USA Select 17: Team Gold

In part four of a multi-part series, McKeen's correspondent Max Giese reviews Team Gold from the USA Select-17 Festival including: Nick Pisellini, Sean Escobedo, Grant Scott, Kyle Jean, Nate Condon as well as Dave Warsofsky, Jordan Murray and Brady Hjelle, who were recently announced to the 2007 USA Under-18 Team.

Nick Pisellini (2008), G, Chicago Steel

Athletic with quick reflexes .. exceptional down low, as he is blessed with fast legs .. challenges appropriately .. does a good job of keeping square and upright, as he covers the upper portion of the net well .. uses his stick well to deflect rebounds into the corners and aid in coverage down low .. possesses superb dexterity .. does a good job following the puck all the way into the save .. possesses cat-like reflexes .. difficult to beat one-on-one from in close .. has quick feet but needs to improve his lateral range, as he has trouble making it across the crease back to his post in one push .. could improve his lateral movement from the butterfly .. patient and stays square to the puck .. possesses a lively glove hand .. developing nicely.

Jordan Murray (2008), C, Shattuck

Competitive and fiery spark plug .. possesses quick and fluid feet .. accelerates rapidly although his top gear is not elite .. possesses quick hands .. difficult to contain one-on-one .. is very tenacious and competes hard to stay on the puck .. wins one-on-one battles .. has a low center of gravity and is very strong on his feet .. owns a hard and accurate shot .. can execute a quick in-close pass but he is not an elite playmaker .. committed to the University of Wisconsin .. possible third or fourth-line center at the next level.

Sean Escobedo (2009), D, New York Applecore

Defensively aware .. nothing fancy but efficient .. can be mean and downright dirty at times .. possesses good strength .. plays the body and not the puck .. does a good job standing up his man at the blueline .. a smooth skater but is not an explosive player .. adequate at making the first pass coming out of the zone .. owns a quick and low point shot .. possesses subtly skilled hands .. reliable two-way player.

Dave Warsofsky (2008), D, USNTDP

Boston University recruit .. highly skilled offensive defenseman who also does a commendable job in his own end .. his best defense is his instant transition game, as he moves the puck out of his own end quickly and efficiently .. calm under pressure and cannot be rattled .. escapes and senses danger well .. sees the ice well and makes a great first pass .. can hit a home run with a long distance outlet pass .. blessed with supple hands .. displays the creativity to quarterback the powerplay .. does a great job on the point, as he displays the touch to generate offense distributing the puck from the point .. owns a quick release and a heavy shot ..can skate the puck up the ice on his own .. effortlessly weaves through the neutral zone and can make the opposition miss .. pivots smoothly .. possesses fluid feet and a strong stride .. can really motor with little effort .. impressive top gear.

Grant Scott (2008), LW, USNTDP

Minnesota recruit .. comparable to Minnesota Wild first round selection Colton Gillies, as he is an imposing winger with great size, mobility, and a ferocious mean streak but he lacks the offensive IQ to generate offense .. physical specimen that is a gifted multi-sport athlete .. is one mean S.O.B. and plays with a mean streak .. an equal opportunity hitter and he hits to hurt .. finishes every check with authority .. a physical presence that makes the oppositions defenders keep their head on a swivel as they go to get the puck out of the corners, as he's a real freight train a coming .. fluid skater for a big man with a long and powerful stride .. good first-step quickness and agility for a player his size .. non-stop motor .. great puck pursuit and throws his bright frame around like a wrecking ball .. owns a long reach and supple hands .. displayed a quick shot with good velocity .. accuracy needs improvement .. does not see the ice well and struggles to move the puck .. lacks offensive instincts .. goes hard to the net and is tough to move from the crease area .. raw with tons of upside.

Kyle Jean (2008), C, Soo Indians/ Des Moines Buccaneers

Big and thick center with the build of a power forward .. lacks a mean streak and must learn how to use his size away from the puck .. does not finish his checks .. uses his size well with the puck .. strong on his feet and shields the puck well .. blessed with supple hands that can undress the opposition .. can stickhandle through heavy traffic .. difficult to stop when driving the net .. tough to contain below the hash marks .. displays exceptional touch in front .. dangerous in-close goal scorer .. poised and patient with the puck .. real sniper with a quick release .. owns a hard and accurate shot .. displays fine vision and is an adequate playmaker with good offensive instincts .. owns a strong upper body with nimble feet and a stable stride .. needs to improve his first step quickness, explosiveness, and top gear .. needs to keep his feet moving.

Nate Condon (2008), C, Wauseau West HS

Big offensive center .. does not have any elite qualities but he generates plenty of offensive opportunities for himself and his linemates .. not a pretty skater but he's deceptively fast, as he drives his feet hard to get around his man to the outside .. hands are decent .. does a good job finding open seams in the defense ..owns a quick release that produces a precisely accurate shot .. strong on the puck.

Brady Hjelle (2008), G, International Falls HS/ Cedar Rapids

Athletic goaltender that needs to improve his mechanics .. strong first-save goaltender but flops around a lot if he gives up a rebound .. lively glove hand .. quick legs and decent lateral movement .. bit of a throwback in style .. does a good job playing on the top of the crease if the shot is from the outside however, he can be caught to far back in his crease if the shooter gets in tight .. needs to be careful about opening his five-hole.