2022-23 Class AA Preview

Over Andover Again

The defending state champs are the favorites to win it all

As October comes to a close, girls high school hockey tryouts are underway. And in preparation for the upcoming 2022-23 season, we’ve picked out our top ten teams for Class AA, along with the players we expect to make a heavy impact this year.

(Click here for our Class A preview )
Click on the team name to go to each team's Janjet Page.

1. Andover Huskies

Andover forward Isa Goettl had 28 goals as a junior. 

It’s no surprise that we have Andover at our number one spot. Last season’s Class AA state champions finished with a perfect record of 30-0-0. With seven Division I commits in their 2023 and 2024 classes and more on the way, the Huskies will be dominant once again.

The Huskies have goaltender Courtney Stagman (Saint Anselm College commit), who played in all but three games last season. Stagman was one of the biggest keys to the Huskies’ success, as her .944 save percentage was third best in the state.

The Huskies also have explosive players such as senior Ella Boerger who led the Huskies with 31 goals and 74 points last season. Senior Madison Brown was next with 25 goals and 61 points. Both players are University of St. Thomas commits.

Another key player for Andover is Isa Goettl (University of Minnesota) who had 28 goals and 56 points, including five points in the state tournament.

With other standout players such as Nora Sauer (University of St. Thomas), Hannah Christianson, and Courtney Little, the Huskies will be very tough to beat once again.

2. Minnetonka Skippers

Minnetonka's Grace Sadura and Holy Family goaltender Sedona Blair will continue their rivalry in Section 2AA.  Photo by Leslie Johnson

Minnetonka finished second to Andover last season, losing 5-4 in a championship game thriller. The Skippers will be extremely tough again this year.

The Skippers have senior captain Grace Sadura (UMD) who led the team in goals with 23 (three of which came in the state tournament).

A quartet of future Gophers help make the Skippers the favorites in Section 2AA. Seniors Ava Lindsay and Elly Klepinger, along with fellow teammates Josie Hemp and Kendra Distad, give the Skippers a high powered offensive attack. Lindsay had a total of 57 points last season, while Hemp had 38, Distad 34 and Klepinger 29.

The Skippers also have Molly Ryan (35 points), and Ruby Rauk (20 points). Lindzi Avar (Cornell) had a solid 22 points as a junior, and I expect her to be a powerhouse this year.

3. Holy Family Fire

Holy Family's Sedona Blair had a 1.54 GAA as a junior. 

The Fire, who had a total of nine seniors last season (most of whom are playing college hockey at the D1 or D3 level), will again be a top five team.

Though the Fire will have to beat Minnetonka in order to make it to the state tournament, there is no doubt they will be a top team in the state once again. The Fire has five seniors who will be playing Division I hockey next winter.

Senior goaltender Sedona Blair (.941 SV%) is a New Hampshire commit and is one of the top goalies in the state.

Grayson Limke (23 points), Olivia Paidosh (16), Taylor Koeppl (15) and Maddy Helmstetter (14) lead a balanced scoring attack. These seniors will no doubt be the backbone of Holy Family’s success this year.

While the Fire has quite an impressive senior class, I am expecting the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to be impressive as well under the leadership of head coach Randy Koeppl.

4. Gentry Academy Stars

Last year (only their second year in MSHSL), the Stars made it to the state tournament yet again, this time as a AA team. With a very large senior class, this team is no doubt a top five team for me.

With multiple Division I commits, the Stars are going to be a force to reckon with.

The Stars are led by Cara Sajavec (St. Thomas), who has 116 career points (71 of those last year). Sajavec is one of the top goal scorers in the state and had 47 goals last year.

Other key players for Gentry are St. Cloud State commit Alexa Hanrahan (42 points) and Rachel Agerter (31 points).

JuliAnna and Jenessa Gazdik are both outstanding on defense and are both headed to Minnesota State next year. JuliAnna had 38 points and Jenessa had 29 points. Jenessa was one of seven Minnesotans on the Team USA U18 National team.

The Stars only lost two seniors from last year, and having so many returners makes Gentry a favorite to return to state.

5. Stillwater Ponies

Stillwater's Josie St. Martin scored 27 goals as a sophomore. 

