Sandis Rittmann '19 Recruiting Profile

Youtube Channel with unedited game and Jr A tryouts video footage : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe66WdKZFTnGSIXL73m2PXA

MINOR BUCKLE FRACTURE IN RADIAL BONE IN LEFT WRIST. NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE REST OF U16 TRYOUTS (SATURDAY AUGUST 6TH 2PM)

ELITE 16U TRYOUTS FOR CENTRAL TEAM IN MN, MEDPL, CCM HIGH PERFORMANCE LEAGUE: AUGUST 6TH AND 7TH at Plymouth ICE CENTER IN PLYMOUTH, MN

RED TEAM #86

AUGUST 6: 10:30AM-12:30PM RINK C & 50:15-7:15PM RINK C

AUGUST 7: 10:15AM-12:15PM RINK B

I have two main goals in life:

1. First I want to graduate high school and then graduate college with a 4 year degree in either Criminal Justice and Corrections, Political Science and Government, or Fitness and Physical Education.

2. I want to play play NCAA hockey while I finish my 4 year degree..

The broken bone in my right hand is HEALED! Received Dr's OKAY TO PLAY HOCKEY!

I am a great skater; very stable, use the full length of my stride and  skate blade. I have very flexible hips which means I transition excellently and easily. My skating skill means I create space where there isn’t much space using my edges and transitioning abilities to move the play in an unexpected direction, making smart plays and passes up to teammates. I play either right or left defense, depending on my defense partner. I was one of only two freshmen on my high school team last season and the only freshman defenseman on the team.  

I consider myself a finesse 2-way defenseman. I have had cumulative season +/- stats that are high on the plus side. I don't often have games with a +/- that is zero, and think I only had one game last season where I had a +/- for a game equal to zero or -1.

I hold the blue line in our offensive zone, but aware of opposing players trying to sneak behind me for a breakaway play. Players don't sneak behind me much because of this. I shoot on net from the blue line, hoping to be on net and score a goal, or create play in front of the net for my teammates. I always look for the pass deep offensively from my blue line, but will dump the puck to keep it in if I can't get a shot off and can't see a pass to make. In a season, my assists are usually at leat double the number of assists in a season than goals. I also tend to be a blue line sneak, going deep if I think I can safely, pushing the opposition goalie harder or open up an unexpected play with a fourth player down for a pass or shot.

In front of my goalie, I think goalie first. Where is my goalie? Am I blocking his view, can he see? I think about where the puck is, where the play is moving. I give up my body to deflect shots. I don't think about those bruises til after the game. I look for rebounds if I can't get that first shot deflected safely. I look for passing lanes and block them, giving up my body if I need to making sure a pass doesn't connect. I don’t let opposing players park in front of the net. I'm great with my stick defensively. Often that shot a player thinks he's gonna snap is missed when that player's stick suddenly can't hit the ice. I am also great at poke checks, especialy when I am closing a gap on a rush and need to stretch my body and stick to make sure I shut down and/or disconnect a play. I use my defense partner. I'll play either side, or switch back and forth, staying back when my partner is on the boards so I can pick up the puck coming free. I'm on the boards when the play is on my side, pushing to get that puck up and out of my zone. ,

I have excellent vision of the ice and play development,  and understand how a play is developing or will develop. This gives me two advantages. The first is I know where and how to stop opposition plays early in play development. The second is I have an excellent and spot on first pass up out of my defensive zone.  Sometimes that pass up is a quick short pass up to a forward on the go, sometimes the pass is cross ice or banking off the boards to my partner or off the boards up to a moving forward, and sometimes I hang on and skate the puck up or use my feet to create space if I'm in a crowded part of the ice.

My ability to understand how plays develop makes it easier for me to send up a  SMART first pass, or even make the decision to skate the puck up until there is a smart first pass to send. SMART first passes are hard to intercept;  they are tape to tape hard passes to teammates moving up the ice. SMART first passes create offensive opportunities.

