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That's a wrap on the fall's biggest weekend.
Farmingdale State was the place to be for the Fall Classic if you wanted to find incredible teams from across the country and Canada, as well as 181 college coaches from 135 of the best schools in the country. My Lacrosse Tournaments hosted the Public vs. Private Showcase on Friday night, the Fall Classic Open division on Saturday morning, the NLF 2020 Uncommitted Showcase Saturday night, the Fall Classic Individual Showcase Sunday morning, the NLF Fall Invitational and the Fall Classic High School Invitational on Sunday.
Thank you to all the teams, players, college coaches, parents, club coaches, club directors, vendors and staff who made it the crown jewel event of the fall!
CLICK HERE to read standouts from the NLF 2020 Uncommitted Showcase and the NLF Fall Invitational.
Public vs. Private Showcase Standouts
Click here for 2020 game stats.
Click here for 2021 game stats.
Click here for 2022 game stats.
Charles Balsamo '22, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express
Smooth, smooth, smooth, Balsamo makes it look easy. He's not afraid to let it fly from anywhere and he had a couple of eye-popping plays as part of a three-goal, one-assist performance, but it was his ability to make more subtle plays that stood out. He had a tough ground ball in a crowd that helped set up a scoring chance, and he had a couple of caused turnovers on the ride that were a credit to his desire to ride and precise checks.
Chris Cappelmann '21, FO/M, St. Anthony's (N.Y.) / Team 91 Blaze
Cappelmann had a solid 5-for-9 day at the dot with three ground balls, but it was his technique and hand speed that helped him stand out. He did a really nice job on the clamp, and he was able to corral some tough ground balls and make any losses a 50-50 ball. He's got a tall frame that will allow him to continue to grow, and once he packs on some muscle, he'll be very difficult to beat in a 1v1 physical battle.
Kyle Connor '20, defense, Sachem East (N.Y.) / Team 91 Orange
Connor had an excellent summer, and that play has carried over to the fall. You don't expect a player of his size to be able to quietly and effectively cover so well using mostly just footwork. His size and strength mean that trying to bully him on the way to the rack is futile, but he can also stay on his attackman's hips with his agility. He won't throw many big checks, but when he does reach back and throw a check, it usually finds gloves.
Johnny Devino '20, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express - Army
Devino did a nice job of making an impact all over the field. He pocketed a hat trick, but he also showed that he can shine on defense and make some plays in the transition game. Once he gets the ball in the open field, you're probably not catching him, and he has the ability to shoot well with either hand.
Ronald Durante '20, goalie, Lindenhurst (N.Y.) / Team 91 Orange
Let's get the most important part out of the way first: Durante went coast-to-coast for a goal that could only be described as, "majestic." Once he got past the midline, it was clear that he was going to take the shot, and he put a nice little move at the end before tucking it home, much to the delight of just about everyone in the house. He also stopped 10 shots in his cage, showing good hand speed and an ability to track the ball well out of shooters' sticks. Also an all-county soccer goalie, Durante is poised under pressure and can make some tough shots look easy to stop.
Collin Lung '22, goalie, Lynbrook (N.Y.) / Igloo
Lung was a force in the cage for the Public squad, coming away with 11 saves, including a handful of impressive ones in tight. He was particularly strong on high shots, communicated well with his defense and made some smart decisions and accurate passes in the clearing game. Lung always looks like he's in total control in the cage.
Will Lynch '21, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express
The ball seemed to follow Lynch around all night, whether it was him dodging, winning faceoffs, or just showing a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Lynch showed that he just might have the talent level to play at high level. He was buzzing around all night, winning seven of eight faceoffs to go along with a goal and an assist. He has speed for days.
Matthew Major '20, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express - Holy Cross
It's hard not to like Major, because he finds a way to always produce and he's equally adept at making both tough and flashy plays. He's not afraid to go into a scrum and come out with a tough ground ball, but the quick Flyer attackman can also get to the net and create his own shot. Major's shiftiness gives defenders trouble, as does his ability to shoot accurately with either hand. He paired four ground balls with two goals and an assist.
Honorable Mention
Christian Alacqua '22, midfield, Manhasset (N.Y.) / LI Express
Ryan Aljader '20, goalie, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Team 91 Orange
Robbie Booth '20, defense, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express - Navy
Jack Cascadden '22, FO/M, Chaminade (N.Y.) / LI Express
Henry Haberman '22, attack, Port Washington (N.Y.) / Igloo
Stephen Markowski '21, attack, Harborfields (N.Y.) / LI Express
Mark Ranieri '20, FO/M, Northport (N.Y.) / Team Tiger
Joey Terenzi '22, attack, Manhasset (N.Y.) / LI Express
Brady West '22, midfield, South Side (N.Y.) / Team 91 Smash
Chris Zara '21, defense, St. Anthony's (N.Y.) / Team 91 Blaze
Fall Classic Open Standouts
Miles Botkiss '20, midfield, Torrey Pines (Calif.) / West Coast Starz - Highlights
The younger brother of Harvard starting LSM Beau Botkiss, the younger Botkiss is a pretty darn good prospect in his own right. He can get up and down the field with ease and is always involved offensively on nearly every Starz goal. He's tough as nails and isn't above going to the dirty areas to make plays, but he also has the skill to punish teams offensively.
