Feature Story
Ms. Hockey Award down to top five finalists
The five finalists for the 14th annual
Ms. Hockey Award are forward Margaret Chute of Blake, forward Sally Komarek of
Blake, forward Becky Kortum of
The Ms. Hockey Award is presented to the
top senior girls’ high school hockey player in
Alphabetically, here is a look at the
five finalists for the 2009
Margaret Chute, Blake
If the last name rings a bell, it should
as Margaret Chute’s older sister, Katharine, won the 2007 edition of Ms.
Hockey. The younger Chute boasts a resumé as impressive as her sister’s as
evidenced by her 44 points in 27 games this season and her status as a National
Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
Chute is tied for fourth on the
second-ranked Bears in scoring this season with totals of 16-28--44. A team
captain in 2008-09, Chute has helped Blake to a
Chute has posted 15 multi-point games,
including a five-point performance vs. Silver Bay/Cook Co./Two Harbors to open
the season.
“Margaret is the quiet leader of this
Blake team, closely resembling the leadership qualities of her older sister,”
Blake head coach Brano Stankovsky said. “She is a wonderful leader and truly an
ambassador for girls’ hockey. Margaret embodies the spirit of Hobey Baker.”
Away from the ice, Chute is accomplished
in many different areas, from the classroom, the community the arts and other
sports. She owns a 3.85 GPA and was one of a select few to receive the Cum
Laude Academic Award her junior year.
Chute also engages in community service projects as a member of the
Blake SIAC organization.
Talented beyond hockey and
school, Chute is also a gifted artist, winning the 2008 Minnesota Scholastic
Art Award for Drawing as well as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Summer Expressions Scholarship. She is also a published poet.
Finally, Chute was a key player on
Blake’s 2008 state champion lacrosse team and has qualified to run in six
straight state cross country meets.
Following high school, Chute will follow
her sister to Harvard were she will continue her hockey career.
“Margaret is an exceptional
student-athlete,” Stankovsky said. “I am proud of her as a person, and what you
see today is an embodiment of her hard work, persistence and pure desire to
become the best that she can be, on and off the ice. She is an excellent
example of what a young woman can achieve in hockey, the classroom and as a
leader.”
Sally Komarek, Blake
The second Ms. Hockey finalist from
Blake, Komarek leads the Bears and ranks eighth in the state in scoring this
season with totals of 46-26--72 in 27 games. A team captain, Komarek has
notched a point in all 27 games this season, including 21 multi-point and 13
multi-goal contests.
Komarek’s 46 goals rank fourth in the
state and account for 23 percent of the Bears lamplighters this season. She has
four hat tricks on the year, including five-goal games against Sibley and
Visitation-
“Sally is a student of the game and
possesses, I believe, the best hands in the state,” Stankovsky said. “She also
has incredible poise, vision and touch around the net, as well as in traffic.
Sally is a captain this year, which is well-deserved, and is an excellent
leader on and off the ice.”
When she’s not helping one of the most
dominant teams in the state to another win, Komarek is an excellent student who
has also been very active in the community. A member of the Blake Community
Service Board, she has volunteered her time with the Spring Lake Restoration
Project, undertaking the challenge of restoring neglected natural habitat next
to Spring Lake.
Following high school, Komarek will
continue her hockey career at
“Although an incredible talent, Sally
accepts every role the coaching staff places her in, for ‘team’ truly does come
before ‘individual’ for her,” Stankovsky said. “By her efforts, she has become
a role model to the underclassmen who emulate her work ethic on and off the
ice, and makes this coach’s job more delightful.”
Becky Kortum, Hopkins
Hailed largely as a major reason for
A team captain, Kortum has helped
“Becky is a very talented player and
obviously one of the top players in the state,”
Owning a 3.8 GPA and ranking in the top
20 percent of her class, Kortum is a four-time academic letterwinner and a
member of the National Honor Society. She has been a youth hockey volunteer
coach for four years and also donates her time at a local nursing home.
