Maznik, Wells Lead Western Reserve (Ohio) On 3-0 Run Through MIAA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trekking to Maryland for the third consecutive spring break, head coach Dylan Sheridan and his Western Reserve program returned to Ohio after going 3-0 against the MIAA, winning 13-8 over Spalding, 10-9 over Gilman, and 9-8 over Severn. <br><br>Another sign of the program's steady improvement, the Pioneers were able to reverse their fortune after going 1-2 in Maryland last year (including a 3OT loss and another one-goal defeat) and 0-3 back in 2022. <br><br>I was able to catch all three games - two on film and a live scout of an entertaining battle with Gilman - and came away with a ton of notes on Western Reserve's standouts: <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["14921"],"_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":"On the surface, posting 13 goals and four assists in a single week is rather impressive. Still, when further context is provided — Maznik did so in a variety of ways in four days against three MIAA programsu003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e  u003c/spanu003e— it's that much more noteworthy. A multi-dimensional offensive weapon out of British Columbia, Maznik is far from an unknown, yet his continued development has been head-turning.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThat comes as no surprise, though. After each brilliant performance from Maznik, WRA head coach Dylan Sheridan always leads by raving about his work ethic, calling him the perfect example for any coach, and that's a quality that rubs off on the rest of the team, especially in a boarding school setting. Oh, the kid who puts in the most work and shoots the most outside of practice ends up producing the most on game day?u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eAgainst Spalding, Maznik scored four consecutive goals: he took it from the left wing, re-dodged to the middle and went low-to-low again, created separation off a pick then rolled before blasting a low-to-high shot then best of all, handled a low skip pass and hammered a shot with time and room. He followed that up with two more tallies in the second half.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003eTwo days later at Gilman, he posted four goals and an assist in a narrow 10-9 win over Gilman to avenge an overtime defeat in 2023. His very best came in the third quarter when he came around the net left-handed, got it back to his right, and finished before the goalie could even react. The next day, Maznik registered a hat trick along with two goals in a win over Severn. Shoot, he even got past a ref who got in the way, backing his man down, throwing a fake, stepping back then shooting through his defenseman.u003cspan class=u0022Apple-converted-spaceu0022u003e u003c/spanu003eu003cbru003eu0026nbsp;u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThe way he's able to sell a shot and use deception is flat-out ridiculous, as Maznik can make precise passes while taking advantage of the attention put on him to make his teammates look that much better. Whether it's on the attack or out of the midfield (where he started his career), I have no idea how Harvard will keep this kid off the field next year.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["15569"],"_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":"Wells' True Illinois squad was as loaded as any Midwest club in recent memory, not to mention among the best in the '24 class and full of Top 100 recruits, including two of the better defensemen in the country. Even so, did everyone (myself included) miss on this kid or has he just taken tremendous strides forward in a short time? Either way, what an absolute steal for Siena and head coach Liam Gleason.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eWells quickly caught my eye with his impact on each of the games he played during the Pioneers' spring break trip. His ability to disrupt ball-carriers routinely led to goals on the other end, and he did so as much as any other '24 close defender I've seen in person this month. He was all up in the passing lanes intercepting passes, clearing it by himself, gobbling up clean GBs in traffic, and snagging balls out of the air before passing to a teammate, sometimes even cleanly switching hands. Wells is hard-nosed and tenacious, making a habit out of eating the lunch of renowned offensive prospects. He sits in his stance, moves his feet, and checks hard as a flat-out possession ender, causing a handover of turnovers every time he steps on the field.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["22281"],"_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":"Jaeger got on my radar for his work at SSDM on the club and showcase circuit, but it's always been easier to evaluate the position in a high school setting. The Texas native and Providence commit is given a lot of responsibilities, but it's beyond apparent how much trust his coaches and teammates have in him, as he's routinely given the ball on the clear or on an island tasked with covering elite athletes. The junior captain is an excellent communicator and embraces each role and assignment, and when he makes a mistake or gets beat, he has a short memory and tends to bounce back by making an impactful play. With a knack for forcing his assignment into taking poor shots, he finished the trip with five caused turnovers and eight groundballs, and at one point in the week's finale at Severn, he rag-dolled his man above GLE then picked up the GB, a moment that popped on film.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eBetween Jaeger, classmate [player_tooltip player_id='22874' first='Caden' last='Smith'] (Marquette), and senior [player_tooltip player_id='15723' first='Mason' last='Sanden'] (UAlbany), Western Reserve's shortstick play was a huge reason why the Pioneers had so much success down in Maryland.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["15208"],"_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":"There's an idiom in sports that when you've got two goalies, then you've really got none. Well, that doesn't ring true at Western Reserve, where Budington and highly regarded classmate [player_tooltip player_id='14846' first='Tyler' last='Coryea'] (Maryland) have been splitting time this spring, often rotating who gets the first and second halves. Down in Maryland, Budington was particularly excellent, only allowing nine goals while making a whopping 37 saves, meaning he stopped 87 percent of the shots on cage across three halves of play. In addition, the timeliness of his saves stood out, with three of his seven first-half saves against Severn coming in man-down situations. He had a few saves with his body against the Admirals, but when he got his stick on shots, he always made a clean save and then led the clear with poise, tossing precise outlets and showing outstanding command outside of the crease. Viewed as somewhat of a sleeper during the recruiting process, Budington is a great pickup for the Wolverines, and all he's done is get better and make the most of each opportunity he's earned.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["22284"],"_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":"If I'm the first person to call him the 'Speed Merchant' then I'd be shocked. This kid can fly - he's that athlete you give the ball to play keep-away when running out the clock. After posting two late assists at Spalding, the future Buckeye followed that up by burying a low-to-high from the left wing at Gilman and then helped put the game away on a score with less than two minutes left. He's super shifty with the ball in his stick and doesn't necessarily need the ball to be successful. Merchant got on the board at Severn when he made a pretty cut, handled a high pass then finished with his left hand. Confident attacking the net when inverting, he's got excellent vision and does a nice job distributing the ball to his teammates from different release points.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["22865"],"_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":"A much-improved offensive asset who stands 6'0 and comes from Naples (Fla.), Peck is a Division I prospect with smooth hands and a well-rounded offensive game. He can attack defenses with either hand, open up scoring opportunities with sneaky off-ball cuts, and do little things well as a key component of the Pios' first midfield line. His total of three goals and two assists during the trip may not tell the full story — roll the tape and you'll find plenty of standout plays from Peck, including a pretty leaner.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["22861"],"_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":"Despite standing 5'8, Gall packs a punch with his nonstop motor and physical play. The Wisconsin native has an excellent stick and knows how to use it, getting out on the hands of attackmen and picking up some really impressive groundballs throughout the trip. He handles the ball well in traffic and makes the appropriate play in the clearing game as well. Another kid who has taken a step forward since the fall and is playing with confidence as a starter for WRA — the same can be said for lefty LSM [player_tooltip player_id='22871' first='Luke' last='Kloostra'], a 6'2 uncommitted junior who stood out during that three-game stretch.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66047c56d9316"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->