in Class 2A.

The four-year letterwinner scored two goals in the third period of a 4-1 Section 2 semifinal win over Chaska/Chanhassen. A victory in the section finals would result in her third state tournament appearance.


Taylor Wente

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 (20-4-1).

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 5 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.


Grace Zumwinkle

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 5 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.

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