These youngsters stood out at the Community Clash

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the most part it was the big-name veterans who took center stage Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville where there were five games played in the Breakdown Community Clash. Minnesota stars such as [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], [player_tooltip player_id='205298' first='Jordan' last='Ode'] and [player_tooltip player_id='296527' first='Aneisha' last='Scott'] were prominent. Ditto for their North Dakota counterparts <strong>Fallon Passanante</strong>, <strong>Lakyn Donnelly</strong> and <strong>Jaiden Haile</strong>. But we're always on the lookout for promising youngsters and we found a few. Here are some talented underclassmen who stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='815083' first='Amelia' last='Ecker'] <strong>– 2028 forward, East Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Since we first discovered Ecker way back at the beginning of her 8th grade season, her game has grown leaps and bounds. Back then Amelia was long and lanky but full of potential. With newfound confidence and an ever-growing set of skills, she's a formidable presence in the Raptors frontcourt and a top 20 prospect in the class of 2028. In Saturday's matchup against Fargo Davies, Ecker was a powerhouse on the boards, using her size and strength to hit double digits in the rebound column. The 6'1 forward also showed off her post footwork touch around the rim, finishing the contest with 10 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='764197' first='Hailey' last='Sicard'] <strong>– 2027 guard, East Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Raptors sophomore impressed at Saturday's Community Clash. The 5'8 guard (pictured above) demonstrated her athleticism, quick feet, great lateral movement, and a strong, muscular build. Hailey showed tons of promise on the offensive end – she's a confident ball handler who doesn't waiver under defensive pressure. She has a quick, smooth release and shoots the ball with a high rate of efficiency. She hit three shots from beyond the arc against Fargo Davies, finishing the contest with 11 points. We also appreciated Sicard's passing abilities and willingness to fight for each possession. We lost count of the number of times she dove to the ground in pursuit of a loose ball.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1096421' first='Maren' last='Powell'] <strong>&amp;</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1177339' first='Neveah' last='Martin'] <strong>– 2028s, Rosemount</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The young Irish squad faced a challenging task on Saturday as they played Hopkins. While the meeting did not go as hoped for Rosemount, there were bright spots from a couple youngsters on the squad. Powell is a 5'11 forward who has been a key piece all year. On Saturday she proved her ability to hang when guarding the Royals' formidable frontcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='453753' first='Lauren' last='Hillesheim'] and [player_tooltip player_id='558627' first='Erma' last='Walker']. Martin is a freshman guard who provided key minutes off the bench. She showcased her athleticism, quickness, and confidence with the ball, even when under heavy defensive pressure.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1177343' first='Jacey' last='Bryan'] <strong>– 2027 guard, St. Michael-Albertville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Greenway's 4,000th point may have been the main attraction on Saturday night, we can't overlook Bryan's strong performance. The sophomore guard made an early appearance against Providence, playing significant minutes throughout the contest. For a team like STMA that has plenty of star power in [player_tooltip player_id='330743' first='Abby' last='Hoselton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'], the supporting cast plays an important role, too. The 5'8 Bryan does this well, as she plays a fundamental, reliable style of basketball that yields very few mistakes. With good size, strength, and quickness, Jacey makes for a versatile defender, as well. She also knocked a couple of shots from deep while scoring 7 first-half points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>These evaluations were written by PGH Minnesota scout Ally McGinnis.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->