sailor. mnsun. com Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 9
MINNETONKA SKIPPERS GIRLS HOCKEY
Lake Conference Hockey
Motivation is reclaiming state tournament berth
JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com
Shock waves passed through Minnetonka the morning after the Section 2AA hockey championship game last winter.
The Minnetonka girls, ranked No. in state for most of the season, were upset 2-1 by Holy Family Catholic. The loss snapped a long streak for section titles for the Minnetonka girls and head coach Tracy Cassano.
Now, early in a new season, the Skippers’ goal is clear – a return to state.
The first game of 2025- 26 gave Minnetonka fans a taste of their team’ s potential. The Skippers scored eight goals in the first period and eight more in the second on the way to an 18-0 shutout of Elk River.
“ There were some firsttime goal scorers,” senior captain Alli Ryan said.“ That’ s always fun.”
Early in the season, Ryan and the other two Minnetonka captains, juniors Annika Eggert and Jemma McAlexander, talked about the experience of going to state in 2022 and 2023.
“ State is an experience you never forget,” Ryan said.
“ The lights are bright and the organizers of the state tournament do a great job of making it a special experience for every girl,” Eggert said.
Part of the fun is the recognition that comes when every player is introduced on television before the first-round games.
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)
Minnetonka’ s girls hockey captains are, from left to right: Annika Eggert, Alli Ryan and Jemma McAlexander.
To play in the state tournament is the ultimate experience, to be sure. But what does it take to get there?
“ The Lake Conference comes first,” McAlexander said.“ The big game in the section is always Holy Family Catholic.”
During the Lake Conference schedule, Edina is Minnetonka’ s biggest rival. The Skippers made it through their Lake games unscathed last season with a 9-0-0 record last season. Two of Minnetonka’ s victories were over Edina, the team that took second place with a 7-2-0 mark. Edina won the Section 6AA title and went on to play Hill-Murray in the state finals with Hill-Murray winning 5-4 in a double-overtime game.
“ Edina is always a rivalry game,” Ryan observed.“ You definitely feel butterflies.”
“ When we play Edina there are always familiar faces – girls we have played with and against for years,” Eggert noted.“ Those games are nerve-racking.” There is a new component in Lake Conference hockey this season with perennial state power Maple Grove joining the fun.“ Maple Grove just adds to the competitive level,” Ryan said.“ I love playing in the Lake Conference.”
“ We want to set the tone early in the season,” Eggert said.
As they are setting the tone, the Skippers are younger than usual this season. Last season’ s senior class might have been the best in school history, led by the goaltending of Team USA international star Layla Hemp and her goalie alternate, Ashlyn Hazlett. Both are graduated, leaving former understudy Ty Jabs in charge of the net.
In addition to replacing the goalies, Minnetonka must find more scoring to replace last year’ s senior leaders – Forwards Ruby Rauk, Lauren Mack, Senja Leeper and defenseman Bella Finnegan.
Rauk was last season’ s point leader with 41 on 23 goals and 18 assists. Close behind were Mack( 13- 25-38) and Leeper( 22-15- 37). From the blue line, Finnegan contributed 32 points on 12 goals and 20 assists. Another graduate, Ellie Zakrajsheck, had 29 points on 16 goals and 13 assists.
The top returning varsity
MEET THE
Skippers
1 – Junior goalie Ty Jabs 4 – Sophomore defenseman Isabella Sterns 6 – Sophomore forward Lauren Loewe 7 – Junior defenseman Emerson Grinsteinner 8 – Sophomore forward Claire Sommerfeld 10 – Ninth-grade forward Lainey Lindsay 11- Junior defenseman Annika Eggert 12 – Junior defenseman Jemma McAlexander 14 – Sophomore forward Kennedy Hochbaum 19 – Ninth-grade forward Ava Moe 21 – Ninth-grade defenseman Kyla Engstrom 22 – Junior forward Delaney Miller 23 – Ninth-grade forward Carmen Benedict 24 – Senior forward Alli Ryan 25 – Sophomore defenseman Brooke Kapeller 26 – Senior defenseman Claire Jelinek 29 – Senior forward Avery Degel 31 – Sophomore goalie Sydney Petersen 35 – Ninth-grade goalie Poppy Carlson 36 – Sophomore defenseman Kennedy Keepman 38 – Sophomore forward Barrett Carroll 39 – Ninth-grade forward Caroline Keepman
scorer, Claire Sommerfeld, burst onto the scene last winter with 35 points on 20 goals and 15 assists as a ninth-grader. Others with potential to join the high-scoring contingent are junior Delaney Miller who went 10-15- 25 last season and ninthgrader Lainey Lindsay, who debuted with 9-16-25. Senior defenseman Claire Jelinek showed her playmaking in last season with 19 assists.
Miller had a magnificent first game of the season with four goals and one assist in the win over Elk River. Lindsay and another ninth-grader Carmen
Benedict each had two goals and two assists that night. Ninth-grade transfer Ava Moe, who came over from Eden Prairie, got off to a great start with one goal and four assists.
Minnetonka’ s 24-3-1 record last year was one of the best marks in recent years. The Skippers could have a similar mark this year with a younger team. But more important than the overall record is the quest for success in the playoffs. Chances are the Section 2AA Tournament will again come down to Minnetonka and Holy Family Catholic at the end.