Cash Cruitt, Andover 

With the net all to himself this season after battery mate Cal Conway transferred to Stillwater, Cruitt led the Huskies to a surprise run to the Class AA State Tournament, turning around a team that started the season 0-9. 

Cruitt started the season with 12 consecutive games with 25 or more saves, and finished the season with 21 such games. During the Section 7AA playoffs, Cruitt stopped 76 of 80 shots on goal, including a fabulous 36-save performance in the Huskies’ 3-1 win over Rock Ridge in the Section 7AA championship. 

The junior goaltender finished the season with a .923 save percentage, a 2.33 goals-against-average, and five shutouts. 

Gavin Greniuk, Elk River/Zimmerman 

The second Northwest Suburban Conference goaltender on this list, Greniuk’s play was critical for the Elks all season. The Elks averaged just over three goals per game, meaning Greniuk’s play largely dictated if the Elks won or lost. Greniuk went 11-11-2 on the season, but his 2.56 GAA, .923 save percentage, and two shutouts tell a deeper story of how large a role the senior captain played. 

During the Section 8AA playoffs, Greniuk posted a 38-save shutout of St. Michael-Albertville, then made 33 saves on 36 shots in a 4-1 section semifinal loss against eventual Class AA state champion Moorhead. He finished the season with nine games with 35 or more saves. 

Noah Schindele, East Grand Forks 

A calming presence for the Class A state champs, the sophomore Schindele played well beyond his years during the postseason. His road to stardom in St. Paul started with a 28-save performance in the Section 8A finals against Warroad, in which the Green Wave edged the Warriors 3-2 in overtime. 

At the Xcel Energy Center, Schindele began his tourney with a 24-save shutout of Northern Lakes, then stopped 21 in a high-flying 7-5 come-from-behind win over Hibbing/Chisholm. Schindele once again turned on the juice in the state title game, stopping 37 of 38 shots in a 2-1 win over St. Cloud Cathedral. Both the semifinal and championship wins were on-paper upsets for the No. 4 seed Green Wave. 

Kian Hauser, Farmington Bantam AA 

One of the pleasant surprises of state tournament season, Farmington advanced out of a loaded Region that included Blaine and Hermantown to earn a spot in the Bantam AA State Tournament in New Ulm. 

After performances of 28 saves against Bemidji and a 35-save shutout of Hermantown during Region play, Hauser made 29 stops in the Tigers’ 3-0 loss to eventual state runner-up Rosemount. He followed that game with 29 saves on 30 shots in a 2-1 win over Edina in the consolation semifinals to ensure the Tigers would be one of the few teams in the state that got to take the ice on State Tournament Sunday. 

Brandon Wright, Mahtomedi Bantam AA 

It’s been quite a season for Wright, who finished the season with gaudy numbers despite playing for a .500 team, as the Zephyrs went 21-21-5 this season.

According to Elite Prospects, Wright recorded a save percentage of .936 this season in over 2,100 minutes of ice time, and registered nine shutouts on the season. In two Region games, Wright stopped 67 of 73 shots for a save percentage of .918. He had a save percentage above .900 in the Centennial Bantam AA Preview, the Battle for the Blue Ox, and the STMA Preview Cup this season. 

Noah Sluiter, Osseo-Maple Grove Peewee AA 

Sluiter’s play was instrumental in helping Osseo-Maple Grove to a runner-up finish at the Peewee AA State Tournament, turning away 75 of 80 shots in three games. Sluiter’s play ramped up during the latter stages of the season, including recording a .955 save percent and a 1.00 GAA during the Roseau Dick Johnson Peewee AA tournament in mid-January.