I am a defenseman who LOVES to score goals (and collect assists). I am not selfish first make the pass if I can. But, because I LOVE to score goals, I TRY to score goals. I’ve scored goals carrying the puck up from my defensive zone, moving around and through opposing players.  I’ve skated in from the neutral zone through multiple opposing players to get a shot on net or nab a goal. I snuck deep from my offensive blue line into my offensive zone, to catch a pass and be the unexpected ‘4th forward’ catching a quick pass and either shooting on net or setting up a teammate with a better angle for a shot on net. I've scored goals on slaps or wrists from my blue line. And even though I love to score goals, setting up a play cleanly for my teammates is one of the best feelings a defenseman can have (other than closing that gap and shutting down a breakaway).

Sometimes I get crushed, and sometimes I get beat, and occasionally if I sneak in deep I get caught deep, resulting in the other team getting a breakaway.  I never WANT those things to happen. But on occasion they do. On the plus side, I have a great habit of being at least one of the defensemen on the ice when my team scores a goal; and tend to NOT be one of the defensemen on the ice when the other team scores a goal.

I rarely hesitate to get dirty into the corners. However, I have only been injured playing hockey once when checked from behind. My head was up, but my hand was crushed against the boards at a weird angle so ended up with a broken bone in my right hand. I dive right into the corners and the play willing to play dirty if I know I won't get caught, I am very careful to not injure other players. My skating skill and great feet have a handy way of making it really hard for opposing players to actually finish a check on me. I step aside from most checks without stepping out or away from the play. I have a dirty/clean style. I am very hard to knock off my skates, and think it is okay to get a little dirty as long as you don't get called and do not injure anyone.

I am used to a lot of ice time, and try to keep my feet moving the entire time while on the ice. Every play on the ice is an opportunity to win or lose that play. If I play my position right, either myself or a teammate  comes off the boards with the puck.

I've struggled with academics and am bringing my GPA up in my first year in high school and summer school 2016l. I aim for a 3.0 cumulative GPA by graduation, maybe even higher.

I have a very tough coach, and he has pushed me to my limits in academics, hockey, personal responsibility, personal accountability, and my actions towards others ensuring I always maintain respectability. We have to work extremely hard to dress for a game and if a player doesn’t meet coach’s expectations that player won’t dress.  

I have extensive dryland strength, agility, and conditioning training scheduled for this summer. Along with next year's team on ice training during the summer, I’m also going to a power skating workshop, 4-day a week strength and conditioning training, and preseason 'Captain's Practice' before 2016-17 school year which is practice not led by our coach.

My team from last year, Apollo High School Hockey, is combining with Tech High School Hockey in 2016-2017 school year. The level the team plays is 1A in the central lakes conference.

This summer I attended the NAHL Brookings Blizzard Pre-Draft Camp. I am also attending the Princeton University Elite Showcase Camp (Group 1) July 15-17 at Princeton U.  August 6 & 7 I will be and MN Elite Development Prep League (affiliated with CCM Elite) 16U elite tryouts for the Central team in the MN division. I was nominated to try out by the director of the MEDPL, and expect to try out against 50-54 other players for 20 roster spots and 5 alternate roster spots. Lastly I plan to attend the OJHL Markham Royals Main Camp August 17-21 in Markham, Ontario. That Main Camp begins on my 16th birthday!

I have been invited to four NAHL main camps and three NA3HL main camp this summer: The WI Janesville Jets July 6-9,  the MN Austin Bruins July 6-8, the Wichita Falls Wildcats July 28-31, the Odessa Jackalopes July 28-31, the N. Iowa Bulls August 12-14, the Alexandria Blizzard, and the Breezy Point North Stars August 6-7. I had to decline these invites even though I really wish I could go to those camps. I am in summer school through July 14 and some dates conflict with my summer school, some dates conflict with other camps, and others conflict with my family schedule. I could't let hockey interfere with my school this summer as I need to get my GPA up and keep on track to graduate on time in 2019.  I am happy to say I completed summer school July 13th!