October 8, 2008
Recruiting Trail: Top 10 Goaltenders

Year in and year out, coming up with the list of incoming goaltenders proves to be the most difficult undertaking of putting together INCH's Recruiting Rankings. Why that is, we're not sure — perhaps it's due in part to the netminder's singular status in a team sport — but we do know that it's a chore every fall.

Truth be told, building the 2008 goalie rankings was a fairly smooth process. We easily whittled our prelimary list to a collection of about a dozen prospects. After getting the opinions of coaches and scouts, we shuffled the candidates to come up with a top 10 list. Michigan State goalie Drew Palmisano tops this year's rankings. He's stuck behind incumbent Jeff Lerg, however, so don't be shocked if North Dakota's Brad Eidsness provides more of an immediate impact.

Inside College Hockey compiled its 2008 Recruiting Rankings with extensive input from college coaches as well as professional scouts. Participants were asked to evaluate recruits based on their projected impact at the college level, not on their professional hockey prospects.

TOP 10 INCOMING GOALTENDERS

No.

Name

 School Last Team

1.

Drew Palmisano

 Michigan State Omaha (USHL)

His list of accomplishments: 2008 USA Hockey Goalie of the Year, 2008 USHL Playoff MVP; 2007 and 2008 All-USHL Second Team; and 2007 USHL Goalie of the Year.

2.

Brad Eidsness

 North Dakota Okotoks (AJHL)

The 2008 Alberta Junior Hockey League Most Valuable Player led the circuit in wins (29) and posted a .933 save percentage, tying the league's single-season mark in that category.

3.

Allan York

 Rensselaer Camrose (AJHL)

A Ryan Miller-ish 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, York won top goaltending honors at Canada's Junior A championship, the Royal Bank Cup, for the second consecutive season.

4.

Taylor Nelson

 Ferris State Humboldt (SJHL)

Nelson backstopped Humboldt to the 2008 Royal Bank Cup title, capping the tournament by shutting out Joe Colborne's Camrose Kodiaks in the championship game.

5.

Brady Hjelle

 Minnesota Duluth Cedar Rapids (USHL)

Hjelle earned USHL All-Rookie Team status in 2008, posting a 22-14-4 record, a 2.50 goals against average, and a .921 save percentage for Cedar Rapids.

6.

Matt DiGirolamo

 New Hampshire Waterloo (USHL)

7.

Joe Cannata

 Merrimack U.S. NTDP

8.

Scott Darling

 Maine Indiana (USHL)

9.

Grant Rollheiser

 Boston University Trail (BCHL)

10.

Paul Karpowich

 Clarkson Wellington (OPJHL)