Class of 2022 Rankings – Newcomers PT. 3
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In our final Class of 2022 Rankings – Newcomers article, we highlight 6 more players who are new to the rankings. In this edition, I included 3 forwards, 2 defenseman, and 1 goalie. Once again, these are players who are…
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Continue ReadingIn our final Class of 2022 Rankings – Newcomers article, we highlight 6 more players who are new to the rankings. In this edition, I included 3 forwards, 2 defenseman, and 1 goalie. Once again, these are players who are new to the Class of 2022 Rankings and more specifically players who are off to good starts in their senior campaigns. Let’s dive in!
Steven Kelly Steven Kelly 6'2" | Goalie Tartan | 2022 State MN | Goalie | Tartan | Prep Hockey #84
Steven Kelly Steven Kelly 6'2" | Goalie Tartan | 2022 State MN has been very solid between the pipes so far for Tartan, carrying a record of 7-5, Goals Against Average of 2.51, and Save Percentage of .918. Kelly also has 3 shutouts this season, which came against New Richmond (WI), South St. Paul, and Two Rivers. Despite a losing effort, Kelly’s best performance was probably against Chanhassen, where he stopped 51 of 55 shots. Steven has proven to be a very reliable goalie in net and just needs to work on consistency in order to make that next step.
Sam Rice Sam Rice 5'6" | Forward Prior Lake | 2022 State MN | Forward | Prior Lake | Prep Hockey #89
Sam Rice Sam Rice 5'6" | Forward Prior Lake | 2022 State MN of Prior Lake is a player who was out the first half of the season, but has returned to the lineup and is making an immediate impact. In the 6 games he’s played, Rice has 1 goal and 5 assists. A point a game is pretty darn good and look for Sam to improve as he gets more reps in his next games. Rice is a player who has played Elite League in the past, but opted to play in the North American Hockey League with Chippewa and St. Cloud, before returning to the Lakers for his Senior season. Prior Lake has struggled to start the season, but getting Sam Rice Sam Rice 5'6" | Forward Prior Lake | 2022 State MN back in the lineup will help immensely and look for this team to make a push in the Section 2AA playoffs, come that time.
Michael DeBrito Michael DeBrito 5'9" | Forward Fergus Falls | 2022 State MN | Forward | Fergus Falls | Prep Hockey #92
Michael DeBrito Michael DeBrito 5'9" | Forward Fergus Falls | 2022 State MN has a whopping 14 goals and 16 assists to start his Senior season with Fergus Falls. In his career dating back to 9th Grade, DeBrito already has 117 points and we’re only halfway through the season here in 2021-2022. Last fall, Michael played for the Alexandria Blizzard of the NA3HL and had 18 points in 15 games. DeBrito is a natural goal scorer and this Otters team can be dangerous with the 1-2 punch of Isaac Johnson Isaac Johnson 5'10" | Forward Fergus Falls | 2023 State MN and Michael DeBrito Michael DeBrito 5'9" | Forward Fergus Falls | 2022 State MN . Watch for Fergus Falls to make a big push in the Section 6A Playoffs, as they look for their first state tournament appearance since 2003.
Cooper Kantola Cooper Kantola 6'4" | Defense Mound Westonka | 2022 State MN | Defense | Mound Westonka | Prep Hockey #104
Cooper Kantola Cooper Kantola 6'4" | Defense Mound Westonka | 2022 State MN is a solid two way defenseman at Mound Westonka, with 8 goals and 15 assists on the season so far. Kantola’s biggest game came versus Greenway of Coleraine, where he tallied 1 goal and 3 assists in the White Hawks 5-0 victory over the Raiders. Just a few days ago, Cooper signed his tender with the NAHL’s North Iowa Bulls. I’m sure he’ll go play there after the high school season and start his first full season with the team next fall. Kantola has a bright future in hockey after high school and it will be interesting to see how he does with the Bulls and wherever that opportunity leads him afterwards.
Tommy Stattine Tommy Stattine 5'11" | Defense St. Thomas Academy | 2022 State MN | Defense | St. Thomas Academy | Prep Hockey #106
Tommy Stattine Tommy Stattine 5'11" | Defense St. Thomas Academy | 2022 State MN is a Senior Captain on this years St. Thomas Academy team. So far this season, he has a stat line of 1-6-7 and plays shutdown defense on the blueline. In the fall, Stattine played on Team MPLS Magazine of the Elite League and tallied 12 points overall. Tommy and the Cadets are once again looking to make that state tournament, something they’ve been no stranger to in the last few years. With the addition of Cretin-Derham Hall in Section 3AA, things will be a little tougher for this team. Though, this season the Cadets have had the Raiders number winning both meetings in the regular season. The top 3 teams will be Eastview, Cretin, and STA and I do like the Cadets chances again this year as they have the most experience of any team in this section. Stattine helps bring that leadership to this team that will help them immensely in key moments.
Matt Hard Matt Hard 6'0" | Forward Warroad | 2022 State MN | Forward | Warroad | Prep Hockey #127
Matt Hard Matt Hard 6'0" | Forward Warroad | 2022 State MN is having himself a nice season on the undefeated Warroad Warriors. Hard is 3rd in points on his team with 22, which includes 9 goals and 13 assists so far. Matt is a player who is probably underrated in a lot of aspects, even here on Prep Hockey. Hard also did not play in the Elite League this fall. Warroad is off to a very potent start with Daimon Gardner Daimon Gardner 6'2" | Forward Warroad | 2022 State MN and Landen Gunderson Landen Gunderson 6'1" | Forward Maple Grove | 2023 State MN leading the pack and Matt Hard Matt Hard 6'0" | Forward Warroad | 2022 State MN contributing much as well. Coming up on Saturday, arguably the biggest regular season Class A game will be played between #1 Hermantown and #2 Warroad. Keep your eye on that game as it will tell us a lot about both teams. Right now, Section 8A is Warroad’s to lose, but I like their chances with players like Hard and the others I mentioned above.