Olivia Mobley of Breck is Metro Player of the Year

Olivia Mobley's list of hockey accomplishments includes six varsity seasons, a Division I college commitment, two state championships and two Breck scoring records.

This week Mobley, a senior forward with 150 career goals, leads the Mustangs in pursuit of a third consecutive Class 1A state title. Win or lose, she already holds a place alongside two former Breck standouts. She broke Grace Zumwinkle's single-season records for goals and points. And capturing two state titles eclipses Milica McMillen, who won one.

But they have something Mobley does not — a gold medal from international competition playing with the U.S. Under-18 national team. Mobley's chance never came. Not making a national team fueled her rise into a dominant player few high school teams could stop.

An elite power forward, Mobley is the Star Tribune girls' hockey Metro Player of the Year.

"It definitely lit a fire under me," Mobley said of the snub. "Those weren't my best tryouts, and I'm aware of that. I was upset and mad at myself for not making it. Going forward, I'm definitely not going to hold anything back."

With a combined 65 goals as a sophomore and junior, the Quinnipiac University-bound Mobley took another step this season. She surpassed Zumwinkle's record for goals and points. Mobley brings 49 goals and 35 assists for 84 points into the Mustangs' Class 1A quarterfinal Wednesday against Luverne.

Mobley called sharing a pedestal with Zumwinkle and McMillen "such an honor because they are great athletes and great people. To come through a program this successful and to leave such a mark on it is really special."

A special athlete best describes Mobley, who also excelled in track and field. She competed last spring for the first time since middle school and ended the season with all-state honors for placing ninth in discus throw at the state meet.

On the ice, Mobley is lauded by coaches for playing with an edge, her ability to control games as a left wing and her tendency to shine in big games. She has seven hat tricks this season, including a six-goal outburst against Orono.

Mobley's best asset, Breck coach Steve Persian said, is how she "still shows up at practice every day like she's trying to make the team."

"I want to win," Mobley said. "Every drill, whether it's a battle against another teammate or a battle against myself, I'm always trying to get better because I want to be the best. It's the internal drive, like, 'No one is going to get around me. I'm not going to get beat.' "

While Persian considered Mobley's omission from a national team "absolutely crazy," he encouraged her to expand her game.

"She can simply overpower some of the people we play against," he said. "The ability to do that goes away a bit against a higher level of competition. We've talked about having more tools, about slowing down more and finding a different path at times."

"That's fair," Mobley said. "I'll admit that I rely a lot on my size. I'm bigger and faster than a lot of the girls on the ice at this level. Moving forward, I'm definitely going to improve my skills."

Mobley's record-setting senior campaign owes to another record holder, senior center Ally Qualley. Her 53 assists shattered the school mark.

This season marked the first full-time pairing of Mobley and Qualley, who committed to Merrimack.

"It's been awesome," Mobley said. "We were ecstatic when we got put on the same line. We are best friends off the ice, and our chemistry is fantastic. Playing with better players makes you better."