skip navigation

12 Semifinalists named for LPH Senior Goalie of the Year Award

02/15/2022, 12:30pm CST
By Let's Play Hockey

Twelve girls were named to the Senior Goalie of The Year Semifinalists list.

Normally there are only 10 girls recognized, but a three-way tie in the voting by a panel of high school and college coaches added to this year's list..

The award, presented and sponsored by Let's Play Hockey, goes to the top senior goaltender in the state. The list of 12 will be narrowed to five with the winner being announced at the Ms. Hockey Banquet Feb. 27 at Inwood Oaks in Oakdale. 

Olympic gold medalist Karyn Bye-Dietz will be the keynote speaker of the awards banquet, which will be emceed by NHL/MN Wild correspondent Jessi Pierce.

The banquet begins at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased by calling Let's Play Hockey at 320-333-3279 or by emailing bryan@letsplayhockey.com.

This year's nominees for Senior Goalie of the Year Award have combined to stop 6,647 shots and have a combined 2.03 goals against average.

The 12 semifinalists are:

Player Team W-L GAA Saves Save % SO College
Kenzie Cole Grand Rapids/Greenway 17-8 1.65 551 0.924 8 Undecided
Hannah Fritz Cretin-Derham Hall 15-7-2 2 667 0.932 2 St. Olaf
Ashley Hess Elk River/Zimmerman 9-10-1 2.6 534 0.91 1 Bethel University
Jori Jones Roseville 11-5-2 1.91 429 0.925 Undecided
Abby Pajari Proctor/Hermantown 16-7-2 1.31 496 0.943 5 UW-Superior
Annika Lavender Wayzata 15-8-1 1.99 485 0.91 6 St. Michaels
Maggie Malecha Northfield 17-5-3 1.45 600 0.942 7 University of St. Thomas
Sophia Johnson Minnetonka 16-6-0 1.81 418 0.913 5 Undecided
Kendra Nordick Warroad 16-3-1 1.13 339 0.936 8 College of St. Benedict
Carly Tuman Woodbury 14-11-0 2.27 694 0.925 7 St. Olaf
Leah Bosch Hopkins/St. Louis Park 5-17-0 3.2 866 0.925 1 Undecided
Angie Lombardi Eastview 11-13-1 2.99 667 0.898 1 Lake Forest

Leah Bosch

Hopkins/Park

1114:05 MIN/5-17-0/3.20 GAA/.925 SV%

Bosch is a four-time all-conference player and a four-time Team MVP. In her career she has eclipsed 3,000 saves.  She has faced almost 1,000 shots this year alone and has a stellar .925 save percentage. She is currently undecided on her hockey future.

Coach’s Comments: "Leah has been our team MVP for 4 seasons. She will finish her career with 3,000+ career saves. More impressive is the quality chances (Grade A, Odd Number Rush, Breakaway, etc) she turns away on a nightly basis. This season is statistically her career best (and one of the top in the state) while seeing 44 shots against on average. She is a one person breakout when the puck is dumped in, connecting stretch passes to teammates in the neutral zone. Compete level is off the charts."

__________________________________________________________________

Kenzie Cole

Grand Rapids/Greenway

1240:01 MIN/17-8-0/1.65 GAA/.924 SV%

Kenzie Cole is in her fourth year of playing varsity hockey, first as a part-timer and the past two seasons as a full-timer where she earned all-conference honorable mention as a junior. She is in her second year as a team captain and has won 18 games with a 1.71 goals against average, a .923 save percentage and eight shutouts. 

She will continue playing  at a college to be determined.

Coach’s Comments: “Kenzie is a two-year captain of the GRG Lightning hockey team (as well as goalie captain of the GR soccer team)... As the emotional leader of the Lightning, Kenzie is determined to lead her team back to the section final in 2022. Kenzie has earned accolades as an uber-athletic goalie who aggressively plays and outlets the puck for the team in front of her... Her aggressive style has been noted in both her selection the U15 National Camp in 2019 and in her two years of Fall Elite League hockey. Clearly, Kenzie has saved her best hockey for her senior season.”

__________________________________________________________________

Hannah Fritz

Cretin-Derham Hall

1246:38 MIN/15-7-2/2.00 GAA/.932

Hannah Fritz has started most varsity games for  the Raiders since she was a sophomore and has been stellar throughout. She has been a member of the Midwest Elite League for three years, was a participant of the U15 National Camp, selected to the Minnesota High Performance Camp, and finished last season with a save percentage of .945. This season she has faced 773 shots and posts a .930 save percentage. She will continue her hockey career at St. Olaf.

