Mid-Western High School Elite League

McKeen's correspondent Max Giese has notes on several prominent players from the Mid-Western High School Elite League including Seth Soley, Nate Condon, Andrew Martin, Adam Mueller, Luke McManus, Matt Johnson and Jack Hanna.

Seth Soley (2008), LW, Eau Claire Memorial

Gritty and skilled-offensive catalyst below the hash marks .. hands are tremendous .. masterfully dangles his way around the opposition, as he can undress the defender one-on-one .. skating appears to have improved, as his acceleration is now up to par stimulated by his quicker first step .. still lacks open-ice speed although, he seemingly can find another gear to slip past a defender .. does a fine job bouncing off checks and retaining possession .. deft playmaker with the ability to knife the puck through traffic in tight near the goal .. has the patience and poise to hold onto the puck for one more second to allow a man to get open .. gritty and plays with jam .. possesses good upper and lower body strength and his defensive game continues to improve, especially the effort he gives on that side of the puck.

Nate Condon (2008), C, Wausau West

Tall center with good speed and playmaking ability .. possesses a long reach and skilled hands .. accelerates fluidly for a big man and can really generate some speed once he gains momentum .. likes to carry the puck through the neutral zone, as he combines his speed and skill to be a tricky one-on-one task for any defenseman in the open ice .. uses his big frame to shield the puck well .. sees the ice proficiently and is a fine playmaking pivot .. needs to shore up his finishing ability, as his release must get quicker .. displays impressive defensive maturity and utilizes his size and speed to maintain healthy coverage at all times .. needs to use his size more away from the puck and show just a bit more fortitude to be a draft prospect.

Andrew Martin (2009), G, Stoughton

Undersized but athletic goaltender with solid fundamentals .. has started since his freshman season and his on-ice maturity shows .. keeps his movements to a minimum, as he reads the game well .. does a good job limiting secondary scoring opportunities thanks to his solid rebound control .. his speedy lateral quickness is his standout attribute, as he can rob the opposition with his ability to anticipate the pass and then get over in time to make the stop .. recovers from his butterfly back to his stance quickly .. vocal and likes to move the puck up the ice .. has always been small but does a good job maximizing his net coverage.

Adam Mueller (2008), C, Roseville

Astute and fast two-way center with a playmakers touch .. a dynamic and effortless skater with proficient acceleration and a sparkling top gear .. uses his edges well and has the ability to transition from forward to backward seamlessly .. possesses supple hands and prodigious in-close skills, which aids his ability to retain possession in traffic .. sees the ice well and does an impeccable job of using his speed to open the ice for his linemates and draw the opposition before dishing off a crisp pass .. all-access center that can be utilized in all situations, as he can play an offensive role on a scoring line or effectively check the oppositions top lines .. marks his man quickly and uses his speed to cut down the opposition's time and space .. does not finish every check but can surprise the opposition with a stiff open-ice hit if he catches them with their head down.

Luke McManus (2008), D, Rosemount

Poised defenseman with ice water in his veins, exceptional hockey sense, and striking vision .. multi-faceted puck distributor with the uncanny ability to see the ice, as he can see the lanes that most do not .. makes smart and creative outlet passes on the point .. knows when to move the puck hard through congested areas or finesse it around them .. can stretch the ice with a long distance home run outlet pass .. possesses soft hands and great hand/eye coordination, as he handles the puck effortlessly in close .. does not hesitate to shoot .. owns a quick wristshot .. displays keen shot selection and he does a fine job keeping the puck low to allow for tips and rebounds .. despite being an all-compass skater with fluid pivots, he does not rely on his skating much at all, as he thinks the game so well .. anticipates the game incredibly well, as nothing seems to surprise him and he is always in position .. knows when to attack or hang back .. will need to add strength but he does a fine job neutralizing his man one-on-one, as long as he does not try to out muscle them.

Matt Johnson (2009), LW, Stillwater

Intuitive, offensive artisan that never seems out of options, as he is a potent finisher and playmaker .. release stands out as its compact and lightning quick .. a threat to score anywhere from inside the blueline, as his shot is accurate and carries good velocity .. owns an especially dangerous one-timer .. disguises his intentions well and is a creative playmaker capable of threading the needle through traffic .. never caught standing around, as he does a fine job working to stay an open option for his teammates to pass too .. perceptive player that likes to run the give-and-go and is always making the correct read with the puck .. difficult to get a clean hit on, as he is nimble and tricky in tight .. a uniform skater however, he must improve on generating more thrust behind his strides .. adequate defensively and is deceptively strong.

Jack Hanna (2008), G, Centennial

Butterfly goaltender that possesses intriguing gifts and puzzling down falls .. can be hit or miss from one shot to the next .. will display impressive patience and stay on his feet to make the save one shot and then will get beat up high easily after going down to early on the next .. has a compact butterfly with a wide V .. moves well laterally but will open holes while scrambling side-to-side from the butterfly .. has a sharp glove that he uses well to aid his rebound control .. plays the angles well but can be caught playing too deep in his crease .. loves to pokecheck and play the puck, although he needs to be less adventurous outside of the crease, as his passes can be weak.