First year Bantam aged players from four states came to Bloomington Ice Garden in hopes of making the Bantam Elite League, set to kick off next Summer. The League was formed to provide top end players a venue to play against their peers in a competitive setting between their Summer Season and Winter Association season.

Eighty players were invited to the League in August and fifteen more were invited Wednesday as a result of the Tryout last weekend.

Seventy one players from all over the metro area and the outstate tried out for these last few spots.  Including players from Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and far reaching small towns like Luvurne, LaCrescent, and Moose Lake.

The League is happy to announce all fifteen players invited accepted their invitations.  Here is a list of the players and their background:
David Andes, Minnetonka. A strong skating forward with great instincts for the puck. David played for the Minnetonka PeeWee AA team last year.  David is an avid outdoorsman, he loves to hunt and fish.

Max Borst, Edina. A rising star that also loves to play lacrosse.  Max played for Edina’s PeeWee A team last year.  In addition to sports, Max is involved at his church and loves to be outside boating, fishing, and swimming.

Isaiah DiLaura, Lakeville. A big and athletic goalie that plays the game with passion.  A three sport athlete, Isaiah also plays football and lacrosse.
Max Eilefson, Irondale. A tremendous talent with great technical skills, Eilefson has only missed one start in four years of competitive hockey. His dream is to someday play goalie for the Edmonton Oilers.

Jeron Hirschfeld, St. Cloud. Jeron is a speedy puck rushing defenseman. He also showcases his athleticism in the offseason playing football and lacrosse. Jeron attends St. Cloud Cathedral as an 8th grader.

Bennett Holst, Prior Lake. Bennett is a smooth skating, puck rushing defenseman.  He is a smart player who makes great decisions with the puck.  Bennett plays lacrosse in the offseason and enjoys wakeboarding and waterskiing.

Cade Huntley, Farmington. Cade had an oustanding tryout showcasing his skills a both a forward and a defenseman.  Despite being a bit undersized, he was tenacious to the puck and showed flashes of speed and great vision when he had the puck. Cade played for Farmington’s PeeWee AA team last year.

Nathan Johannes, Bloomington. Nathan was one of the fastest players in the tryout.  He exhibited great speed, quickness and a knack to score goals.  Nathan was a leader on the Jefferson PeeWee AA team last year. In his spare time, Nathan plays lacrosse and likes to long board.

Nick Konkel, White Bear Lake. Nick is a great goalie. He showed great skill, technique and quickness in his tryout. He was a goalie for the Bears PeeWee AA team last winter. Nick is a Catcher on his baseball team and runs cross country in the Fall.  He is an avid outdoorsman.

Andy Kromer, Edina. In Andy’s lone tryout on Saturday, he scored three goals (2 on his two first shifts). Andy is a great player with fantastic hands and a knack to get the puck in the net. When not playing hockey, Andy plays soccer for the Edina Junior Varsity team as a Freshman.  He is also an avid golfer in the summer.

Jake Leonard, Maple Grove. Jake showed great strength and speed during his tryout. Last year he played defense for Osseo Maple Grove PeeWee AA team. Besides hockey, Jake is a compeitive golfer.  When not playing hockey or golf, Jake likes to waterski, tube and play video games.

Laudon Poellinger, LaCrescent. Laudon is a big and athletic player who can play both forward or defense.  Poellinger played Varsity hockey for LaCrescent high school as an seventh grader.

Collin Schmidt, Wayzata. Schmidt brought his 6 foot, 175 frame to the tryouts and impressed with his skill, shot and ability to make an offensive name for himself nearly every shift on the ice. He played for state Runner-Up Wayzata last year at PeeWee AA. In his free time he plays lacrosse, golf and Xbox.

Cameron Smrekar, Farmington. Cameron had a great tryout. For a bigger goalie, he moved well and did especially well when handling the puck both under pressure and when outside the crease. Last year Cameron was the Goalie for Farmington’s PeeWee AA team.

Thomas Walker, Orono. A big defenseman who can also play forward, Thomas impressed the evaluators with his ability to carry the puck with speed and physical play.  In the offseason, Walker plays baseball and hangs out with his two little brothers.

In addition to the 15 players selected to the League via tryout, the coaches plan to select five Wild Card players from the area that either came from their scouting or last weekend’s tryout. Wild Card players and an Alternate Pool of players will be announced when the teams are announced in mid October.