In 2014 we selected only one first year player to our Top 50 players, it was Matthew Gleason. His team won state and he played the game as if his opponents were in slow motion. He was invited to play with the other top PeeWees in Minnesota last Fall in the YHH PeeWee Challenge. This is where we first heard things like, "whoever that Highland kid is, he's incredible." Gleason showed up in Bloomington and outscored the field with 8 Goals and 2 Assists earning Tourney MVP honors.
That wouldn't be his last time he would catch our eye. In the Founder's Cup in Hibbing he lead the field in scoring again, notching 16 points in 4 games including scoring a Game Winning Goal against then number 1 Alexandria with no time on the clock. He was named tourney MVP that Sunday.
In the State Tournament in Lakeville, he lead his team to a repeat state championship and was again named by YHH as the Shock Doctor MVP. The previous two winners of the Wiz Wyatt POTY were Jack Olsen and Ben Brinkman. Those two are now in fine company with Gleason a new member of their club.
While not playing, Matthew is an honor student at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul. He also plays Soccer and Baseball. He also considers himself an avid fisherman during the Summer months at his cabin.
Congrats to Matthew and the other four very deserving finalists for the Wizzy. Grayson Hight (Bloomington Jefferson), Christian Miller (Greenway), Will Mortenson (Minneapolis) and Nate Warner (St. Cloud). As we do every year, we name the next 45 skaters to our list to round out the top 50 skaters in the state.
