Centerstage Standouts: Six Impressive ’29 Attackmen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The real stars of the Centerstage event were the 2029s. 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> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are some of the attackmen who made incredible first impressions for multiple college coaches in attendance. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["218565"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aea51423e902"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">For me, Rauch was one of the most dynamic scorers at Centerstage. His shot velocity, even with a stick in his face and a slide bearing down, was eye-popping. However, he is far from just a power shooter; Rauch turns the corner like an F-1 sled. More importantly, that turn isn't just a long run from X; it's a hard catch-and-go with a hitch that sent more than a few overzealous longpoles flying past him. It's a matter of quickness versus flat-out speed; Rauch is equally quick with his decision-making, feet, and execution in front of the net. Even when he missed shots, it always felt like the next goal was inevitable - because it often was.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["218566"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aea51423e938"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">You know you're not going to get through a tournament with a Canadian team in it and miss out on a rising star on the offensive side of the ball. Kitchen was that guy at Centerstage, making plays away from the ball, riding back to the half-line and turning long balls into stolen passes, which he then transformed into scoring chances. Of course, he's a lefty, and while he split time in a few games, he was always on the field when Beast Canada needed a goal. His release looks pretty standard, but judging by how many balls he got past the goaltenders, it was anything but. That superior accuracy got him a ton of goals, but he worked his tail off to get the ball, backed up shots, and hit the second pass as well. What's more, Kitchen did all of that without being a ball-dominant player, either.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["173496"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aea51423e95a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">While his brother impressed on the defensive side of the ball, Kai came in as Laxachusetts' power shooter from the wing. He can also finish with either hand and made interior defenders nervous every time he cut through the middle near the crease. In front of the net, Yu is a creative finisher with a flair for the dramatic. It's not that he's going out of his way to do anything too crazy, but the way he contorts his body to get the maximum pop on the ball makes it seem like he's being pulled by invisible ropes. Yu also excels at driving back to the net with his second dodge, hoping to pull the slide, but if it never arrives, he's happy to deposit the ball back to its home in the back of the net. Watching him score with such enthusiasm made me want to add St. George's to my ISL streaming season pass. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["173025"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aea51423e979"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another lefty with another set of skills that made him very difficult to match up against, Siris was the field general for his LI Express squad. In fact, the first note I have on him is that he's "an escape artist" because he constantly beat doubles and back checks with his masterful stick protection. In essence, he was the pressure release valve whenever there was a stall out at X, the left wing, or up top. He did get some midfield reps, but it's pretty clear that the right side of the field belonged to him when the game got close. The way Siris was able to just draw defenders out and glide past them was really exemplary; he made it look supremely easy, even though it was clear that defenses were keyed in on stopping his influence. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["218567"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aea51423e997"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Crofton's hands were just at another level at Centerstage. More than once, more than twice, more than even three times, he caught a ball that was nowhere near where it was supposed to be, and Crofton just flat-out slung it to a better place. When you pair that with his elite cutting in and around the cylinder, he was a walking bucket. Still, Crofton didn't always need service because he had enough quickness to beat his man. It's just so obvious that his ability to score with just a little help made him a key part of his team's entire offensive philosophy. Elite hands, excellent off-ball movement, and always looking for the next pass made Crofton one of the most dangerous attackmen at the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->