Members of the 2019-20 Hutchinson girls hockey team made history this past winter. They were the first Hutchinson girls hockey team to ever end its season with a win, taking down South St. Paul in the state consolation final.
The team was led by several players who made a name for themselves as some of the best to ever skate for the Tigers girls team. But they aren’t the first Hutchinson girls hockey players to rewrite Hutchinson High School’s record books, and they likely won’t be the last. So the Leader is taking a look back at 22 years of excellence and some of the best players and teams in school history.
Top scorers could dish it out too
When talking about Hutchinson’s top girls hockey players, the conversation must start with the team’s statistically most dominant pair: Sara Carlson and Claire Cripps. This dynamic duo helped lead the Tigers to their first, second, third and fourth section titles from 2009 to 2012. They set every scoring, points and assists record along the way.
In single season goals, Carlson holds the top four places in the record books, followed by Cripps’ name twice. Alex Hantge’s 30 goals this past year ranks seventh, to give you an idea.
Cripps and Carlson were equally as dominant in assists and points, taking up the top four and five places, respectively, before Hantge’s name is again mentioned.
With single-season numbers that gaudy, it’s no surprise Cripps and Carlson also rank among the top three in career numbers as well. Nobody has come close yet to matching Carlson’s 192 career goals. Hantge finished this past season with 110, the closest anyone has come. Meanwhile, Carlson’s 315 career points are also miles from Cripps and Hantge, the next two players on the list.
Carlson was arguably one of the best athletes to come through Hutchinson, and certainly the best hockey player. And coaches saw that passion through the work she put in.
It doesn't surprise me to see the single-season goal record with Sara Carlson at 51 goals and the same year Claire had 42 assists,” Hutchinson girls hockey coach Marc Telecky said. “I would show up at the rink doing youth stuff, very few times would I show up there on a Saturday morning or Sunday night and Sara wasn't there shooting or stick-handling or lifting. I mean, extremely driven to the sport. … She could also just flat out shoot from anywhere.”
But while Carlson led the way in goals, Cripps kept her fed and leads school records in single-season and career assists. She was also great with the puck and had an eye for making plays to help others score.
“She was fearless,” Telecky said. “Absolutely had zero thought process about going into a corner with another player. She just went in, got inside position and got out.”
Most recently, Hantge had one of the best seasons ever this past year with 30 goals and 30 assists. While Carlson and Cripps have the flashy numbers, Telecky felt Hantge added more than just scoring to her game.
“I would say Alex probably has the more well-rounded game because she's committed to all three zones,” he said. “Where as, Sara especially, if the puck wasn't on her stick, she was usually chasing it. She wasn't in a position to front the puck all over the ice, where Alex understood that as the year went on. We worked on that a lot. She understood that part of the game.”
Carlson comes from a hockey family. Her older sister Laura ranked fourth in career goals (93), assists (93) and points (186). Not far behind Laura is Mackenzie Ludowese with 91 career goals and 147 career points.
“I would say Mack and Alex had very similar games,” Telecky said. “They were a little shorter in stature, but a very high motor, very high energy players. They just understood the game.”
Guarding the net
When it comes to stopping pucks, 2004 graduate Jamie Ellig owns the record for career wins with 41 and shutouts with 11. Her 1.85 goals against average is just second behind Emma Barrick-Benson's 1.82 GAA.
Ellig was a multi-sport athlete and possibly the most athletic person on her team. Besides her numbers, what set Ellig apart from other goalies in the record book was how many shots she faced. While there aren't numbers on shots against, Telecky believes that it would be near or at the top.
“She saw a lot of rubber night in and night out,” he said.
Second on the list in career wins was Jessica Madson with 37 wins. Ellig and Madson played together and split time, with Ellig getting more of the starts.
“I would say half, maybe two-thirds of (Madson’s) wins were in the last two years (of her playing),” Telecky said. “Jamie's were spread out more over her career.”
The person who more than likely will pass Ellig and Madson next season is Hutch’s current goalie, Hannah Ladwig. She set single-season records last year with 23 wins and seven shutouts, and she currently sits at 35 career wins.
Telecky admits that Ladwig was the beneficiary of a strong defensive team this past year, and said she’ll likely have to pay bigger roll this year if she hopes to replicate last year’s numbers. But he’s confidant she’s up to the task.
“She might have to step up and carry a little bit more of the load next year than what she was asked to this year,” Telecky said. “I would expect that of her in her second year of what we're trying to do.”
