Photos courtesy of Breakdown Sports

Let's Play Hockey announced the 10 semifinalists for the coveted Ms. Hockey Award Friday.

The award is given to the state's most outstanding senior female high school hockey player.

The 10 semifinalists were chosen from a list of 27 nominees and voted on by a panel of high school and college coaches.

The semifinalists have combined this year for 292 goals and 229 assists for 521 points. All 10 are advancing to play Division I hockey.

The semifinalists will be narrowed down to five finalists to be announced on Feb. 18. 

The winner will be announced Feb. 27 at the annual Ms. Hockey Banquet at Inwood Oaks in Oakdale. Tickets for the banquet can be purchased by e-mailing Let's Play Hockey at bryan@letsplayhockey.com. 

The ten semifinalists are:

2021-22: 38G-23A-61PTS/Minnesota-Duluth

Danielle Burgen became the school’s all-time leader in points and assists after putting together her fourth straight 50-plus point campaign. A varsity player since her seventh grade year, the Chisago Lakes captain helped lead her team to the state tournament last year and currently has 38 goals and 61 points as the Wildcats head into section play with hopes of returning back to the coveted state tourney.

She was named to the All-State team as a sophomore and junior, and also helped lead the U.S. 18U National Team to a gold medal finish in 2020, and was a member of this year’s squad as well (tourney was cancelled due to COVID).

Burgen will continue her hockey career next season at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Coach’s comments: "Danielle is one the top players in the State. She gives us a chance to score and win every time she is on the ice. Teams have to game plan to try and stop her. Danielle plays with passion and compete, not only in games, but in practice. She is extremely skilled, physical, and has amazing vision and Hockey IQ. She is a 2-time U18 US National Team selected where she and her team won the Gold Medal in 2020. She is a natural leader, who leads by example and was named a Senior Captain by her peers, because she loves her team. She will stop at nothing to make sure we are successful on and off the ice.”

2021-22: 24G-16A-40PTS/Penn State

Christian is in her fifth year as a varsity letter winner for Elk River/Zimmerman and has been named to the all-conference team three years running and last season earned all-state honorable mention honors. With top-notch speed and a knack for scoring, she has notched more than 161 points in her career. This season she has 24 goals and eclipsed 100 career goals for her career.

Christian will continue her hockey career next year at Penn State University. 

Coach’s Comments: “Maddy is a fierce competitor that pushes herself to be her best everyday. She is a fast, fun, and dynamic player that I feel is one of the top forwards in the state. She brings those same traits to everything she does; whether in National Honor Society, her Schoolwork, Lacrosse (Varsity lacrosse player too), and/or relationships. Family is very important to Maddy. She is an all around great person who cares about everyone, while still pushing herself and others. She makes people around her better on and off the ice.”

2021-22: 53G-21A-74PTS/Wisconsin

No Class AA player in the state has been able to find the back of the net more than Lakeville South’s Claire Enright.  She leads all AA players with 53 goals and has led the Cougars to a 24-2 record as they enter the section semifinals. In fact, she has had eight hat tricks this season and recently eclipsed 200 points for her career  with has 127 goals and 80 assists to her credit. A “complete” player who works both ends of the ice, Enright was a member of the U.S. Womens U18 National team and will continue her playing career at the University of Wisconsin. 

Coach’s Comments: "As a veteran coach, I have had the pleasure of watching every past Ms. Hockey winner play over the years. Claire Enright is among the higher echelon of all of the players who have ever received this award in the past. The single word that describes Claire is “Dynamic”. She has the ability to take over games with her speed, quickness and offensive abilities. Her skating is virtually flawless. However, her work ethic and competitiveness make her one of the best defensive players I have ever coached."

2021-22: 15G-14A-29PTS/Minnesota

Allie Franco has been a varsity hockey player at Hill-Murray for four years. In those four years she has averaged almost 40 points a season playing two positions against one of the toughest schedules any team plays in the state. In those four years she has earned all-conference in all four, and has also earned all-state honorable mention honors. She will continue her playing career next season at the University of Minnesota.

Coach’s Comments: “Allie has been an impact player every year since she joined the Hill-Murray varsity team as a 9th grader. Her versatility can be seen as she plays both forward and defense at an elite level. The team’s success is directly correlated to Allie’s influence on and off the ice as her leadership shines through as one of our captains.”

2021-22: 32G-18A-50PTS/Ohio State

A 5-year letter winner for the Trojans, Sloane Matthews has been an all-conference pick in each of those five seasons. She has been an all-state honorable mention selection the past two seasons and is a two-time team captain. Matthews has also excelled on the national stage participating in the U.S. National Tournament where they finished second in 2021. She eclipsed the 100-goal mark for her career this season and should surpass 200 points (108-85-193).

Matthews will continue her hockey career at Ohio State University. 

