The season is still young, but it’s not too early (and certainly not Way Too Early) to detect a few trends.
For Hill-Murray, senior forward Nina Steigauf has emerged as an offensive force, scoring three goals and adding four assists through four games (three of them victories). No surprise there, given that Steigauf, who has committed to Quinnipiac, was the Pioneers’ second-leading scorer last season with 26 goals and 49 points.
Even more encouraging for Hill-Murray, which won Class 2A state championships in 2014 and 2015, has been the emergence of sophomore Olivia Boyer as a clutch performer. How clutch? Boyer, a varsity newcomer, has two goals this season, both of them game-winners in one-goal triumphs (3-2 over Holy Family Catholic on Nov. 12 and 2-1 over Mounds View on Nov. 14).
The Pioneers (3-1-0, 0-0-0) will need their full complement of assets — Steigauf’s consistent scoring, Boyer’s flair for the dramatic and senior Rachel Kennedy’s superb goaltending — to take on two-time defending Class 1A state champion Breck in our Top Game of the Week.
The Mustangs (3-1-0, 0-0-0) return their top four scorers from last season, and feature a stunning six NCAA Division I commits, including defender Emily Zumwinkle, a Minnesota commit, and last season’s leading scorer Olivia Mobley, a forward committed to Quinnipiac. As of Sunday, Mobley was tied for second in the state in scoring with 13 points (eight goals and five assists).
This matchup of longtime metro powers has become something of a pre-Thanksgiving tradition. Breck won last year’s early season meeting 4-2; Hill-Murray triumphed 6-2 in a late-November matchup two seasons ago.