Photo by Jake McNeil: Marshall Eliza Holmgren skates with the puck in the defensive zone during a women's hockey game against Fairmont on Dec. 14, 2023 at Red Baron Arena.
MARSHALL — The Marshall girls hockey team didn't make the state tournament, but they put together a memorable campaign that gave the young group more hope.
The Tigers finished third in the conference last year with a record of 12-12 overall and 9-4-1 in the Big South, and in 2023 they improved to 17-9-1 overall and 11-2-1 in the conference. Ta. -24 seasons. Winning a conference title is always an exciting experience, but this time it meant so much more. It was Marshall's first conference title since 2007. To add some perspective, 16 of the 25 players on the roster were not born in 2007.
It's difficult to have a successful season without quality senior leadership, and the Tigers had plenty of that this season. In the offensive zone, Eliza Holmgren was third on the team in goals (9) and points (17), and Lily Verkinderen was fifth on the team with 12 points. In the defensive zone, Olivia Penske anchored the Tigers' first duo of the year. Meanwhile, Paige Christianson posted a .935 save percentage in two starts.
“This year is going to be a completely different year than any I've coached in the past. They've been really dedicated. Any extra time they've had on the ice, they've grabbed it. They're just a sisterhood bond. We've never really seen this kind of intimacy. [before],” Marshall head coach Kassi Weiss said of this year’s group.
The Tigers faced a tough schedule early in the season. They dropped three of their first four games against Willmar, Fergus Falls and Hutchinson by a combined score of 7-0. After two wins against Waconia and Pine City Area, they were eliminated again earlier in the season with a 4-1 loss to the four-time reigning section champion Luverne Cardinals.
But then the Tigers flipped a switch. It started with Marshall's 1-0 win over New Ulm, a perennial area powerhouse. They came out of the gate even stronger heading into the end of 2023 and firing on all cylinders for the start of 2024.
As the new year began, the Tigers won each of their final eight games of the regular season. The victory wasn't just due to an accelerated schedule. They defeated New Ulm 3-1 and Luverne 5-2, both on the road. Marshall did not allow an opponent more than two points in the final eight games, shutting out four of them, and scored five or more points in six of the eight games.
After starting just one game last season, freshman Lily Stelter had a breakout year in goal for the Tigers. She saved 93.8% of the shots she faced from Jan. 1 to the end of the regular season, posting a .904 save percentage on the year. Four of her six shutouts came in 2024. One of her most impressive efforts came against Mankato West, where she saved 35 of 36 shots, and 21 of 23 against a Luverne team with the bases loaded.
“She’s always giving her all and focusing and is really motivated to get better.” Coach Weiss said the following about Stelter after the Section 3A championship game. “She's very young and has many years to come and I'm really excited to see what she can do.”
On the ice offensively, the dynamic underclassman duo of freshman Brooklyn Mauch and sophomore Abby Foley continued to shine.
Mauch was the Tigers' leading scorer and leading scorer in eighth grade, setting new records in both categories with 21 goals and 33 points. Similarly, Foley's 15 goals and his 25 points were second-best on the team in both categories after he scored 10 goals and 22 points as a freshman.
The Tigers' momentum earned them the top seed in the regional tournament. They faced Windham in the semifinals and showed exactly why they earned the seed. Abby Foley scored two goals, and Peyton Demas and Brooklyn Mauck each had a goal and an assist. On goal, Stelter saved all eight shots he faced.
With this performance, Marshall reached the sectional championship for the first time since 2018, when it defeated Mankato West 2-1 to advance to the state tournament.
The Tigers were looking to end Luverne's dominance over Section 3A when they traveled to Gustavus for the section championship game. After a dominating win in the teams' last meeting by three goals, the Tigers appeared to be in pole position for a return to state. Meanwhile, Luverne fought through overtime to defeat New Ulm 3-2 in the semifinals to advance.
Still, the experienced Cardinals were a huge help for the upstart Tigers this time around, defeating Marshall 4-0 in the championship and advancing to the state tournament for the fifth straight year.
The Tigers were thwarted this time around, but will still return a large squad full of young talent. Marshall isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
