Wisconsin Girls High School Hockey Growth

Below is the All-State Team for Wisconsin's Girls High School Hockey as selected by the coaches. I've got a problem with a few of the picks.

To start with, Defenseman Jennifer Brown from the Central Wisconsin Storm scored 12-15-27 on the season and made Second-Team All-State. If you take a look at the Storm's record, they played a total of 7 of their 22 games versus quality opponents all season (2 Metro Lynx, 2 St. Croix Valley, 1 Fondy/Waupun, 1 Altoona & 1 Superior). The Storm scored 39 goals in 4 games against Tomahawk, 14 goals in two games versus Arrowhead, and 9 goals in 2 games with Baraboo's JV team. With that schedule, I just can't see putting anyone from the Storm on an All-State Team. You mean to tell me that teams that played tough schedules like Onalaska and Superior don't have a better defenseman than Jennifer Brown? I have to admit that I saw a game she played in versus one of those quality opponents (in which they lost by more than a touchdown) and nobody from the Storm jumped out at me as a high-end player including Brown.

Arika Krinke is another player that I just don't think is a great player at this point. I saw her play 2 games against quality opponents (they lost both by 5 goals or more) and she really didn't do much unless it involved leaving the zone early and getting behind the D. I don't think she is a complete player, and she certainly isn't better than some of the forwards on the All-
State Honorable Mention Team.

As far as any pick from the St. Croix Valley team, I can't argue as I never got to see them play. I understand they had a good crop of forwards this year. My question to them is if you have all these kids on the All-State Team, how come you couldn't get past Hudson in the Sectional Final?

Off the Honorable Mention team kids worthy of higher spots in my mind are both Van Dammes from Superior and all 3 Fondy/Waupun kids. They're all complete players that played tough schedules and may have deserved better.

As far as goaltenders are concerned, what a tough choice. Post from Fondy/Waupun was so clutch you had to put her on the First-Team, but Jondal and Vander Schaaf are both very, very good goaltenders that don't have as good a team around them as Post does. Both Jondal and Vander Schaaf are only Sophmores, so they'll both have a couple more shots at moving up the rankings over the next two years.

FIRST TEAM
Lauren Post, G, sr., Fondy/Waupun
Amanda Finstad, D, sr., Fondy/Waupun
Megan Murphy, D, jr., St. Croix Valley
Maggie Bresser, F, sr., Fondy/Waupun
Rachel Dearth, F, sr., Metro Lynx
Nicole Hanson, F, jr., Onalaska

SECOND TEAM
Lea Jondal, G, so., New Richmond
Jennifer Brown, D, jr., Central WI Storm
Margo Johnson, D, sr., Milw. North Shore
Arika Krinke, F, so., Hudson
Allison Lunzer, F, sr., St. Croix Valley
Jessica Rowe, F, jr., Arrowhead

HONORABLE MENTION
Danielle Vander Schaaf, G, so., Baraboo
Jess Clary, D, sr., Baraboo
Emily Meier, D, jr., Metro Lynx
Amanda Robinson, D, so., St. Croix Valley
Brittany Schleicher, D, jr., Fondy/Waupun
Erica Van Damme, D, jr., Superior
Amber Cmejla, F, jr., Fondy/Waupun
Alisha Ellertson, F, sr., St. Croix Valley
Katy Johnson, F, sr., Milw. North Shore
Kaitlin Kernosky, F, sr., Central WI Storm
Amy Knutson, F, so., Fondy/Waupun
Alex Lankey, F, sr., Baraboo
Taylor Van Damme, F, jr., Superior

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rachel Dearth, Metro Lynx

COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Cowan, Fondy/Waupun