Vote: Who should be SBLive's Minnesota high school Athlete of the Week? (12/12/2023)

Here are the candidates for the Minnesota High School Athlete of the Week for Dec. 4-10.
Read through the nominees and cast your vote. Voting will conclude Sunday at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced Monday.
If you would like to make a nomination in a future week, please email athleteoftheweek@scorebooklive.com with “MNHSAW Nomination” in the subject line.
Editor’s Note: Our Athlete of the Week feature and corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. However, we do not allow votes that are generated by script, macro or other automated means. Athletes that receive votes generated by script, macro or other automated means will be disqualified.
Minnesota high school Athlete of the Week
Kam Hendrickson, Chanhassen
The Storm goalie absolutely shined in a 2-3 overtime loss to Minnetonka. Facing an attack primarily composed of D1 recruits, Hendrickson finished with 32 saves and a .914 save percentage, the highest mark of any goalie against the Skippers thus far.
Brayden Graning, Becker/Big Lake
An unexpected hero for the Eagles, Graning propelled himself into the list of top scorers statewide after scoring 14 points across only three games. Graning currently leads the state with 24 points on the year, and the Eagles are flying high at 4-1.
Leo Gabriel, White Bear Lake
The junior goalie for the Bears has continued to show out for his team. Gabriel put up a 31-save shutout against a rock-solid Cretin program, and his perfect performance was much needed in this contest, as White Bear narrowly squeaked out a 1-0 victory.
Logan Lutner, Maple Grove
Lutner may be a defenseman, but make no mistake, this kid can turn on the afterburners in the offensive zone as well. Lutner netted three goals against Osseo, earning his first career hat trick in the process. The sophomore has seven points on the season so far, and should only continue to earn minutes the way he is playing.
Vinny Cappelleri, Delano
The Delano defenseman had a big day this past week against Breck. Facing a goalie that saves 43 shots and keeps the game low-scoring is never fun for an attack, but Cappelleri stepped up in overtime, delivering the game-winning goal to lift his team to a 4-3 victory.
Isaac Nguyen, Breck
Speaking of Breck goalies, Isaac Nguyen was lights out this last week. Despite his team being out paced 47 shots to 27, Nguyen kept his team in the game until he final goal was netted in overtime. His 43 saves and .915 save percentage were great numbers considering the guy was in the net for nearly 60 minutes, and his performance should be a good omen going forward.
Carson Pilgrim, Warroad
The Warrior forward caught fire this past weekend, scoring nine points across two games to the tune of five goals, four assists, and most importantly, two wins. Warroad is on fire at 5-1, and Pilgrim’s stellar performance so far this year is a big reason why this team is winning games.
Henry Hartquist, Luverne
Facing a New Ulm program that has scored nearly nine goals a game, Hartquist and the Luverne defense shined, keeping their goalie clean and holding New Ulm’s attack to only 15 shots in the process. Hartquist picked up an assist in the game, and Luverne picked up a decisive 6-1 victory
Ayla Puppe, Northfield
Puppe scored nine points in one game. Yes, you read that right. In a 21-0 thrashing over Austin, Puppe racked up four goals and five assists in one game, an absurd number. Through nine games on the season, Puppe already has 39 points to her name, a number that leads the state by a landslide.
Dani Strom, Maple Grove
Facing a strong Eden Prairie team that threatened to upend Maple Grove’s winning streak, Strom flashed the leather, saving 20 shots en route to a 2-0 shutout victory. Thanks in part to her efforts between the pipes, the Crimson have rolled out to a 7-1 record.
Emily Spencer, Bloomington Jefferson
Talk about perfect timing. With the game on the line and deadlocked in overtime against Waconia, Spencer buried her first varsity goal on the season, lifting Bloomington Jefferson to a 5-4 victory.
Emma Saarloos, Luverne
As a goalie, there is no greater pressure than an overtime game, yet Saarloos appeared unphased at such a daunting task. The sophomore goalie saved 32 shots, helping lift her team to a 3-4 overtime victory.
