Who are the best players in the Great Lakes region? This is an open thread to discuss All-Region nominations, All-Freshman nominations, coaching awards, and more. Stay positive and keep it civil.
All Region:
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Collin Rassel (Indiana). Truly a do-it-all guy for Indiana. Anchors their whole game plan. Probably the best match-up defender in the region. Has some crafty release points as well.
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Theo Shapinsky (Michigan) - one half of the two-man show that is Michigan this year. Very athletic receiver and solid deep thrower.
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Aaron Bartlett (Michigan) - The other half. Very talented thrower and always open in small spaces.
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Eric Palia (Purdue) - Takes on the toughest matchup consistently whether on O or D and still shines.
All-Freshman:
Charlie Reidel (Indiana) - Import from the triangle, already getting minutes on O lines and UP D lines. Is already a problem athletically, when his throwing tightens up he will be in the All-Region conversation.
3 Likes
Grant Harris (Chicago) should easily be all-region. He’s super super consistent, never misses a throw, has every release point in the book, and is never not open. One of the elite center handlers in college rn
2 Likes
nate astrom (Illinois) deserves all region honors. he’s an absolute dog and has been doing it all for Rise all season
Anyone who watched the regional semi-final of Illinois vs UChicago will agree that both Grant Harris (UChicago) and Nate Astrom (Illinois) deserve all-region honors
All Region:
- Grant Harris (UChicago). He sets himself apart with his quickness in small spaces and his ability to dominate on offense.
- Sean Miranda (Notre Dame). A powerful cutter who makes great decisions and who barely turns it over. Sean is great in the air, has a huge physical presence on the field, and has the ability to take over a point whether on O or D. He was instrumental in Notre Dame’s upsets during Regionals.
All Region:
Grant Harris (Chicago)
He is a tough guard in the handler space. He generates openness in small spaces and hits the breakside before a mark can even be established. He has immaculate footwork.
Nate Astrom (Illinois)
Nate is a true game breaker on both sides of the disc. He will beat you deep if you play him too close. He will beat you under and expose your defense with deep shots if you give him too much of a cushion. He plays with such a high level of energy.
Patrick Driscoll (SIUE)
Patrick is the heart and soul of an extremely young SIUE roster. He brings much needed experience and intensity. There really isn’t an answer to his offensive bag; he has nationals-level deep shots and mark-shredding breakside throws. Even so, his ability to generate openness off-ball in handler spaces may his strongest asset. He continues to be one of the toughest players to guard in the region.
All Rookie:
Jonathan Zawitkowski (SIUE)
Jonathan shoulders the offensive and defensive load of a collegiate veteran. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to watch him seamlessly transition to the next level of play. He regularly took the toughest defensive matchup against elite teams (and regularly won the matchup). He plays with such explosivity and aggression, yet he remains hyper-efficient (95%+ completion rate). He will be a hybrid threat in Great Lakes for the foreseeable future.
ALL-REGION:
Andrew Shen (Northwestern)
Andrew shouldered the bulk of Lake Effect’s downfield offense in our pre-quarters match-up. His physical gifts are obvious (speed, size, athleticism) but I was more impressed with his cut timing and patience.
Trevor Scott (Illinois)
Trevor is one of the most aggressive yet efficient center handlers in the region and was a large part of Illinois’s regular season success. He makes defenses pay by exploiting poaches with both his throws and his legs.
Joseph Lindemuth (Kentucky)
Joseph was Kentucky’s key to converting breaks in both of our postseason match-ups. He shouldered a huge offensive load and excelled in transition with his impressive pace of play.
ALL-FRESHMAN:
Putting the region on notice for the freshmen of SIUE. Hector Chaidez, Victor Chaidez, Dillon McGinnis, and Keaton Anderson all played a major role in their team’s success this year. In a stacked rookie class, Jonathan Zawitkowski stood apart with his defensive tenacity and offensive ability beyond his years. He was our answer for two of the region’s best handlers, Grant Harris and Ian Falck, and more than held his ground. His unmatched work ethic will take him far.
COACH OF THE YEAR:
Eric Badger (Illinois)
Badger’s dual investment in player development and advanced analytics helped elevate a veteran Illinois Rise squad to multiple tournament wins and a championship game appearance at Regionals. While the team came up short of its goals of making Nationals, the program is in good hands for years to come as long as Badger is in Champaign-Urbana.
All Region:
Chandler Moy (Purdue): Best wind thrower in the region. Best scoobers in College.
Ian Falck (Northwestern): Literally the entire offense for Northwestern
Grant Harris (Chicago): Ian Falck but with better defense.
Eric Palia (Purdue): Can do everything at a high level. One of the best defenders in the Region.
Pat Driscoll (SIUE): Really good
All Rookie:
Grant White (Purdue): Best around throws and too shifty
Bernie Waldman (Northwestern): Impressive reset handling for a Freshman
Coach of the year:
Ryan Tappel (Loyola Chicago): Impressive leadership
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All Region:
Ian Falck (Northwestern) Ian is impossible to guard and has a deep bag of throws NUT basically run everything through him.
Nate Astrom (Illinois) Nate does a fantastic job of both stretching the field deep as well as being dominate in the back field.
Patrick Driscoll (SIUE) Patrick does pretty much everything for SIUE, being their QB1 as well taking key defensive match ups.
Nate Pascale (Loyola) Nate is the heart and soul of Loyola, he can play both sides of the ball shutting down key players when necessary while also being the primary weapon on offensive, without him this team wouldn’t have been nearly as successful this season.
All Freshmen:
Otto Koops-Elson (Loyola) Otto has played a key role in Loyola’s Oline, getting a lot of touches while being a big threat in the deep space.
1 Like
All Region
Grant Harris(UChicago): Unstoppable in the handler space and amazing throws. A do it all guy.
Benjamin Spergel(Purdue): The motor of the o line, nobody can guard him.
Ian Falk(North Western): A one man army, he does everything for North Western.
All Freshman
Grant White(Purdue): Will brake any mark, is extremely shifty and hard to guard in open space, makes some of the crazier grabs you will ever see. He will definitely be a large part of this teams success going forward.
I can only speak to the teams that Notre Dame saw this season, but here are some players that stood out:
Ian Falck (Northwestern #8): Ian has a impressive range of throws and NUT’s offense centered around him
Eric Palia (Purdue #13): High intensity defender. Was a tough matchup in both our Conferences and Regionals games against Purdue
Patrick Schwartz (Notre Dame #8): One of the best athletes on any field he steps on. Crossed over and took on the toughest matchups all weekend for us. Had pivotal layout D’s and provided a stabilizing force on offense because he’s always open.