As girls hockey section tournaments begin Feb. 4, teams will turn to their stalwart goaltenders, high-flying forwards and reliable defenders to help secure a spot in the state tournament.

Here’s a dozen players who could help their teams to the Class 1A and Class 2A state tournaments, which run from Feb. 18-21 at Grand Casino Arena.

Consider this list in addition to our 15-player preseason Dream Team and our midseason list of 18 must-watch 18 players — all of whom are likely to be major players in this year’s 16 section tournaments, too.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Jordan Bovy

St. Cloud Crush junior goaltender

Bovy averages nearly 30 saves per game for the St. Cloud-based co-operative team chasing its first state appearance. This year, having sized down into Class 1A, the Crush are the No. 1 seed in Section 6, in part thanks to Bovy’s .945 save percentage and 1.73 goals against average, even after facing several top 2A teams.

Makayla Gore

Apple Valley junior forward

A flock of Eagles have filled the gap left by the graduation of Apple Valley’s leading scorer for the last six seasons, Makayla Moran — especially Gore, who had just eight points as a sophomore.

Now, a year later, with Apple Valley earning the No. 1 seed in Class 2A, Section 3 and looking to return to state for the first time since 2003, Gore tops the squad with 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists).

Morgan Goskeson

Albert Lea senior forward

Alongside the Austinson sisters (senior Hanna and sophomore Haley), Goskeson has led the Tigers attack with 42 goals and 11 assists, recently tallying her 200th career point.

If the Tigers want to add to their 2022 and 2023 state tournament appearances, they will want Goskeson to bury a few pucks against the reigning Class 1A state champion, Dodge County, to avenge last year’s Section 1 championship loss.

Berkley Hoff

North Shore junior forward

North Shore is another co-op that has never reached the state tournament, but Hoff’s offensive firepower gives the No. 2-seeded Storm enough wind to make a push in Class 1A’s Section 7. Hoff’s 53 regular-season points are good for top 10 in the state.

Grace Kemp

Cretin-Derham Hall senior goaltender

The Raiders might be the No. 4 seed in Class 2A’s Section 3, but Kemp — with a .953 save percentage while averaging 37.6 stops per game — could help a young Cretin-Derham Hall stay poised for an upset.

Janie McGawn

Blake senior goaltender

The Dartmouth commit’s shot stopping and leadership between the pipes could help Blake win Class 1A’s Section 4 and return to state for the first time since its 2017 title run. McGawn has eight shutouts with a 1.27 goals against average and a .950 save percentage.

Libby Moe

Edina junior defender

The Quinnipac commit can be both a disrupter and a playmaker for Hornets as they defend their Class 2A, Section 6 title — really, 11 straight years of section titles. Moe’s 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) are third on a deep Edina team that finished runner-up at state last year.

Noelle Noble

Wayzata junior defender

If the Trojans want to reach state, they will have to slow the forwards of Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Edina. Not only is Noble a consistent presence on the Wayzata blue line, but the Bemidji State commit can rip it top-shelf, too, with 17 goals, plus 20 assists.

Hannah Rychley

Hill-Murray freshman forward

The Pioneers have four forwards with over 40 points this regular season. One of those is Rychley, who played for Forest Lake last year. Rychley, with 22 goals and 21 assists, has been keeping pace with the high-scoring forwards who propelled the Pioneers to last year’s Class 2A title.

Claire Sommerfeld

Minnetonka sophomore forward

This Skippers’ forward group is young, with four of its five top scorers either in their freshman or sophomore seasons. Sommerfeld is among that pack, with a balanced 19 goals and 19 assists, as the tournament regulars hope to climb back on top of Class 2A, Section 2.

Taylor Thompson

Forest Lake senior goaltender

With six shutouts and a .944 save percentage, the Assumption commit has been a major difference maker for the Rangers. Thompson made 32 saves in a 1-0 shutout against Andover, then 38 saves in a 2-1 win over Grand Rapids/Greenway. Those regular-season wins over Class 2A, Section 7 foes helped Forest Lake lock down the section’s No. 1 seed.

Alexis Ulrich

Breck sophomore defender

Against other Class 1A, Section 5 contenders like Orono and Westonka/Southwest Christian, Breck will look for shutdown, physical performances from Ulrich, one of the state’s best young defenders. Ulrich also has eight goals and 16 assists for the Mustangs.