Coach’s Comments: “Hannah is one of the best goalies in the state. She is very talented and possesses a very strong work ethic. Her attitude is very optimistic and shows up in her high level play every game and practice. She is a student of the game and the goalie position. Hannah has worked with goalie coach Nora Raty for many years to develop her game. She is constantly working at improving and getting better. She has put in the hours it demands to become a very complete player with an extremely high skill level. She makes great shooters and scorers look average because of her positioning and always being set and ready to block their shot. She has phenomenal self discipline and focus.”

________________________________________________________________

 

Ashley Hess

Elk River/Zimmerman

1038:58 MIN/9-10-1/2.60 GAA/.910 SV%

A 3-year starter and all-conference selection Hess has faced close to 2,000 shots in her career and has posted a save percentage above .900.  She routinely faces 30-plus shots a night and is the reigning Team MVP. She will continue her playing career next season at Bethel University.

Coach’s Comments: “Ashley is true competitor and a leader. It is this competitiveness that has made her the goalie that she has become. Not being the biggest of goalies, she relies on her positioning, quickness, athleticism, and competitiveness. Her skills have been recognized by others as she will be playing college hockey at Bethel in the MIAC next season. She has been named our Team MVP (Defense). Ashley gives us a chance to win every night and routinely sees roughly 30 shots a night. She is a great person who cares deeply for her family and friends. She also plays Varsity Lacrosse.”

_______________________________________________________________

Sophia Johnson

Minnetonka

1125:33 MIN/16-6-0/1.81 GAA/.913 SV%

Sophia Johnson has had to bide her time to showcase her skills. Playing as the back up to last year’s Senior Goalie of the Year  Award winner Brynn DuLac, Johnson has shown this year she is more than capable of filling those shoes. The Skippers have been a top-five team all season long and a big reason  is because of Johnson who sports a 1.91 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. She also has five shutouts. She will play an integral role as the Skippers look to get to the state tourney with  a real chance to be in the title game. Johnson is currently undecided on college, but has been in discussions with several Division 1 schools. 

Coach’s Comments: “Sophia Johnson has been the backbone of the Minnetonka Girls Hockey team this season. She is a huge reason why our team has had great success so far this season. She has kept us competitive in every game she has played. Her work ethic in practice, whether it be team drills or goalie specific work, is unmatched. She constantly asks for feedback and works on various skills even when there is down time before practice or between drills. In addition, when feedback is given, she always takes the advice and is immediately working on improving that skill. However, the numbers and the season she has had so far this year only tell a part of the story.”

_________________________________________________________________

Jori Jones

Roseville

924:27 MIN/11-5-2/1.91 GAA/.925 SV% 

Jori Jones is a 4-year varsity letter winner and an all-conference selection. She has posted a.915 career save percentage. This season has a 12-5-2 record with a 1.88 goals against average and .925 save percentage. She is undecided on her college choice.

Coach’s Comments:    “Jori covers the net well with good athleticism making it difficult for shooters. Here numbers speak to her abilities always giving us a chance to win. We play a competitive non conference schedule and see strong teams in conference which makes her a legitimate top goaltender in the state.”

_________________________________________________________________

 

Annika Lavender

Wayzata

1232:00 MIN/15-8-1/1.99 GAA/.910 SV%

Annika Lavender has been a varsity player for three years for one of the top programs in the state and this year has helped the Trojans to a top 10 ranking.  A leader on and off the ice, Lavender has put up solid numbers this season with 16 wins, 489 saves, a 1.91 goals against average and a .911 save percentage to go with seven shutouts. She will continue her playing career at Division I St. Michael’s. 

Coach’s Comments:  “I have had the pleasure of coaching Ms. Annika Lavender for the past three seasons. As a former NCAA Division I goalie, I have enjoyed the opportunity to be around elite hockey players. In order to be successful at that level, talent is required and so is resiliency and commitment to not only your position but to your team. Annika, in my humble opinion exemplifies these traits and has a solid base to continue to build upon as she transitions into her post-high school journey. As a goalie, it can be difficult to be a leader for the team. Obviously, performance of her position is very important and she has proven that she can shoulder the needs of her team during competition.”

__________________________________________________________________

Angie Lombardi

Eastview

1295:56 MIN/11-13-1/2.99 GAA/.898 SV%

Angie Lombardi is in her third varsity season, a year after leading Eastview to the coveted state tournament. In the past two seasons she has been between the pipes for every game and ha sposted respectaiuble numbers with 667 saves and a 2.99 goals against average. An all-conference selecxtion as a junior, and likely this year, Lombardi will continue her playing career at Lake Forest College. 