Coach’s Comments: "Sloane is an extremely fast and skilled player that has a natural goal scoring gift. As her coach, I know I can always rely on Sloane in big game situations, which is something that I believe makes her even more special, amongst the other top players in the state. It is so common these days to see a talented player thrive in an easy preseason game, where they have the time and space to showcase their skill. But the best players always play their best games in the high-pressure situations when they know it’s their job to lead their team to a victory. This is something Sloane has done time and time again."

2021-22: 11G-13A-24PTS/Ohio State

Emma Peschel is one of two defensemen to crack the top 10 in the hunt for Ms. Hockey. A gifted skater with a heavy shot and great vision, Peschel has all the tools to excel at the next level. The captain of the Red Knights, she is a force on both ends of the ice. She can defend and create. She was a roster selection for the 2022 USA 18U National team and will continue her hockey career next season at Ohio State University. 

Coach’s Comments: "Emma Peschel has developed into a high-level hockey player who is reliable on both ends of the ice. She is a dynamic skater who is shifty and explosive, and her shot is far beyond that of the average high school girls hockey player. This combined with her elite hockey skills and how she sees the ice makes her an exceptional player. Emma is a player that gets put on the ice in every situation. She skates our team out of tough situations and often makes the tough first pass that beats the opponent’s systems."

2021-22: 13G-30A-43PTS/Wisconisn

Vivian Jungels has accomplished about all there is to accomplish on the ice. And she’s done it twice. She is a two-time state tournament winner, a two-time all-state tournament team player, and a two-time all-state selection. This year she could make it three in each category. The shifty defenseman has an astounding 172 points as a defenseman (school record for a D) and just notched her 50th career goal. Jungels will continue her playing career at the University of Wisconsin. 

Coach’s Comments: "Vivian Jungels is hands down one of the best all-around players in the State and in my opinion, she is definitely the best defenseman in the State. Vivian is the type of player that every team wishes they could have on their team. Her ability to score goals, stop any player on a 1v1, block a huge shot, make an unbelievable pass and be just a phenomenal player overall comes very natural to Vivian. Ever since Vivian was about 12 years old, she was already being sought after by colleges all around the Country - that is how special of a player she is."

2021-22: 34G-16A-50PTS/Minnesota

Kaiser has been a driving force for Holy Family this season as  a top-5 team in the state heading into playoffs.  Tough and intense, Kaiser has been a leader for the Fire since she joined the program. She won a state title with Andover in 2020 and brings valuable big game experience to Holy Family. This year she has netted 34 goals to lead the team as they enter a tough section. A member of the U.S. Womens U18 National team, Kaiser will be a Golden Gopher next season at the University of Minnesota. 

Coach’s Comments: "Maddie has been a leader since she set foot in our program.. Her intensity and pride that she takes on the ice whether it be in practice or a game is unmatched. Her point total could be much higher, but we run 3 lines and play one of the tougher schedules in the state and I don’t play my top players in the third of blowout games. She has been the focus of every team we play and continues to dominate the top teams."

2021-22: 37G-38A-75PTS/Sacred Heart

Ilya Ryskamp has been the best player for Orono not just this season, but for the past four. The four-time Team MVP was an all-state selection last year and has helped lead Orono to the No. 2 spot in the rankings as they head into section play. She recently recorded her 100th goal and 100th assist to eclipse 200 points in her storied career. She is also the all-time school leader in points and assists. Her goal-to-assist ratio shows she is a  legitimate scorer and playmaker. She has notched 37 goals and 38 assists so far this season and has 106 goals and 105 assists in her career. She will continue her hockey career at Sacred Heart University. 

Coach’s Comments: "Iyla Ryskamp is what girl’s high school hockey is all about. She is a true leader on and off the ice. Iyla plays a full 200 foot game. She has been the best player on the team since she was a freshman. She is the best player on the ice for both teams most nights. What makes her special is a her speed and she is always around the puck. Her career stats speak volumes of the balance in her game. She makes players around her better but she also has a knack around the net."

2021-22: 37G-31A-68PTS/Minnesota State

Whitney Tuttle came on the scene in the Rosemount program and made an immediate impact. She hasn’t slowed down since. She was all-conference four years in a row, Team MVP four years in a row and recently eclipsed 200 career points. She has 36 goals and 30 assists this season to lead Rosemount into the section playoffs.  Tuttle will continue her playing career at Minnesota State. 

Coach’s Comments: "Whitney has been a pillar in turning Rosemount into a competitor since she was in 7th grade. Her leadership on and off the ice is what coaches dream of. She is always looking to improve her game no matter the circumstances. Mankato is lucky to have a once in a generation player like Whitney Tuttle. I couldn’t be more proud of Whitney and how much time and hard work she has put into Rosemount Hockey. She exemplifies what it means to be a great leader. Anyone who has played with Whitney will tell you she brings out the best in everyone."