Draft Recap: Noarlunga Stars

We called upon head coach Sami Mantere help Eric out to tell us a bit about the Stars. 

Check out Eric's verdict and potential line combos!

General Manager: Matt Lothian
Head Coach: Sami Mantere
Assistant Coach: Jason Karutz

Forwards

Jake Riley: Arguably the most exciting player in the state who now also has proven he can play clutch when it matters. Riley led the Premier League in scoring this season with 25 goals and 46 points. He's excelled at every level he's played, including AIHL. The current "It" player in South Australian hockey.

Jan Koubek:  Player with amazing vision, creativity, passing and experience in the league. He's played high level hockey in Czech Republic, the AIHL and is always one of the assist leaders in the Premier League. He'll partner nicely with Riley down the middle.

Zach Steele: The local kid with probably the most potential to still grow as a player. He's a player with a point to prove. Zach was the captain of the Blackhawks, is still young, played hockey in Canada and is versatile. While he played defense in Premier League, he's true potential is probably as a scorer.

Daniel Chen: Complete offensive package as a 17-year-old with great skills, vision, drive and hockey IQ. Scored clutch goals in the finals of the Premier League. Great penalty killer and already a Top-10 scorer. 

Ryan Foll: You're not a top scorer of the Premier League year-after-year by accident. Reads the game well and knows how to put the puck in the net. Hungry to prove himself after sliding in the draft. Foll scored 24 goals this year and already played on a line with Koubek. 

Jarrad McDonnell: One of the best current players in A-Grade who should be playing Prem. He's hungry, good skater, hard-working and has AIHL experience. Might be a good fit on a line with elite scoring Riley and elite playmaker Koubek. 

Tyson Boyd: Experienced, tough playing forward who can chip in with points and he thrives on physicality. A long-time AIHL player. 

Kyle Collier: A hardworking defensively responsible centre who can play up-and-down the line up and even cover in defence when needed. 

Quenton Tombleson: A player who has experience in the AIHL, has a wild but strong shot, and isn't uncomfortable playing the physical game. 

Ambrose Foster: A young player with good skating and one of the most keen individuals to learn the game every day. Showed great improvement throughout the year with the Blackhawks. 

Luke Harding: As tough as they come as a power forward. Classical combination of power, size, skill and a great team-first attitude.

Sam Hodic: Huge if they can get him to come to South Australia. Plays for the Melbourne Ice. Great offensive ability and a dynamic skater who knows where the back of the net is. 

DEFENSE

Jake Hazel: Anchor on the blue line at the age of 19. He can play in all situations and play big minutes. He's been clutch in the playoffs the last two seasons with the Jokers back-to-back titles. Arguably one of the best young blue liners in the state.

Connor Smith: A good, mobile defenceman with a hugely high ceiling. A chance to show his ability with some real quality teammates and experience around him. 

Tim Benson: Head coach Sami Mantere calls him "the right Benson". Smart defenceman who moves the puck well. Rarely out of position and reads the game well. 

Marko Komazec: Talk about a guy who has climbed the ranks. He played B-Grade two years ago and now he's a Top 5 defenseman on the back-to-back Premier League champions. Started using his body more in the finals and asserted himself on the ice. 

Dave Madsen: Dumptruck is a tough, experienced and loyal teammate. Great mentor and protector for younger players. 

Jake Sinko: Young player who is starting to come out of his shell. Plays a simple game and reads the game well. 

Josh Harding: Greatest ever (south) Australian defenceman. All around top player, superb puck skills, great skater, he can play physical and is a great leader. A perfect mentor for young players. 

GOALTENDERS

Glen Forbes-White - Adrenaline goalie with very few weaknesses in the game. He can help keep a team in the game when the team in front of him is having a bad day. 

Sam Poole - Great character guy and always eager to learn. Arguably the top A-Grade goalie this year. 

POTENTIAL LINES

MacDonnell - Koubek - Riley
Chen - Steele - Foll
Boyd - Collier - Tombleson
Hodic (Wildcard!) - Harding - Foster

Hazel - Benson
Smith - Madsen 
Komazec - Sinko

Forbes-White
Poole

THE VERDICT

There's two lines at the top that shouldn't have a problem scoring at all. Koubek and Riley are a combination I think the entire state is keen to watch. The best scorer and best playmaker on a line will be a delight.

I also like the second line's scoring potential. Those are three players that can put the puck in the back of the net and Daniel Chen will create a lot of space for the others. A guy like Ryan Foll should have plenty of opportunities.

Hazel and Smith could be a combination we hear about in years going forward at the national level. Great to see them play together.

I'm a massive Glen Forbes White fan. He could put up some big numbers with the team in front of him.

To me, the key is getting Sam Hodic across. That unlocks a world of combinations - and hurt for the other teams.