Stillwater is my darkhorse pick (no pun intended) for the top five, coming off an inconsistent 13-11-1 season. The Ponies are led by Josie St. Martin (27-19–46), a skilled junior who was one of the youngest players on Team USA’s U18 Team. The 2024 Ohio State commit is no doubt going to make a huge impact.

The Ponies also have junior defender Josie Lang (Providence) who had 26 points from the blueline, as well as Addy Finn (Boston University) who had 23 points and was second on the team with 14 goals.

Senior forward Myah Krueger is back after a 30-point junior year, and Lily Timmons (.900 SV%) is an experienced goaltender.

New coach Annie Cashman inherits a talented squad that will be a contender in an extremely competitive Section 4AA.

6. Maple Grove Crimson

The Maple Grove Crimson have a high powered offense that will be difficult to stop.  Photo by Rich Moll Photography

Penn State commit Stella Retrum (35-26–61) and Mankato State commit Bella Shipley (14-35–49) are back; Dani Strom (.939 SV%) is in goal. The Crimson are poised for a banner year.

The Consolation runners-up are poised to make an impact this year. Last season they beat teams such as Blake and Gentry, and lost just 2-1 to the Andover Huskies when they met in January.

Dani Strom (St. Thomas) was one of three goalies in the country to be invited to the 2022 U.S. Under-18 Women's Select Team, however, she was unable to make it to the series against Canada. Strom, Retrum and Shipley make Maple Grove a very talented team to keep an eye on this year.

7. Edina Hornets

Edina's Hannah Halverson is the Hornets' top returning goal scorer.  Photo by Arnie Hamel

With Uma Corniea (.961 SV%) back in goal, and Hannah Halverson (21-20–41) up front, the Hornets will be formidable as usual. Halverson announced her commitment to the University of Wisconsin earlier this October, and the Badgers are getting a very skilled and intelligent player,

The Hornets, coached by Sami Cowger, had a 27-3-0 season, finishing 3rd at the state tournament, and will be hungry for more this year. I expect the Hornets to do well with a difficult schedule, as they play Andover in their first game, then a very skilled Duluth Marshall team. I expect the Hornets to make it to the state tournament yet again this spring.

8. Hill-Murray Pioneers

Sniper Chloe Boreen (30-22–52) and defender Ellah Hause, who is another St. Thomas commit (11-18–29), make the Pioneers a contender in Section 4AA. Dartmouth commit Grace Zahn (.908 SV%) is stellar in goal.

The Pioneers will be a phenomenal team who will be tested early this season, starting the season off playing Stillwater, Edina and Minnetonka. This team is sure to be a head-turner this winter.

9. Lakeville North Panthers

Gracie Hanson (22-26–48) and Abby Wagenbach (11-29–40) will lead a potent offense. Burnsville transfers Addie Bowlby (Sacred Heart University) and Addie Oettinger are key additions. Bowlby had 35 points last season as a sophomore, and Oettinger (.907 SV%) brings state tournament experience in goal.

The Panthers will be an exciting team to watch as we will see the returning talent mesh with some new talent. There are many potential Division I prospects on this team. Addie Bowlby committed to Sacred Heart University earlier this week (her sister Sami Bowlby is a freshman at Quinnipiac). The Panthers should be an exceptional team this year.

10. Rogers Royals

Rogers goaltender Lauren Larson had a 1.30 GAA as a junior. 

The Royals have most of their key weapons back and look deep. Seniors Lauren Larson and Alexa Backmann make up the top goalie rotation in the state. McKenna Sandberg (19-23–42) leads the offense. Avery Achterkirch (Bemidji State) had 31 points as a sophomore.

The Royals, with a record of 20-5-2 last season, are bound to be an electric team this year. In goal, Larson and Backmann are both very sharp goalies who will keep the Royals in every game. It may come down to Rogers and Maple Grove for the Section 5AA title.

The next 10:

11. Centennial/SLP
12. Grand Rapids/Greenway
13. Blake
14. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
15. Elk River/Zimmerman
16. Moorhead
17. Wayzata
18. Apple Valley
19. Lakeville South
20. Blaine