Jake Sanderson surely had the biggest breakout among the 2002-born players. He’s always been a more than capable defensive anchor. He uses his versatile skating and great stick work to cut off rushes with a tight gap at his blueline and quickly get the puck turned around. Sanderson shows some of the most defensive awareness of any player his age. He’s quick to jump on an opportunity to create a turnover in any situation. What’s come very far since last season though is his offensive play. Jake has shown incredible ability to gain entry to the offensive zone, and is great at turning those into offensive chances. With a powerful stride and above average lateral agility he can cut through traffic with ease. Sanderson is also keen to recognize passing lanes and threading pucks through them. On the offensive side of the puck he also exhibits high awareness that makes him a dangerous passing threat. All-around, Sanderson is a perfect model for a modern two-way defender. Expect him to thrive as he moves onto the University of North Dakota blueline.