Seven Players in Minnesota That Have Impressed Me in 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the heat of the hectic and quick Minnesota high school season as a coach, I haven't been able to go out and watch as many games as I had hoped. Looking through some notes from the games I have seen (or been a part of), here's seven players that have really impressed me so far in the 2024 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["27915"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Tushie has been a piece of the Lakers' elite defensive unit since his freshman year and has now solidified himself as the No. 1 close defenseman as a junior. He usually draws the matchup against the opponent's top offensive player and has been up to the task this season. He is a perfect blend of speed, strength, and skill.  Tushie can match feet with anyone, throw checks without losing position, and add a physical presence to an already strong defense.  I love his range and ability to press out to the sideline without getting in trouble and how he forces turnovers regularly.  He has great stick skills, so when he gets the ball on the ground, he is usually grabbing a first time ground ball and getting his team into transition.  He has 44 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers in nine games this year for the Lakers.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["27909"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"West has stepped up for the Bears this season with the absence of their top returning scorer, [player_tooltip player_id='16672' first='Devin' last='Mueller'], out for the year with injury.  West is a strong and shifty midfielder who can play both ends but does most of his work on the offensive side.  He is great with both hands and can hit shots on the run and from range.  Headed to Rockhurst in the fall, the senior has 33 goals, 11 assists and 44 groundballs, showcasing his well-rounded skill set and grit.  In his most recent game against Top 10 team Eastridge, despite the 13-14 loss, he had six goals to help the Bears erase a seven-goal deficit in the fourth quarter.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["27917"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Slattery was a depth guy for the Panthers last season in their run to the state championship.  He wasn't technically a starter but provided a ton of production from the midfield throughout the season.  This year, he has moved to a starting attack spot and has helped the Panthers continue their offensive dominance from a year ago.  He is a shifty, tough attackman who is not afraid of contact. A good dodger who has a strong first step, what impresses me most is his ability to put his shoulder down and fight for topside to turn the corner.  While his dodging and on-ball skills are impressive, he is also very effective at cutting away from the ball and finishing inside.   He has 20 goals and 10 assists this year and completes the trio with the Piscietiello brothers for a very efficient and productive attack unit for the Panthers.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["27913"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Gilbertson has been a mainstay at the midfield for Eastview/Apple Valley since he arrived in high school.  Now a senior, he is the key piece to their offense and brings such a level of lacrosse IQ to a team that needed to replace some really high-level seniors from a year ago.  He has a lethal split dodge and is great at getting his hands free immediately.  I think he's a righty, but it is very hard to tell.  He is completely comfortable dodging and shooting with both hands.  My biggest praise for him is that while he seems to be the most skilled player on their offense, he plays within the system and gets others involved.  His recognition of when a help defender has committed to him combined with impeccable passing skills allows him to move the ball quickly and accurately to allow the offense to generate high-percentage shots.  Having personally coached a game against him, I saw how much he creates for others in ways that don't always show up as assists on the stat sheet.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["27911"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Coulson is another player who stood out to me (in addition to [player_tooltip player_id='27913' first='Alex' last='Gilbertson'] above) during my game against The Valley.  He is a gritty and tough lock-down defensive midfielder who does not need help sent his way very often.  Nothing creates more frustration for an offense than not being able to win matchups and draw slides against short sticks, and he is one of those guys.  He has great footwork, is deceptively strong, and has sneaky checks that force turnovers. He has mostly been an SSDM the past few seasons but has played some offense this year for the Lightning, producing 22 points. Getting production like that from a player whose main role is on the defensive end can really boost a team's efficiency.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["27918"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Noonan is a towering 6'4 keeper who takes up so much of the cage.  Only a freshman, he is already one of the better goalies I have seen and still has three entire high school seasons to go.  His frame makes shooters blind to open net when shooting and nearly shuts down any view of the cage from the alleys or wings.  He has quick hands, so if you do pick a spot, he can usually get there. He has seen a ton of shots on goal this year (214 in 10 games) and has stood strong with a .607 save percentage.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["27907"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Bauer is someone I have, admittedly, seen very little of outside of one live streamed game early in the season.  That being said, he was noticeable on tape so I went back in to check on his stats and think it is notable to shout him out. He is an incredible athlete and has put up fantastic numbers this year as a sophomore for Monticello.  He has won 191 face-offs for a 76.4% on the season and added an impressive 27 points (10G, 17A) for the Magic.  I don't get to see many Monticello games, but he is a player I'll be keeping my eye on going forward.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66461258b0a7b"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->