IL Indoor

The Whitby Warriors have gone 6-1 since Mark Matthews' return to the city in 2011. (Photo: Ward Laforme Jr.)

Today we check in with 12 players we feel are strong contenders for this year’s IL Indoor Junior of the Year Award. At around the two-thirds mark of the season, we’ve seen some spectacular individual performances, as well as some team lifting ones too. While we also hand out nods to the sport’s top Junior ‘A’ Goalie, Defender, Rookie and Head Coach (and Minto Cup MVP), today we focus on this year’s so far best-of-the best, not simply for their reputations, but for the impact they’ve had on the 2011 season. After the jump check out those 12 names and let us know who you think deserves the JOTY if it were handed out today.

Wesley Berg – Coquitlam Adanacs
In his unofficial second season in the BCJALL (was used as an Intermediate call-up in 2010) Berg currently leads the province in scoring and has thrived beyond expectations as a versatile, clutch and lethal offensive threat for arguably the best team in the country. He’s young – a 1993 DOB – but pound-for-pound few have been as effective and consistent as Coquitlam’s leading man in 2011.

Michael Burke – Brampton Excelsiors
Everyone was Burke obsessed during his call-ups with the Seniors, but going into 2011, the buzz on the Brampton forward seemed to dissipate. It shouldn’t have. Burke has been at his absolute best this year, firing up the scoring charts in recent weeks and impacting the season like few others Canada-wide. Is on pace to demo his past regular season finishes, leading a Junior Excels side to a likely playoff spot during a season few expected much from Brampton.

Holden Cattoni – Calgary Raiders
A heavy favourite for this year’s Rookie of the Year nod, Cattoni has dominated the Alberta loop in his first season at the Junior ‘A’ level, recently passing Greg Bourret for the provincial scoring lead. “Holden Cattoni has redefined his game through playing field lacrosse and continues to grow as a complete player,” NLLer Geoff Snider, who coached Cattoni at Elev8 Lacrosse, told IL Indoor. “He’s creative, explosive, and is willing to do whatever it takes to pick up a ground ball, generate space, defend, or find the back of the net. I’m excited about what he is going to bring to Junior Lacrosse in Alberta, the NCAA at Johns Hopkins, and eventually the NLL and MLL. Holden has the potential to be an amazing player, his development and growth is going to turn a lot of heads in the next few years.” Not a bad endorsement from someone who has excelled at every level of the sport himself.

Reegan Comeault – Langley Thunder
A ROY contender last year, Comeault has elevated his game yet again, one of BC’s best pure offensive talents whose play and finish has been a big reason why the usually down and out Langley Thunder are having their best season since the move from Surrey/South Fraser.

Travis Conrwall is a versatile two-way force that has helped Coquitlam to a 15-0 start in the BCJALL. (Nicole Cornwall)

Travis Cornwall – Coquitlam Adanacs
Like we said in his NLL entry draft profile yesterday, Cornwall might be Canada’s best two-way presence currently, also a proven up front point producer who currently ranks third on BC scoring charts. He’s maybe today’s most complete and versatile JOTY contender and has been another vital piece of Coquitlam’s 2011 success.

Marty Dinsdale – Coquitlam Adanacs
Already a JOTY finalist last year, Dinsdale has continued producing at a top shelf level; an unselfish, little things right player that makes up Coquitlam’s Big 3 (with Robert Church injured and Ben McIntosh catching up).

Brody Eastwood – Victoria Shamrocks
Another Junior ‘A’ rookie, Eastwood has looked anything but while leading the Shamrocks in scoring and on pace to put up some of the best single season numbers in Victoria in quite some time (bigger than Duch, Ratcliff and others). “Brody is putting up some good numbers this year and it’s no smoke and mirrors,” Victoria Head Coach Jordan Sundher told IL Indoor. “He goes to the tough places and 90% of his goals have come within 6” of the crease. He’s always moving, cutting, back picking, and rolling to the net.  The sky is the limit for Brody.” Eastwood has stepped his game up considerably with Karsen Leung sidelined (ankle) but expected back soon, and a host of injuries on the island this year that would have crippled most other rosters.

Alex Kedoh Hill – Six Nations Arrows
Seriously, how the hell did Hill drop so deep in last year’s NLL draft? Seriously? Already impressive in 2010, Hill has dominated the OLA landscape even more so a season later; a smart, deceptive, smooth streaking forward that can gun the ball back-net on angles most would be second guessing themselves on all day. Confident but not cocky, skilled but hard working, Hill is likely the front frontrunner from today’s elite group.

Joel Matthews has continued to lead the Athletics impressive offensive cast in 2011. (Photo: Ward Laforme Jr.)

Joel Matthews – St. Catharines Athletics
The A’s offensive leader on a lately very dangerous scoring cast, Matthews is one of the OLA’s most versatile, feared, proven and intelligent forwards, currently behind just Kedoh Hill and Burke on the province’s scoring charts. He even dropped the mitts with a beyond tough Shane Cater this week, Matthews a character leader that is more than your everyday point producer.

Mark Matthews – Whitby Warriors
Last year Matthews missed out on JOTY consideration due to his lack of regular season minutes, as we’ve always required winners to have played at least two-thirds of their team’s season (Ontario 14GP, B.C. 14GP and Alberta 13GP). What he did in Coquitlam was definitely hardware worthy, and is again during his season back in Whitby this year. It’s no coincidence that the Warriors elevated play kick started upon his arrival, Whitby 6-1 since Matthew’s return from Denver University. Although Matthews currently has more G’s (20) than A’s (17), he truly is one of the Junior ‘A’ game’s best floor generals that can thread the needle from the unlikeliest of places on the floor. If Matthews plays in Whitby’s remaining 7 games, he will have played the required amount to be considered for IL’s JOTY.

Johnny Powless might be Canada's hottest goal scorer this year, currently leading the country with 45G. (Ward Laforme Jr.)

Jeremy Noble – Orangeville Northmen
For a lot of the same reasons mentioned in regards to Matthews above (his teammate at DU), Noble has taken the Horn Heads from struggling in the standings to an impressive win streak (10 total, 8 with him on the roster), sticking the Northmen back into the top of the table and back into Minto favourite talk. His unmatched stick skills and ability to open the floor for his teammates make Noble one of the most important offensive players and biggest difference makers in Canada.

Johnny Powless – Six Nations Arrows
Maybe the hottest twig in the country right now, Powless has followed up his ROY 2010 season with an even bigger one 12 months later. Averaging under 2 goals per game over his first six games of the season, Powless has dominated gamesheets since, now easily producing over a hat-trick a game and leading the OLA (and Canada) with 45 goals in 15 starts. His hands around the net are filthy and his smooth release is just as dirty. Only 17-years-old and already dominating the highest level of the Junior game, it’s absolutely unbelievable how insanely good Powless already is.

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