Ilsa Lindaman, Duluth Marshall
Lindaman notched 10 points in two games over this past week, and her performance in the offensive zone helped lift her team to two more victories. She is second in the state with 36 points to her name, and Marshall has shot out to a 9-1 record on the year.
Ericah Folden, Brainerd/Little Falls
Folden had two shutouts of vastly different proportions this past week, but both added on to her impressive total of five on the season. She blanked River Lakes with only eight saves, but her thirty save shutout against St. Cloud proved she can stonewall even the most pestering of attacks. Folden and Brainerd/Little Falls have both been off to a hot start, and it will be interesting to see if they can keep up their collective dominance.
Mia Miller, Northfield
An assists machine compared to Puppe’s constant scoring, Miller put up eight assists across two games, including a six-point performance against Austin. She’s only a sophomore, but even so, Miller is among Northfield’s most crucial pieces on the ice.
Macy Mueller, Northfield
Yet another Northfield superstar, Mueller has been locking down opposing attacks and securing her team plenty of wins in the process. So far this season, Mueller boasts a 9-0 record and five shutouts to go with a staggeringly high .947 save percentage, all numbers that have helped maintain Northfield’s reputation as one of the top teams in the state.
CJ Armstrong, Richfield
In most instances, a team is going to win when one of its athletes puts up 50 points, and Richfield proved to be no exception to this rule. The team put up plenty of points, but it was Armstrong who put on a clinic against St. Cloud Tech, racking up 52 points as he led his team to a 83-66 victory.
Kam’Ron Solomon, Hiawatha Collegiate
The Hiawatha Collegiate guard has been nothing short of outstanding so far this year. Through only five games, Solomon has buried 28 3-pointers on 58 shots, meaning this guy makes over half of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Kyle Steinke, Mankato West
Steinke was excellent in his last game against Warroad. Coming off a game in which the Scarlets struggled to spark any offense, Steinke reignited his team by putting up 27 points, a statline that helped his team secure a 80-63 victory and push its record up to 3-1.
King James, Hiawatha Collegiate
With a name that cool, this kid was bound to be great, but this type of performance is just plain absurd. Despite being a freshman, the 6-foot-6 forward leads the state in rebounds with 58, meaning he averages over 11 boards per game.
Jack Robison, Lakeville North
Despite losing a 79-81 heartbreaker, Robison was doing everything in his power to will his team to victory. The senior forward had 25 points, nine rebounds, and shot 36% from three, and his effort did not go unnoticed.
Maddyn Greenway, Providence Academy
Greenway might need to switch her name to Ms. Consistency, because in every game she plays, she is the best athlete on the court. Greenway has scored no less than 30 points in each of her six games so far this season, and even has a 43-point performance to her name already. Providence Academy has roared out to a 6-0 start, and Greenway’s heroics are likely a good reason as to why.
Analaya Salanoa, Roseville
The freshman phenom currently leads the state in 3-pointers with 30, and the 18.8 points she scores per game isn’t half bad, either. Salanoa has quickly earned a reputation as one of the sharpest shooters in the state, and her potential is unreal considering her freshman classification.
Morgan Mathiowetz, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s
Speaking of freshman superstars, Mathiowetz is coming off an excellent game herself. Against Red Rock Central, Mathioweitz put up 29 points on 61% shooting, a level of efficiency that is sure to derail an opposing program. However, what is even crazier is that this is below Mathiowetz’s season average of 63% from the field. Simply put, she is an elite scorer, with three more years to get even better
Hope Counts, Providence Academy
Another Providence Academy athlete, Counts is a monster on the defensive side of things. She averages 9.8 rebounds per game, and has racked up 18 blocks so far on the season, an average of three per game. Counts has been a big part of Providence’s early season hot streak, and her defensive prowess should continue to lift this team to new heights.
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