Five Forwards set to make a Splash
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The goal scorers, the lightning fast skaters, and the quick thinkers. Forwards are tasked with a lot on a game-by-game basis, and this list will serve to highlight some of the best ones in the state. Drew Stewart MN #3…
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Continue ReadingThe goal scorers, the lightning fast skaters, and the quick thinkers. Forwards are tasked with a lot on a game-by-game basis, and this list will serve to highlight some of the best ones in the state.
A rising senior hailing out of Benilde-St. Margarets, Drew Stewart Drew Stewart 5’7″ | Forward Benilde-St. Margaret’s | 2024 State MN is a goal scoring machine with an unparalleled ability to create shots. He has a powerful wrist shot that can get into the net from virtually anywhere across the blue line, and this unique skill requires an opposing team to assign at least one defender to blanket him at all times. In turn, this creates plenty of opportunities for his teammates, as Stewart is always being shadowed by someone. He is as quick as they come on skates, and frequently generates breakaways by striding past slower opponents on his way to an exposed goalie. Stewart’s speed and scoring ability paired together are dangerous to say the least, and his next season on the ice should be a fun one to watch.
Brittan Alstead Brittan Alstead 5’8″ | Forward Wayzata | 2024 State MN knows where to be in order to secure second chance goals, and he can do it at will. The Wayzata senior winger is a hound by the net, pestering the goalie and pressing himself right outside the crease in order to put himself in the best position possible to score. This not only allows him to be the first one to get deflections off saves, but this strategy also hinders the goalie’s vision, opening up previously impossible shot opportunities for Alstead’s teammates. On top of this, his effort is palpable through his film. He dives, lunges, and skates with an overflowing motor, and this type of enthusiasm for the game is an exciting prospect for his upcoming season.
The final forward on this list is incoming senior Nolan Roed Nolan Roed 5’11” | Forward White Bear Lake | 2024 State MN , a White Bear Lake product who led the team in scoring in 2023. He accumulated a well balanced 24 goals and 31 assists in his junior campaign, ending up with a total of 55 points. Offensively, Roed utilizes his situational hockey IQ to be in the right place at the right time, generating opportunities for his teammates or himself thanks to his quick thinking. This was especially on display in White Bear’s season finale against Blaine, where he netted the game winning goal in overtime to lift his team to victory. All in all, Roed has been a big time contributor since his sophomore year, and it will be interesting to see how he wraps up his prep career.