15. 99 D Connor Mayer – Benilde-St. Margaret’s (MN) – 5’10 – 155
The former Benilde junior varsity squad member this past season may be the player who has most glaringly found his game (and confidence) over the past nine months out of his entire age group. He’s more out of the Luke McInnis (BC) or Jake Ryczek (UNH) mold than he is the next Chad Krys or future Benilde teammate Ben Newhouse (Union) – that is to say, Mayer can play, but it’s his body of work that ends up impressing more than any one dominating shift on the puck we would reference.
He plays with great pace and processes the game quickly to maintain being effective when the tempo picks up a few notches, but for a guy with those faculties, he battles and will go to war on the walls if necessary. Zips his outlets quick and clean, very accurate and some of his seeing-eye looks are very heady. Keeps a solid gap that should get better with his excellent skating tools and owns an active stick that he defends with often, doesn’t give up too much, and to boot can skate to contain pretty well. His wrist shot, too, is a weapon. It comes off the blade not unlike his passes – quick and accurate – often to dangerous areas. Playing with more confidence than nearly all of the “more highly-touted” prospects we have seen lately. Will look for him to continue to add awareness in all three zones and size, already has a slightly explosive push-off to his first step that should only become more pronounced as he develops.
