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Second-year coach Noelle Sutton remembers seeing Maple Grove girls' hockey player Casey Hirsch as an eighth-grader making veteran, head-turning moves on the ice.

"She was making plays and making decisions you just wouldn't think an eighth-grader would," Sutton said. "She makes one-on-one moves that makes you think, 'Did she really just do that?' And still there's times I'll think she won't be able to do anything, then she'll take the puck and put it into the back of the net for us."

It was surely a sign of things to come for Hirsch, now a junior. That scoring touch has become the norm. As a sophomore last fall, Hirsch scored 26 goals and had 17 assists for the Crimson. She'll be the go-to player once again this season and will be counted upon to do more than just score.

"I have to look at every game as being more of a leader," she said. "That's helped me play more consistently. I've always been kind of up there, but now I feel I have to be more a part of the team."

To start the season, Hirsch will center a line with senior Haley Corradi and sophomore Jill Larson -- a newcomer to the varsity roster. The three shined in a four-game scrimmage tournament last weekend in Cloquet, helping Maple Grove secure three ties and a victory.

For a team that lost nine players from last year's roster to graduation, it was a welcomed showing heading into the first week of the regular season.

"The encouraging thing is we didn't lose a game," Sutton said.

Perhaps the best feeling for the Crimson was finishing with a tie against Hopkins. The Royals ended Maple Grove's season last year with a 3-0 victory in the Class 2A, Section 6 championship.

"We went into that game kind of scared, but it was one of the most fun games I've ever played in I think," Hirsch said of last weekend's scrimmage with Hopkins. "The games in Cloquet ... turned out much better than we thought [they] would. It surprised me how the younger girls really stepped it up."

Hirsch's history of being a points machine coupled with a plethora of new players as her supporting cast means opponents will for sure key in on her.

That's just fine with Hirsch.

Hirsch likes to pass, and despite being a center, she often mixes it up in the corners to create plays. Sutton said the talent level of some of the new varsity players who will be getting the puck could catch teams off guard.

That will be a necessity. This season Minnetonka, ranked No. 5 in the Let's Play Hockey preseason poll, was added to Section 6. That's in addition to the No. 13 Crimson, No. 3 Hopkins and No. 17 Benilde-St. Margaret's.

"To be honest, I think we'll be better," Sutton said. "Some of our younger talent is a little more skilled than what we expected. I don't know if we'll win 20 games, but we'll certainly be better as we go on."