Preseason Conference Player of the Year: The Central Lakes
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Every year, sports writers speculate on which athletes will come out on top when the season is all over, and I am no exception to this rule. While there is no way to predict any of these accolades with 100…
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Continue ReadingEvery year, sports writers speculate on which athletes will come out on top when the season is all over, and I am no exception to this rule. While there is no way to predict any of these accolades with 100 percent certainty, it’s always fun to try. Besides, pieces like this also let me highlight some of the best players in the state, which is always a treat. Similar to the comprehensive goalie guide, this series will cover each and every conference in the state, with each winner being entered for the statewide player of the year poll that will cap off this set of articles. The Central Lakes Conference nominees will be highlighted today, with the top vote getter advancing to the next round.
The Case for Noah Hacker Noah Hacker 5'9" | Goalie Sartell | 2024 State MN (Sartell)
A top tier goalie hailing out of Sartell, Noah Hacker Noah Hacker 5'9" | Goalie Sartell | 2024 State MN brings both talent and tenure to a position where these traits are hard to come by. The 5-foot-9, 180 pounder is entering his third consecutive year as the main goalie for the Sabres, and his stats have been trending upward with every new season he logs between the pipes. In 2022-2023, Hacker had his best year yet, posting a 17-7-3 record, four shutouts, and an impressive .920 save percentage, all numbers that helped his team have one of its best seasons in recent memory. Hacker will have one more year to man the net for Sartell, and the steady improvement he has showcased throughout his varsity career leads me to believe he has saved his best campaign for last.
The Case for Baylor Stebbins Baylor Stebbins 5'11" | Forward Sartell | 2024 State MN (Sartell)
While Hacker provides some impressive security for Sartell, it is Baylor Stebbins Baylor Stebbins 5'11" | Forward Sartell | 2024 State MN who brings the firepower to this team. A rising senior and the reigning top offensive weapon for the Sabres, Stebbins put up 20 goals and 22 assists last season, figures that were first and second on his team, respectively. He’s got good size, weighing in at just shy of 180 pounds, and this extra bulk allows him to will his way to the net, drawing double teams in the process. Thanks to his solid vision and stick skills though, Stebbins can swing the puck out to an open teammate on a dime, making him all the more dangerous thanks to his versatile skill set. Similar to Hacker, Stebbins has been making noise across this program for a few years now, and with his senior year fast approaching, odds are he still has plenty of statements to be made.
The Case for Brady Johnson Brady Johnson 5'9" | Forward Brainerd | 2024 State MN (Brainerd)
The first non-Sabre on this list, Brady Johnson Brady Johnson 5'9" | Forward Brainerd | 2024 State MN did everything he could to keep this 11-13-3 Brainerd team afloat, putting up some impressive numbers in the process. The 48 points he put up led the team, and he did it off a well balanced set of 21 goals and 27 assists, being a pass-first guy despite leading the charge offensively for his team. Johnson has a wiry build at 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, allowing him to dart through defenses and keep the Warriors attack as high-octane as possible. His primarily passing approach seems to pay dividends, like the time when he put up eight points in one game against Willmar, scoring a hat trick and dolling out five assists in just three periods of play. Johnson will be entering his senior year with even less help than he had last year, which should give this guy plenty of chances to make a splash on the offensive end.
The Case for Blake Schultz (River Lakes)
The youngest player to be nominated for this award, Blake Schultz is set to spend his junior year leading a depleted River Lakes attack, a task that should lead to plenty of scoring chances for the young gun. As a sophomore in 2022-2023, Schultz was second on his team in scoring, putting in 13 goals while also dealing 26 assists to bring his point total to 39 on the year, a solid number for an underclassman. While Schultz spent this past season as primarily a supporting guy, this season should prove to be a different story. The Stars graduated their first and third best scorers from last season’s roster, and aside from Schultz, no skater returning to the team has more than 20 points to their name, with many of them scraping by in the single digits. Offensively, there is a stark drop in production after Schultz, meaning it will be his responsibility to take these freshly minted starters and mold them into a well-oiled, scoring machine.
The Case for Jack Lamski Jack Lamski 5'8" | Defense Alexandria | 2024 State MN (Alexandria)
The first and only defenseman on this list, Jack Lamski Jack Lamski 5'8" | Defense Alexandria | 2024 State MN is an assisting machine that gives his Alexandria team a whole new dimension to its attack, not to mention the great defense he can play too. Lamski put up five goals and 21 assists last season, seemingly one step ahead of the opposing team at all times. He looks more like a forward due to him being listed at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds, but make no mistake, this kid is tough. He can score the puck, he can swing it, and his defensive prowess helped the Cardinals stay competitive week-in and week-out. Now entering his final year at the prep level, Lamski is definitely a name worth keeping tabs on.
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