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<p>The real stars of the Centerstage event were the class of '29. Six teams entered the fray, most of which were stacked with talent from across the country and Canada. The quality of play was excellent across the board, particularly with the more powerhouse teams like Laxachusetts, 2Way, LI Express, and Beast Canada — the latter of which came out of nowhere to go 3-0 on the day. </p>
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<p>Here are some of the LSMs and defensemen who showed serious promise, some of whom absolutely dominated play for their respective teams.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Moore was the best LSM at Centerstage in this '29 class in nearly every measurable and immeasurable facet. He bossed the wing play, served as the conduit between the defense and the offense in the clear, and delivered punishing checks. Moore even went so far as to tackle the hot-handed face-off man at the X in an effort to stifle his progressive ability to win the ball forward. Once Moore stepped in front of him, he forced the ball out and then cleared out two guys on the loose ball to make way for his wing man to swoop in and retain a key possession in the game. Oh, and on the next play, Moore ran down another loose ball and converted it into an easy assist after he dusted the first slide. Instincts, speed, power, and size - all the tools are secured to Moore's belt. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">A power checking, but patient, pole, Yu was the monster lurking behind Laxachusetts insane power press. His approaches were solid, and he consistently managed to land that first check when it mattered most. For one quarter, I just watched him and how he moved within the defense, talking and taking charge even when the ball was not near him. It's clear that his time with Laxachusetts and Sebs has molded him into a fundamentally sound defenseman with a wide and open stance that makes attackmen think twice about getting to the middle. Yu was also excellent at holding the line at GLE and pushing his man away from the cage. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">I was blown away by Berube's ball handling in traffic. The first time he touched the ball, he exploded upfield, dodged two attackmen, spun around a midfielder, and one-hand cradled past a fresh SSDM before rolling out and hitting a wing attackman with a perfect pass. Later in the same game, he intercepted a pass above the restraining line and powered down the middle to stick a pinpoint placed bouncer to the top corner. After that play, the faint sound of coaches all around me opening their binders at the same time was unmistakable. Berube is a truly offensive-minded LSM with an ability to match feet, throw quick checks, and turn groundballs into instant offense.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Another pole in the 2Way buzzsaw defense, Szapka used his long strides to close down even the quickest of attackmen. He was also exceptional in the two-man game, calling out "Stay!" and "Switch!" with confident conviction. Off the ball, he tucked into the backside to support, but was just as quick to press back out and smother a dodger. Watching Szapka live is sort of like watching a wrestler line up his finishing move, but you're too close to the ground to see how well he times his body-to-body shoulder drop. Not a lot of defensemen in this age group are flat-out scary, but Szapka is terrifying. </p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Fast and powerful, Thomasson was one of the best cover poles at Centerstage. His second check is absolutely devastating for attackmen who have not dodged against him. He will set it up with a poke, get in close, and then lift through the ball carrier. Not up - through. So even if the attackman goes one-handed, he's going to get a shoulder to his ribs. Forget crowbars, this is a tire iron to the solar plexus. He's also extremely loud and supremely confident. After one attackman got the better of him, but then moved the ball through, he walked right up to them and dared him to do it again. Thomasson is well on his way to being a high-level No. 1 pole. </p>
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The real stars of the Centerstage event were the class of '29. Six teams entered the fray, most of which were stacked with talent from across the country and Canada. The quality of play was excellent across the board, particularly with the more powerhouse teams like Laxachusetts, 2Way, LI Express, and Beast Canada — the latter of which came out of nowhere to go 3-0 on the day.
Here are some of the LSMs and defensemen who showed serious promise, some of whom absolutely dominated play for their respective teams.
Moore was the best LSM at Centerstage in this '29 class in nearly every measurable and immeasurable facet. He bossed the wing play, served as the conduit between the defense and the offense in the clear, and delivered punishing checks. Moore even went so far as to tackle the hot-handed face-off man at the X in an effort to stifle his progressive ability to win the ball forward. Once Moore stepped in front of him, he forced the ball out and then cleared out two guys on the loose ball to make way for his wing man to swoop in and retain a key possession in the game. Oh, and on the next play, Moore ran down another loose ball and converted it into an easy assist after he dusted the first slide. Instincts, speed, power, and size - all the tools are secured to Moore's belt.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
A power checking, but patient, pole, Yu was the monster lurking behind Laxachusetts insane power press. His approaches were solid, and he consistently managed to land that first check when it mattered most. For one quarter, I just watched him and how he moved within the defense, talking and taking charge even when the ball was not near him. It's clear that his time with Laxachusetts and Sebs has molded him into a fundamentally sound defenseman with a wide and open stance that makes attackmen think twice about getting to the middle. Yu was also excellent at holding the line at GLE and pushing his man away from the cage.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
I was blown away by Berube's ball handling in traffic. The first time he touched the ball, he exploded upfield, dodged two attackmen, spun around a midfielder, and one-hand cradled past a fresh SSDM before rolling out and hitting a wing attackman with a perfect pass. Later in the same game, he intercepted a pass above the restraining line and powered down the middle to stick a pinpoint placed bouncer to the top corner. After that play, the faint sound of coaches all around me opening their binders at the same time was unmistakable. Berube is a truly offensive-minded LSM with an ability to match feet, throw quick checks, and turn groundballs into instant offense.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
Another pole in the 2Way buzzsaw defense, Szapka used his long strides to close down even the quickest of attackmen. He was also exceptional in the two-man game, calling out "Stay!" and "Switch!" with confident conviction. Off the ball, he…
Fast and powerful, Thomasson was one of the best cover poles at Centerstage. His second check is absolutely devastating for attackmen who have not dodged against him. He will set it up with a poke, get in close, and then lift through the ball carrier. Not up - through. So even if the attackman goes one-handed, he's going to get a shoulder to his ribs. Forget crowbars, this is a tire iron to the solar plexus. He's also extremely loud and supremely confident. After one attackman got the better of him, but then moved the ball through, he walked right up to them and dared him to do it again. Thomasson is well on his way to being a high-level No. 1 pole.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
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