10 players to watch at the girls hockey state tournament in St. Paul

As state hockey quarterfinals kick off Wednesday, here are 10 players to keep an eye on at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul — from All-Minnesota honorees to future Division I stars.

Dodge County, senior goaltender

The future Long Island University netminder tops the state in fewest goals conceded per game (0.83) and save percentage (95.8%). A varsity starter since eighth grade, Huber has helped the Wildcats to back-to-back appearances at Xcel.

Marshall, sophomore forward

Mauch leads the state tournament field in scoring and total points, with 47 goals and 35 assists this season. The sophomore forward scored twice in a 5-2 Section 3 title win over Luverne, sending the Tigers to state for the first time since 2018.

Holy Family, junior defender

Sander, a junior, is a Gophers commit with 11 goals and 17 assists from the Holy Family blue line. The Fire have conceded an average of 1.32 goals per game and held then-No. 1 Minnetonka to one goal in the Class 2A, Section 2 championship.

Orono, senior forward

Before she plays at Minnesota State Mankato, Lopez will finish her fifth season as a Spartans starter with a second consecutive trip to state. Her 49 points (32 goals, 17 assists) lead Orono for the third season in a row.

Edina, junior forward

The junior Penn State commit has a team-high 38 points for the Hornets, the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A bracket. The defending state champs return both goal scorers — Nelson and Whitney Horton — from their 2-0 win over Hill-Murray in the 2024 title game.

Andover, senior defender

The Huskies' second- and fourth-highest point totals come from the blue line, thanks to Wisconsin commit Jones (34) and St. Thomas commit Courtney Little (29). Jones has been a steady presence for Andover on both sides of the puck, helping the Huskies to an undefeated 2022 state title in Class 2A.

Warroad, sophomore forward/defender

The sophomore leads the Warriors in points with 24 goals and 32 assists. She did last year, too, when the Warriors won a third consecutive state title.

Rosemount, senior forward

The future Minnesota State Mankato player scored the game-winner in the Irish’s 1-0 section final victory over Eastview, booking a third consecutive trip to state. It was the senior’s 27th goal of the season; she also has 28 assists.

Centennial/Spring Lake Park, senior forward

The senior St. Thomas commit leads the state in assists with 44. She’s also scored 26 goals for the Cougars, who received the second seed in the Class 2A field.

River Lakes, senior forward

Hess, a senior and future University of Wisconsin-River Falls skater, has 52 points this season (35 goals, 17 assists), double the next closest teammate for the Stars, seeded No. 8 in Class 1A.

See the full state tournament schedule here.