Comets Shootout: First Look
Several teams played last week but the Minnesota spring/summer season really gets started locally this weekend with most teams playing. Here is a look at the 17U pools of the Comets Shootout.
(Pool A). Comets Elite, North Dakota Phenom 2, Select Leafbad. The host has maybe their most talented roster ever.
(Pool B). D1 Minnesota, Minnesota Ice, Twin Cities Finest. D1 Minnesota went down to the Real Deal on the Hill along with many other top teams and made the semi-finals their first weekend.
(Pool C). Fury Wilde, MN Crossfire, MNbball. Crossfire is an improving program but can they get an upset? Not likely with Michael Jones being one of the top scorers.
(Pool D). Minnesota Select, SE Minnesota Lightning, WC Wildcats. Select has a nice squad this year and many of them have played together in the past. They should role pool play.
(Pool E). WOTN, Heat Johnson, Powerhouse White (2). A chance for that Bryce Phillips and Dalton Kubista pair to get after it.
(Pool F). Minnesota Eagles, Twin Ports Pride, WI Play Hard. The state champs (AV) AAU squad gets going with a Duluth team and a Wisconsin are team.
(Pool G). WI Playmakers 2, Minneapolis FAB, Mpls Patriots. The Patrick Henry squad after it again, second Playmakers team, and the FAB squad which I think is a team that could really make a weekend run.
(Pool H). Powerhouse Minnesota, D1 Mn Prospects, Andover. Andover is the third high school squad we’ve seen, Powerhouse is a preseason top 4-5 level squad and should make a run.
(Pool I). ND Phenom, WI Playmakers 3, Comets Little. North Dakota Phenom up front is big. Really big. They have thick four men, a huge center, and threes that play like aggressive attacking fours.
(Pool J). Comets Servaty, WOTN 2, WC Wildcats 2. Comets Servaty is fighting to be a top ten squad once again. Seem to have the talent for it.
(Pool K). ECI Prospects, tMBA, Holdingford. Another HS team getting into Comets action but ECI is the favorite. Very similar team to last year when their 16s had success this same weekend.
(Pool L). Fury Antl, Grassroots 2, Comets 4. Don’t know much about any of these teams but should have a better idea after this weekend.
(Pool M). Crossfire, WC United. Maybe this is the top Crossfire team, and the team in Pool C is team two.
(Pool N). Heat Pratt, Select Ellis. Heat Pratt is the Heat squad in the SPTS league this year and likely considered the top team.
(Pool O). MN Phenom, MN Magic. Phenom often has a strong hint of Park Center while the Magic has been getting after it and is ready for a big year.
(Pool P). D1 Rise, Rip City. The Rise club is expected to be a real up and comer this year with some good talent but they will have to fight through an always energetic Rip City group.