A dozen players to watch in the Section 1 girls hockey playoffs

The Section 1A and 1AA girls hockey playoffs begin Wednesday. Here’s a look at 12 players to watch — one from each team — as the postseason begins:

• Mika Cichosz, Soph., D, Albert Lea: Just a sophomore, Cichosz is the leading goal-scorer in Section 1A (29). She also has 10 assists this season, for 39 points. She enters the postseason on a tear, with eight goals and 12 points in her past four games.

• Illamay Draheim, 8th, G, Waseca: The Bluejays are led by two talented eighth-graders, forward Maizee Storey, the team’s leading scorer (18-7—25) and Draheim, who is 11-11-0 with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. She also has four shutouts.

• Avery Engbrecht, Jr., F, Winona: For a team that struggled to score goals the past two seasons, Engbrecht has been a beacon of light this season. The junior has 19 goals — Winona had 15 as a team combined over the previous two seasons — and she has 26 points. Engbrecht leads the Winhawks, too, with six special-teams goals.

• Abby Simons, Jr., D, Dodge County: Simons has been outstanding on the blue line this season, scoring nine goals and adding 26 assists, for 35 points. The QB of the Wildcats’ power play, she leads the team with 18 power-play points.

• Sarah Wangen, Sr., F/D, Austin: Wangen has been a do-it-all player for the Packers this season. She has 23 goals and 32 points, accounting for 45.1% of her team’s goals and 35.2% of its points.

• Addison Bowlby, Jr., F, Lakeville North: Bowlby is committed to Division I Sacred Heart University. She leads North in points (36) and assists (22), and is second on the team in goals (14). Since Jan. 1, she has 12 points in 10 games.

• Claire Bronson, Jr., G, Lakeville South: Bronson has played all but 17 minutes in goal for the Cougars this season, compiling a 21-4-0 record, a 1.40 goals-against average, a .934 save percentage and eight shutouts. She is second in the state in wins, 12th in GAA, 15th in save percentage and fifth in shutouts.

• Megan Gamble, Soph., F, Century/JM: Gamble has been the Panthers’ most consistent scorer in the second half of the season. The sophomore has nine points, including five goals, over the past 11 games. She is Century’s second-leading scorer (10-8—18) behind only Kailey Birkestrand (10-9—19).

• Madison Kadrlik, Sr., D, Farmington: Kadrlik is second on the team in goals (13), assists (14) and points (27), and leads the Tigers in power-play goals (5). She has a four-game point streak going and has nine points in the past six games.

• Grace Kober, Soph., G, Mayo: One half of Mayo’s standout goalie tandem, Kober has been terrific more often than not this season. She has made more than 40 saves in six of her 12 starts — with a season-high 53 in a narrow 3-0 loss to Owatonna on Jan. 31 — and takes an .895 save percentage into the postseason.

• Ezra Oien, Sr., F, Owatonna: Oien, a University of Vermont commit, is the Huskies’ leading goal-scorer (30) and point-scorer (59). She has recorded at least a point in 22 of Owatonna’s 24 games, has three hat tricks and 14 multiple-point games.

• Ayla Puppe, Jr., F, Northfield: One of the state’s top scorers and playmakers, Puppe has scored the second-most goals in the state this season (48), is 10th in assists (31) and fourth in the state in points (79). The Gophers commit also has the second-most power-play goals (12) and short-handed goals (5) in the state.