Following high school, Kortum will continue her hockey career at the
University of Minnesota where she will study pre-med.
“Becky leads by example and demonstrates
the attitude and work ethic to be a positive role model,” Paolucci said. “Her
commitment defines her personality. The Gophers are lucky to get her and I know
she will be a great addition to their team.”
Alex Nelson,
Despite missing five games in helping the
U.S. Women’s National Under-18 Team capture its second straight gold medal at
the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s U18 Championship, Nelson
led
A four-year captain with the Huskies,
Nelson posted seven multi-goal games, including four contests with two or more
lamplighters. She notched a season-high five goals (4-1--5) in
“I’ve been coaching girls’ high school
hockey for 10 years now and Alex is the best I’ve ever coached,”
Off the ice, Nelson owns a 3.75 GPA and
is a member of
Following high school, Nelson will
continue her hockey career at
“As good as Alex is on the ice, she’s
even better off the ice,” Maeckelbergh said. “Everything about her is pure
class. She’s got the biggest heart ever. She makes everyone around her feel
better. It’s not her goal to do that, she doesn’t have to work at it, it’s just
who she is.”
Kelsey Romatoski, Holy Angels
One of the state’s elite defenseman,
Romatoski wrapped up her high school career last week with a first-round loss
to
For the season, Romatoski led the Stars
in scoring with 28 goals and 16 assists for 44 points, ranking fifth in the
state among defensemen and outpacing her nearest teammate (a forward) by 25
points. She recorded 12 multi-point games and six multi-goal contests,
including a trio of four-point nights. Her 28 goals led all of the state’s
senior defensemen and ranked fourth among all blueliners. A 2008-09 team
captain, Romatoski helped Holy Angels to a
“Kelsey is a dynamic defender who adds an
explosive offensive game to a flawless skating stride,” Holy Angels head coach
Jaime Grossman said. “She plays at a different speed, and teams have to be
aware of her every time she is on the ice.”
Owner of a 4.1 GPA and a class rank of
No. 8 out of 216 students in her class, Romatoski is also a three-year letterwinner
in track and field. She is a two-time Scholar of Distinction and earned the
Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in Science and Mathematics,
given by the Society of Women Engineering.
Following high school, Romatoski will
continue her hockey career at Harvard where she intends to concentrate in
medicine to reach her ultimate goal of becoming a surgeon.
“Kelsey is a model student-athlete who
excels in the classroom and on the ice,” Grossman said. “She demands excellence
from her teammates, but is also the first to offer help to a classmate in
need.”
The runners-up for the 2009 Ms. Hockey
Award are Eagan defenseman Lisa Berreman, Stillwater forward Callie Dahl,
Roseau forward Mary Loken, Fergus Falls defenseman Erika Magnusson and Blaine
forward Lauren Zrust.
In addition to on-ice talent, criteria
for the Ms. Hockey Award includes academics, community/extracurricular
activities, citizenship and coachability.
The 2008 Ms. Hockey winner was Sarah
Erickson of Bemidji. Other past winners include: Katharine Chute of Blake
(2007), Allie Thunstrom of North St. Paul (2006), Gigi Marvin of Warroad
(2005), Erica McKenzie of Hastings (2004), Andrea Nichols of Hibbing/Chisholm
(2003), Ashley Albrecht of South St. Paul (2002), Renee Curtin of Roseville
(2001), Krissy Wendell of Park Center (2000), Ronda Curtin of Roseville (1999),
Laura Slominski of Burnsville (1998), Annamarie Holmes of Apple Valley (1997)
and Winny Brodt of Roseville (1996).
Other awards that will be presented at
the banquet include the Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year
Award, which goes to the top senior goalie in girls’ high school hockey, as
well as the Minnesota Girls High School Hockey Coaches Association’s Coach of
the Year, and All-State and All-Academic Award winners for the 2008-09 season.
Tickets for the banquet are $25 and
include lunch. Tickets may be purchased
by calling Let’s Play Hockey at 612-729-0023.