Pucks: Advanced 16 and 17 Final 54, Minnesota NIT underway in Plymouth

Minnesota's prep boy's hockey superstuds are strutting their games at the Minnesota Hockey/USA Hockey Advanced National 16 and 17 Final 54 Festival and Minnesota National Invitational Tournament this weekend at Plymouth Ice Center.

The 16s and 17s are competing for individual invites to USA Hockey national player development camps June 24-30 (16s) and July 7-13 (17s) in Rochester, New York.

Team Minnesota Senior All-Stars and Team Minnesota U-18s are competing against all-star teams from Michigan, North Dakota and Wisconsin in the NIT tourney.

In Advanced 16s and 17s, USA Hockey has slotted Minnesota two goalies, 10 forwards and eight defensemen for the 16s (1994 birth year), and one goalie, eight forwards and five defensemen for 17s (1993).

Small teams of mostly Minnesota high school hockey coaches will serve as evaluators this weekend, and will submit their recommendations to USA Hockey late Sunday.

"USA Hockey will notify players who advance," said John Peterson of Minnesota Hockey.

Twelve district festivals are held nationwide.

WHITE

Remaining Game
Sunday 10:15 a.m. -- vs. Advanced 16 Blue

Roster
G -- Zach Thompson (Duluth Denfeld), Collin Olson (Apple Valley)

D -- Charlie Heller (Lakeville South), Jonah Johnson (Hill Murray), Derick Kuchera (Eagan), Zach MacQueen (Shattuck/St. Mary's), Jon Plaszcz (Eastview), Brady Skjei (Lakeville North)

F -- Eric Brenk (Moorhead), Max Coatta (Minnetonka), Will Merchant (Eagan), Lou Nanne (Edina), Jake Randolph (Duluth East), TJ Roo (Totino-Grace), Zach Stepan (Shattuck/St. Mary's), Jared Thomas (Hermantown), Dom Toninato (Duluth East)

RED

Remaining Game
Sunday 8 a.m. -- Advanced 16 White

Roster
G -- Blake Cates (Stillwater), Anders Jecha (Benilde-St. Margaret's)

D -- Drew Aspinwall (Maple Grove), Lance Carney (White Bear Lake), Jake Horton (Benilde-St. Margaret's), Ian Janco (Bloomington Jefferson), Meirs Moore (Duluth East), Matt Pilot (South St. Paul)

F -- Newton Fuller (Minneapolis West), Jake Guentzel (Woodbury), Blake Hallenberg (Wayzata), Nick Kuchera (Eagan), Adam Lovick (Centennial), Kyle Osterberg (Lakeville South), Tony Paulson (Maple Grove), Levi Talarico (Duluth Denfeld), Tyler Vesel (Shattuck/St. Mary's)

BLUE

Remaining Game
Sunday 12:30 p.m. -- vs. Advanced 16 Red

Roster
G -- Aaron Dingman (Wayzata), Anders Franke (Elk River)

D -- Jordan Freberg (Maple Grove), Joe Freemark (Lakeville South), Matt Halverson (Wayzata), Vince Pedrie (Apple Valley), Jacob Peterson (St. Cloud Tech), Matthew Stumpf (Little Falls)

F -- Nate Arentz (Lakeville North), Andrew Commers (St. Thomas Academy), C.J. Franklin (Forest Lake), Steve Holappa (Duluth East), Jordan Jancze (Hill-Murray), A.J. Michaelson (Apple Valley), Jake O'Borsky (Red Wing), Bo Pieper (Shattuck/St. Mary's), Dylan Steman (Maple Grove), Gage Torrel (Monticello)

ADVANCED 17

BLUE

Remaining Game
Sunday 12:30 p.m. -- vs. Advanced 17 Blue

Roster
G -- Bodhi Engum (Burnsville), Ryan Coyne (Maple Grove)

D -- Eric Schurhamer (St. Thomas Academy), Miles Death (Wayzata), Ryan Bullock (Blake), Tyler Robert (Cretin-Derham Hall), Andy Welinski (Duluth East), Max Everson (Edina)

F -- Alex Harvey (Lakeville South), Michael Sit (Edina), Max Bikinied (White Bear Lake), Judd Peterson (Duluth Marshall), Cullen Hurley (Holy Angels), Ben Greiner (Shattuck/St. Mary's), Ben Walker (Edina), Kevin Becker (Hill-Murray), Derek Frawley (Minnetonka)

WHITE

Remaining Game
Sunday 8 a.m. -- vs. Advanced 17 Red

Roster
G -- Charlie Lindgren (Lakeville North), Alex Glockner (Minnetonka)

D -- Garrett Schmitz (Red Lake Falls), Kevin Schultze (Hill-Murray), Mitch Hall (St. Cloud Tech), Nate Repensky (Duluth East), Nick Seeler (Eden Prairie), Taylor Fleming (St. Thomas Academy)

F -- Josh Erickson (Roseau), Steven Fogarty (Edina), Justin Kloos (Lakeville South), Austyn Young (South St. Paul), Ben Bahe (Hill-Murray), Nick DeCenzo (Hibbing), Jonny Brodzynski (Blaine), Zac McCarver (North St. Paul), E. J. Faust (Blake), Thomas Schutt (Minnetonka)

Good Read: The inaugural Minnesota NIT could expand to include more states, according to Loren Nelson, editor of Minnesota Hockey Hub. Read more.