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From the Booth: New Players on the Scene

By Tony Scott, 03/03/14, 10:00AM CST

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10 kids you may have not known about, but do now!

A Booth Perspective

This past weekend, YHH broadcasted 8 games. We saw PeeWee A, PeeWee AA, Bantam A, and Bantam AA kids from Rochester, Mankato, East Grand Forks, Alexandria and a few of our metro kids from Eagan and Spring Lake Park.

When broadcasting a game, your focus is entirely on the puck. Who has it, who wants it, who takes it away, who shoots and who saves it.

Here are a few kids I saw from the booth that really stood out as players to watch:

Jake Anderson, Mankato

This puck rushing D-man was all over the place for the Mavericks. He has size speed and great hands. He has the skill set for both forward or defense in high school.

Jhett Pesch, East Grand Forks

Easily the most fun player to watch all weekend. What Jhett lacks in true hockey skill he made up for with all out energy. Every time he got on the ice he stirred up trouble for his opponent (Alexandria in this case). It wasn't just offensively, on one play he skated all the way back after a rush and broke up a 2 on 1 break for the Cardinals. After that sequence I watched him huff off the ice for a line change, to which one of the Green Wave coaches greeted him with a high five (as if to say, "you saved our hide there, son").

Dylan Schneider and Dustin Sorenson, Rochester

Dustin had a Hat Trick on Saturday versus Eagan. Two of the three goals were highlight reel variety. The first was a forehand dangle, the second was a pretty backhand move and the  third was a poke-in goal for the hat trick. The third was a funny story. Both he and linemate Dylan Schneider had two goals. Schneider shot the puck and it was skittering toward the goalline for a hat trick for Schneider, before it crossed the red stripe, Sorenson plunked in for the Hatty. Sorenson will be two kids to contend with in Thief River Falls.

Mike Koster, Chaska Chan

Koster is a great combination of skill and grit.  He plays hard every shift and has remarkable skill breaking the puck out of his own zone. When challenged, Koster isn't afraid to mix it up a little, too.

Alec Will, White Bear Lake

One of the fastest kids we've seen at the Bantam level all season. Will did not score yesterday for the Bears, but they wouldn't be headed to state if it weren't for Will. Alec set up their first goal when he got a loose puck in the neutral zone and streaked down the far side and fed his linemate Matt Jungwirth who shelfed it to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Up 1-0, Will won a race in the Prior Lake corner and fed a pass in front to #10 Bjornberg who finished it off to give the Bears a 2-0 lead. Will used his speed and grit all day to help solve the gritty Lakers attack.

Ben Palmer, Spring Lake Park

Palmer had a hat trick Friday against Northern Lakes en route to leading his team to state on Sunday with a win over Warroad. Palmer is an athletic kid who skates well, but most important has a great knack for scoring. Spring Lake Park will be a force to reckon with because of Palmer.

Jackson Fields, Detroit Lakes

Another kid who had a great game in front of the camera.  During our broadcast he did everything but play goalie. On the penalty kill he played up front and gave St. Francis nightmares. On the power play he was on the blue line. Some shifts he'd be up front, others he'd be on defense.  No matter the coaches put him, he made big plays for the Lakers. A very rugged player with a good shot and great ice presence.

Jason Sarp, Edina

Sarp is a wiry defenseman for the Hornets. He plays with a high hockey IQ. Sunday was the second time I've seen him play. He's the type of player that makes smart plays every time he's on the ice. But the main reason he hits this list, is for a body check he put on Cain Sims of Mankato. Sims, a huge winger for the Mavericks with a lot of speed streaked down the far boards. Sarp, giving away easily 50 pounds to Sims, lined him up and executed the best clean body check I've seen all year. Sims went down, Sarp separated the player from the puck. End of story.

Cole Linson, St. Francis

Most of the kids on this list are unheralded hard working types. Cole Linson is a hard worker indeed. But he makes the list for his skill. Cole had great vision, puck skills and explosive speed like an Olympic sprinter. Every time he touched the puck, the Detroit Lakes fans got a little nervous he would score.

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