From skaters looking to help their programs claim their first state titles, to defending champions with the experience to run it back at Grand Casino Arena, meet 12 girls hockey players who could play key roles for their teams at this week’s state tournaments.

This list is an addition to our 2025-26 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota girls hockey team. Between the Class 1A and 2A tournaments, 15 of this year’s 25 All-Minnesota players will also be represented at Grand Casino Arena.

Here are the tournament brackets: Class 2A and Class 1A.

Players are listed in alphabetical order:

Addy Cowan

Holy Family senior forward

Cowan, a Dartmouth commit, hustles to change the game in every zone for the Fire. She is a threat on the power play, as six of Cowan’s 12 goals have come with a skater advantage, and she has added 24 assists for Holy Family. She recorded a goal and an assist in Holy Family’s 5-4 double-overtime victory over Minnetonka in the section final.

Elliana Engelhardt

Hill-Murray junior forward

An integral part of the Pioneers’ 2025 state championship team, Engelhardt brings size and creativity to her line alongside juniors Emily Pohl and Jaycee Chatleain. The Minnesota State Mankato commit teed up the opening goal of the Pioneers’ 5-1 section title game win over Woodbury with a sneaky, no-look, drop-back pass to Chatleain.

Jaylie French

Warroad junior forward

French leads the Warriors in scoring for the third consecutive year, with the Dartmouth-bound junior putting up 18 goals and 33 assists. French scored twice in top-seeded Warroad’s 3-1 regular-season win over No. 2 Breck and could be called upon again to dispatch the Mustangs in a potential championship game matchup.

Jenna Goblirsch

Farmington sophomore forward

As a freshman, Goblirsch had 41 points to help the Tigers reach the state quarterfinals, and she’s leading Farmington again this season with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) to help the team book its return ticket and improve upon last year’s No. 8 seed.

Clairebella Hills

Andover senior goaltender

For the Huskies — itching for an upset but state-experienced — good showings from Hills will be key. The St. Benedict-bound goalie has shown she’s up to the task, with three consecutive shutouts through the section playoffs, including a 27-save, 3-0 shutout against Duluth in the Section 7 semifinals.

Millie Knott

Bemidji junior defender

Knott’s empty-netter with just under 90 seconds to play turned out to be the cushion the Lumberjacks needed to hold off a late comeback bid from Moorhead in a 4-3 victory in the Class 2A, Section 8 title game. Clutch isn’t uncommon for Knott, a tough defender who is second on the team in scoring with 18 goals and 35 assists.

Cate McCoy

Edina senior forward

Yet another Minnesotan who will play for the Big Green, the Dartmouth-bound McCoy often comes up clutch for the Hornets. She had the early game-winner in the 1-0 victory over Benilde-St. Margaret’s that booked Edina’s 12th consecutive trip to state. McCoy led the Hornets with five goals in last year’s state tournament, in which they were runners-up.

Clara Milinkovich

Breck freshman goaltender

Milinkovich has the stats of a seasoned vet in the Mustangs’ net. Of goaltenders who played at least 1,000 minutes this season, Milinkovich led the state in save percentage (.968) and goals-against average (0.71).

And that’s through a schedule that has already tested Breck against other Class 1A contenders like Dodge County, Warroad, Blake and Proctor/Hermantown, with the Mustangs going 5-1-1 against other teams in this year’s the tournament field.

Laina Peterson

Mankato East sophomore forward

If the Cougars want to upset No. 3 Blake, look for Peterson to put a couple in the Bears’ net. Peterson somehow topped her team-high 32 goals she scored for the state-bound Cougars soccer team this past fall with 36 goals and 23 assists on the ice this winter, making a dangerous combo with sophomore forward Ella Fugazzi.

Mia Sutch

Centennial/Spring Lake Park sophomore forward

Sutch will be a name to follow for the next couple of seasons, but she has already undoubtedly made her mark for Centennial/Spring Lake Park, which is seeking its first state title. Sutch topped her 51-point freshman season with a team-high 56 points (24 goals, 32 assists) this campaign.

Ellie Van Batavia

Luverne sophomore forward

Van Batavia’s 42 goals are the second most of any player in either tournament field, behind only Bemidji junior forward Bailey Rupp. Van Batavia also has 25 assists for the Cardinals, who will try to shock Warroad in the quarterfinals.

Alexa Van Straaten

Dodge County senior defender

If the Wildcats want to repeat as state champions, they will have to slow a few high-scoring Class 1A foes. Van Straaten, who will play for Assumption next year, is an All-State-caliber leader on the Wildcats’ blue line — not to mention their second-leading scorer with 14 goals and 23 assists.