Honors Keep Rolling In For Northfield Senior Goaltender

NORTHFIELD, MN —The honors keep rolling in for Northfield High School senior girls hockey goaltender Maggie Malecha.

The University of St. Thomas-bound Malecha was named the Northfield High School Student of the Week this week after receiving the Minnesota Senior Goaltender of the Year Award and the Herb Brooks Award late last month.

"Maggie is a standout student, an elite hockey goaltender, relentless role model, amazing friend, positive leader and kind soul," Northfield High School said in a statement announcing Malecha's most recent honor.

Malecha also has been chosen to represent NHS at at this year's St. Paul Area Athena Awards Banquet, which will take place on April 22 in Vadnais Heights.

The St. Paul Area Athena Awards program honors outstanding female high school senior student-athletes from St. Paul and suburban public and independent high schools for their athletic achievements.

Malecha maintains a 3.88 GPA and is a member of the Link Crew and RALIE.

On Feb. 27, Malecha was named Goaltender of the Year after helping the Raiders to a 19-7-3 overall record, a Section 1AA championship and a third-straight appearance n the state tournament. She finished the 2022 season with a .938 save percentage and 1.66 goals-against average.

A day earlier, Malecha was selected as the recipient of the Class AA Herb Brooks Award.

The award is presented annually to a state tournament participant who strongly represents the values, characteristics and traits that defined Herb Brooks, the St. Paul native who gained international fame as a hockey coach, most notably of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" U.S. Olympic hockey team.

Malecha had to overcome adversity on her way to becoming a two-time, all-state selection.

"A couple of years ago, Maggie lost her dad to cancer," Northfield coach Paige Haley said. "She had a decision to make for her junior and senior years as a hockey player without her dad. Maggie chose resilience. She grew up fast and became one of the best captains this program will ever have."

Haley continued: "(Malecha) makes everyone around her better as both a player and a person. Her character is exceptional. She is inspirational and admirable. She shows strong character as a player and person. Maggie is very influential to those around her — parents, players, youth girls hockey players. She has left a print on the town of Northfield."