“Craig, why don’t you ever talk about this kid? He leads the state in scoring!”

“This kid is sick! He scored five goals in a game.”

“Why no love for that kid? He’s number one in the state.”

Alright, alright, alright. Alright! You wanna talk about the leading producers in the state? Let’s do it. We’re back into the swing of Dream Team of the Week after a two-week hiatus for a stretch of showcases, I’ll dive back into Week 13 keying in on some of the top producers in MI-HS. Comes with a slight caveat in that I’ve already picked Ian Smith (Plymouth, 2020) who leads the state in assists, Brady Rappuhn (Saginaw Heritage, 2020) whose top in points and Michael Leighton (Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2020) with the best goals-against average.

So without repeating picks from earlier in the year, let’s highlight some of the top producers in high school hockey. 

TOP PERFORMERS

Week Thirteen

Monday, February 10th - Sunday, February 16th

FORWARD, Senior Sebastian Smith, Pinckney

SCHEDULE: 2/12 vs. Chelsea, 2/17 @ Dexter

With 42 goals in 20 games, Smith leads all of Michigan in scoring. He has points in all but one game for the Pirates, and has 37 more points than anyone else on his team. That is WILD! Pinckney sits at .500 through 20 games on the season, and will face two SEC-White opponents with a chance to build some momentum nearing the playoffs. In his last six games against Chelsea and Dexter, the four-year senior has totaled eight goals and 14 points dating back to his junior season.

FORWARD, Senior John Gardiner, South Lyon Unified

SCHEDULE: 2/11 @ Howell, 2/17 @ Troy United

His 63 points are second in the state and one off from the lead. Gardiner has a nice supporting cast around him in Mitchell Skamiera and Caleb Mulcahy, and 24 of his points have come via special teams. He’s a big, solid center with good speed on the rush and has a 15-game multi-point streak on the line heading into a tough Tuesday matchup. The first-year senior has led SLU to a 16-8-0 record and a Lakes Valley Conference championship.

FORWARD, Junior Ryan Herzog, Riverview

SCHEDULE: 2/13 vs. Divine Child, 2/15 @ Gibraltar Carlson

Herzog is third in the state with 32 assists, and has an even 50 points on the season — one more than his previous career high. Both games this week are rematches from earlier in the season. Saturday’s opponent, Gibraltar Carlson, is the only team to keep Herzog off the score sheet when they defeated the Pirates 4-0 on November 30th, so it’s a nice chance at redemption for the three-year junior. He’s a real nice playmaker and careful with the puck, distributing a lot of those assists to classmate Gavin Holmes.

DEFENSEMAN, Junior Derek Hebner, Petoskey

SCHEDULE: 2/11 @ Traverse City West, 2/14 @ Cheboygan, 2/15 vs. TBD

Hebner leads all defensemen in scoring with 25 goals and 42 points. With three games on the slate, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to produce, especially against TC West and Cheboygan; two teams he’s already scored on this season. Hebner has seven multi-goal games, and two in the last week, so he’s capable of taking over a game from the back end. If the Northmen are going to change their luck against this week’s opponents, Hebner will need to have a couple big performances.

DEFENSEMAN, Junior Casen Faustyn, Okemos

SCHEDULE: 2/15 @ Kalamazoo United

Faustyn’s 39 points on the season is second in the state among defensemen. There’s only one game on the slate for the Chiefs this week (according to The Hub) but that’s plenty for the junior to put together a productive week. Six times this season, Faustyn has compiled three points  in a single game and the team is 19-1 when he gets on the score sheet. Up until last week, Okemos had felt like a team of destiny, pulling out miraculous wins in thrilling fashion. Faustyn can help the squad finish on a high note and head into playoffs with momentum.

GOALIE, Senior Andrew Lowen, South Lyon Unified

SCHEDULE: 2/11 @ Howell, 2/17 @ Troy United

Nobody has more wins in 2019-20 than Lowen. The senior has an 18-2-0 record and has won 14 straight starts, including wins over Midland Dow, Northville and Allen Park. The three-year senior maintains a 1.77 goals-against average and .941 save percentage, thanks to his good size and reliable footwork in net. With 39 career victories, Lowen will have two cracks at reaching the 40-win plateau; an impressive milestone for MI-HS goaltenders.

Alright stat stuffers, let’s see what you got! Season is nearing its end, so let’s all finish strong and hit me up on Twitter while there’s still some games left to talk about.