Coach’s Comments: Angie has been an awesome young lady to be part of our girls hockey program at Eastview High School. She was the back-up as a 10th grader and played limited minutes. The past two seasons she has played all but one period. She has been the backbone of our team the past two seasons. Her work ethic in practice is exceptional. We only have two goalies in our program this year and she is the solo goalie at varsity practices and she never takes a break. She competes in practice just like she does in games. She is receptive and engaging with our goalie coach on a daily basis and is also a leader in our locker room. Not only is she an exceptional goalie, she is just as exceptional as a young lady. She volunteers and youth hockey and softball clinics, works with disables student and is part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. There is not a player that deserves this award more than Angie for her commitment on and off the ice. She puts 100% into everything that she does.

__________________________________________________________________

Maggie Malecha

Northfield

1298:51 MIN/17-5-3/1.45 GAA/.942 SV%

Maggie Malecha will be a three-time all-conference selection and a five-time letter winner for Northfield HS. She participated in the Elite League and also was a member of the Jr. Whitecaps. She has been between the pipes for 71 games in her career and this season has led her squad to a 18-5-3 record. She has 618 saves and a 1.44 goals against average to go along with a .942 save percentage and seven shutouts She will continue her hockey career at the University of St. Thomas. 

Coach’s Comments: “Maggie is an incredibly special young woman. I cannot say enough good things about her. Maggie not only succeeds, but she excels in all facets of her life. She is an exceptional student, extremely talented goaltender and athlete, and her character and leadership traits are unmatched. Maggie brings an amount of leadership to our team and program that will be irreplaceable. Maggie has made a huge impact on her teammates, coaches, teachers, youth players and many other members of the Northfield community. I constantly have people in the community telling me about how amazing Maggie is and has been for their daughter as a youth hockey player.”

____________________________________________________________

Kendra Nordick

Warroad

1035:47 MIN/16-3-1/1.13 GAA/.936 SV%

Kendra Nordick has been a mainstay between the pipes for the Lady Warriors who have held the top spot in the LPH rankings most of the season. She is a three-year varsity letter winner in a competitive program. She is a two-time state champion at the 14U and 12U levels where she played youth hockey in North Dakota. She has played 56 games for Warroad and was an all-state recipient last season. This year she has continued her stellar play with a 16-3-1 record, 1.13 goals against average and a .936 save percentage.

Coach’s Comments: “Kendra Nordick exhibits a positive presence both on and off the ice. Kendra is always willing to help others, young and old alike. Kendra supports her peers through the respect and recognition she gives for their successes. Kendra is found modeling kindness, a disciplined work ethic, dedication to sport, and a focus on team success among her teammates. Her teammates enjoy her fun-loving, generous personality. Kendra is known for bringing smiles into many conversations. Her determination and humble demeanor is notable.”

__________________________________________________________________

Abby Pajari

Proctor/Hermantown

1169:00 MIN/16-7-2/1.31 GAA/.943 SV%

Abby Pajari knows what it’s like to be on top having raised her arms in championship fashion last season when Proctor/Hermantown defeated Gentry Academy for the Class A title. In doing so she also set a single-season record for goals against average (.920), save percentage (.954), shutouts (8) and minutes played (1,169:00). she also holds the school record for career wins and shutouts. This season she is 16-7-1 with five shutouts, a 1.31 goals against average and .944 save percentage. 

She will continue her hockey career at UW-Superior.

Coach’s Comments:  “Abby is a very special player who brings an extremely competitive edge every day. She has earned her stripes over the last three seasons with the Mirage HS program breaking almost all of our program records for goalies. She is just over 5 feet tall, but plays so much bigger than she is and demands the crease. She is also a Type 1 Diabetic, so she doesn’t have the luxury to just show up and play everyday. She has extra responsibility to make sure that her health and blood sugar levels are in the range she needs them to be in to perform, which is very difficult and adds more stress to her preparation.”

__________________________________________________________________

 

Carley Tuman

Woodbury

1258:00 MIN/14-11-0/2.27 GAA/.925 SV%

Tuman is in her second year as the full-time starter for Woodbury. She is also a captain and was the team’s MVP in 2021. She reached 1,000 career saves midway through the 2021-22 campaign and has averaged 40 shots per game while holding on to a .930 save percentage. Her 13 wins this season are the most in school history.

She will continue her hockey career next season at St. Olaf.

Coach’s Comments: “Carley is the best goalie a team could ask for. She’s the hardest worker on and off the ice and the most dedicated person you will every meet. She is the reason we win games- we get out shot almost every game but she keeps us in it. Woodbury has also had 4 different head coaches in all 4 of her high school seasons and she is a large reason the program has not fallen apart. She has broken multiple records and lead to team to breaking the all time school record in wins, save percentage, and goals against. She is truly the heart and soul of our program but has gone unnoticed because of all the transition in the program. She deserves to be recognized for all her hard work and skill.”

__________________________________________________________________

Tag(s): State Of Hockey  LPH Senior Goalie  Bryan Zollman