Feature Story

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Top 5 finalists for Senior Goalie of the Year announced

The puck stops here. It’s time to announce the five finalists for the 2008 Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award for girls’ high school hockey players.

The winner will be announced in the Feb. 21 edition of Let’s Play Hockey and will be honored at the Ms. Hockey banquet on Sunday, Feb. 24, at RiverCentre, the day after the girls’ high school hockey tournament.

The five finalists combined for a 1.28 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage in the regular season. The five finalists for the Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award are as follows, in alphabetical order (all statistics are regular-season):

Finalist School GP GAA SV% SO

Alli Altmann Eagan 16 1.66 .923 4

Kate Gallagher Blake 20 .937 .955 8

Alyssa Grogan Eagan 10 1.60 .928 1

Danielle Justice Alexandria 25 .910 .957 8

Morgan Pieper Warroad 25 1.30 .935 7

Alli Altmann, Eagan

A Minnesota State recruit, Altmann splits time in the net with fellow Senior Goalie of the Year finalist Alyssa Grogan. At the conclusion of the regular season, Altmann was the owner of a 1.66 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. She has posted four shutouts on the season, including her last two starts.

An assistant captain this season and a two-time all-conference honoree, Altmann has helped Eagan to a 17-7-1 overall record and a No. 11 ranking in this week’s Let’s Play Hockey.

“Alli is a very solid goaltender who always gives the team a chance to win,” Eagan head coach Scott Darwitz said. “She is a hard worker who will give her all to help the team succeed. Alli is a leader that you can lean on when the situation merits, and she will always respond.”

A member of Eagan’s A honor roll, Altmann has volunteered her time with a number of community organizations, including Feed My Starving Children, Operation Christmas Child, Toys for Tots and Relay for Life.

Kate Gallagher, Blake

Gallagher has burst on to the Minnesota high school hockey scene after moving to the Twin Cities from New York. In her short time at Blake, Gallagher has helped lead the top-ranked Bears to the conference title and a 22-0-3 overall record. Along the way, she has compiled a 16-0-3 record with a .937 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage. Gallagher also has earned eight shutouts and has allowed just two goals in her last five games.

Gallagher has played in all of Blake’s toughest contests, including victories in the championship game of the Edina Classic (Edina), the championship game of the Schwan Cup (Warroad) and the conference championship game against Breck.

“Although the quality of our team has much to do with our success, we are a better team because of Kate Gallagher,” Blake head coach Brano Stankovsky said. “Kate has performed and come up with the important save when needed. She has also faced some of the top teams, goal scorers and goalies in the state and has performed at the highest level against them.”

Gallagher has been on the honor roll each year since sixth grade and is a member of the French National Honors Society. In addition, she was/is the secretary for several school organizations, both in New York and at Blake. Gallagher plans to attend college and continue her hockey career in the college ranks, and has been contacted by a number of Division I and III schools.

Alyssa Grogan, Eagan

The second Senior Goalie of the Year finalist from Eagan High School, Grogan added to her long list of accomplishments earlier this year by helping the U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team capture the first-ever gold medal awarded at the inaugural 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s U18 Championship.

While splitting time with fellow finalist Alli Altmann, Grogan has compiled a 1.60 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage to help the Wildcats to the No. 1 seed in the Section 3AA Tournament. A four-time all-conference and two-time all-state honoree, Grogan will play her collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota.

“Alyssa has been a phenom in goal for the Wildcats over the past five seasons,” Darwitz said. “She is an extremely hard worker who takes pride in performing at a high level on a daily basis. Alyssa plays a huge leadership role on our team and the players in front of her respond to the strong example that she sets.”

A member of the National Honor Society, Grogan has served nine hours of community service during every trimester of her high school career. She has also been on A honor roll for the duration of her time at Eagan High School.

Danielle Justice, Alexandria

The owner of some of the best statistical numbers in the state, Justice has led Alexandria to a 22-1-2 overall record and a No. 4 ranking in this week’s Let’s Play Hockey. Through the end of the regular season, Justice has compiled a state-best .910 goals-against average and .957 save percentage, as well as eight shutouts. Her 22 wins also lead the state.

Since the Cardinals tied No. 5 Roseau 1-1 on Dec. 15, Justice has led Alexandria on its current 14-game winning streak. During that time, Justice has averaged 22 saves per game and has posted five shutouts. An all-state honorable mention netminder last season, Justice ranks eighth in the state in minutes played this year with 1288:38.

“Danielle has been our go-to goalie for two and half years,” Alexandria head coach Mitch Loch said. “Her remarkable athletic skills have provided us with the stability needed to play our style of hockey. She is a team leader in the defensive end of the rink and her steady play often provides her team with the confidence and determination needed to excel on the ice.”

Away from the rink, Justice is member of Cardinal Leaders, the National Honor Society, the school orchestra and the varsity tennis team. She owns a 3.94 GPA to rank 20th in her class and plans to attend college to major in pre-med while also playing hockey.

Morgan Pieper, Warroad

A mainstay in the Warroad nets since 2004-05, Pieper has led the Warriors to the No. 3 ranking in Class A with career-best performances. Through the end of the regular season, Pieper owned a 1.30 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage to go along with her seven shutouts. A team captain this season, Pieper ranks fifth in the state in minutes played with 1296:44 and has led Warroad to a 20-4-2 overall record.

Pieper has allowed just two goals in her last four starts and has given up two or fewer goals in 20 games this season. With 28 shutouts, she will end her career as the school’s all-time career shutout leader.

“Morgan is the epitome of what we look for in an athlete,” Warroad co-head coach David Marvin said. “Her work ethic and commitment to the game of hockey sets her apart from many other players. She is very coachable and strives at every practice to better herself. Morgan isn’t worried about her own accolades, but is mainly concerned with the team’s success, and is happy when she can do her part to achieve it.”

Away from the ice, Pieper is a member of Warroad’s volleyball and softball teams, serving as the volleyball captain the past two seasons. Owning a 4.014 GPA, Pieper ranks fifth in her class and plans to attend college to major in physical therapy, sport medicine or pharmacy, while playing hockey and possibly volleyball.

After the announcement of the Senior Goalie of the Year on Feb. 21, the winner, along with the top five candidates for Ms. Hockey 2008, will be honored at a banquet Sunday, Feb. 24 at RiverCentre. Additionally, all-state and all-academic awards will be presented by the Minnesota Girls’ Hockey Coaches Association.

Tickets for the banquet may be ordered by calling 612-729-0023 and are $25 per person. Complimentary tickets are provided for the five Ms. Hockey candidates and Senior Goalie of the Year winner only.