Monty Cook '20, midfield, Royal St. George's (Ont.) / Edge - Cornell
Some players shy away from contact, but Cook seems to thrive off of it. He brings a certain element of toughness to Edge's lineup to go along with good stick skills and excellent clearing ability. Cook can get up and down the field, has a knack for popping out of piles with the ground ball. The Cornell commit also shows terrific vision and unselfishness when dodging from up top.
Tommy Dolciotto '20, midfield, Syosset (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush
Dolciotto continued his strong fall with another day of getting up and down the field. A true do-it-all midfielder, he does well defensively and in transition, and were he not on such a loaded team, would likely get a much bigger share of offensive looks. Despite that, there's always a home for guys who can thrive in any situation, and Dolciotto is someone who can fill a lot of roles for a team.
Cole Doller '20, attack, Sayville (N.Y.) / East Coast Elite
If Doller wasn't involved on every point for ECE on Saturday, he was close to it. He's comfortable running the offense from X and he's at his best when dodging to draw a slide and feed. He's improved both as a finisher and in the riding game, but his passing is what sets him apart from others.
Cole Garvey '20, LSM, Mira Costa (Calif.) / LA Heat
Garvey was a problem for the Heat's opponents to deal with all day. He put the clamps on opposing midfielders, but he was also able to kick start transition the other way and created havoc from the first faceoff.
Brock Haley '20, attack, Brooklin (Ont.) / Edge - Vermont
You better keep an eye on Haley at all times once Edge is on offense, because he can change the scoreboard in a second. He's very at ease with the ball in his stick and has the creativity and stick protection skills that come from a lengthy box background. The 6-footer has zone-busting shooting range, and if you let him get his hands free, there's a good chance that your goalie's turning and raking.
Michael Leva '20, midfield, Half Hollow Hills West (N.Y.) / Igloo
Leva's the type of midfielder that can succeed in just about any situation. He's a workhorse, two-way midfielder who buzzes up and down the field. Gifted with a high lacrosse IQ, he's a shooting threat with either hand and he can get to his shooting spot with regularity.
Dylan Renner '20, Mineola (N.Y.) / Igloo
Renner cuts a big frame in the Igloo cage, and he excels as a stopper. When he's on, he has the potential to be one of the best goalies in the country. The lefty's size also makes it tough for shooters to find room and it can sometimes get in their heads and cause shots to fly wide.
Anthony Sand '20, attack, Seaford (N.Y.) / Team 91 Varsity
Sand was deadly all day, routinely getting to the rack and finishing in different spots on the cage. The lefty is solidly-put together and can catch and finish with ease. He was very comfortable coming around GLE and shooting from a couple yards up, and he did a nice job of protecting his stick.
Kofi Samuels '20, goalie, Riverdale Country Day (N.Y.) / Team 91 Tri-State Select
Communicating certainly isn't a problem for Samuels. There's no way that you can be within 100 yards of the field that he's playing on and not hear him. He's constantly guiding the defense throughout possessions and he did a nice job of taking away low shots. He mostly made good decisions and accurate passes in the clearing game.
Birk Swan '20, attack, Palos Verdes (Calif.) / LA Heat
A towering figure at about 6-4 or so, Swan did an excellent job of pacing the Heat offense through X. He did a terrific job of dodging with his head up, drawing slides and dumping passes to teammates for scoring chances.
Jayson Tingue, goalie, Bay Shore (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush - Highlights
Quick as a cat and one of the most vocal goalies in the class, Tingue continues to be a reliable presence on the back end for the Crush team. He gets out of his cage and chases shots down well, is very good low, makes most of the saves he should and is always good for one or two saves that he shouldn't have every game. Despite being on the shorter side, he gobbles up high shots well thanks to his speedy hands.
Honorable Mention
Nick Caccamo '20, defense, Harborfields (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush
Troy Donaghy '22, midfield, Wantagh (N.Y.) / Team 91 Smash
Kieran Hendry '20, LSM, East Northport (N.Y.) / Igloo
Michael Katz '22, attack, Eastport-South Manor (N.Y.) / Team 91 Smash
Dane Reda '20, midfield, Mattituck (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush
Jack Schirtzer '20, defense, Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush
Logan Soelberg '20, midfield Crespi Carmelite (Calif.) / LA Heat
Michael Scoleri '20, FO/M, Sayville (N.Y.) / East Coast Elite
Fall Classic Individual Showcase Standouts
Clayton Arcuri '20, attack, Westhampton Beach (N.Y.) / LI Empire
Arcuri has plenty of shake and some quickness to his game, and he got on the board early and consistently produced. He's a strong dodger, but also did some nice work off the ball.
Chris Bardak '20, LSM, St. Anthony's (N.Y.) / Team 91 Crush
Bardak was in everybody's hip pocket from his LSM spot. He covered well using his footwork and the occasional check, and he was excellent off the ground, particularly on the wings. He's got a good stick that allows him to grab ground balls and head upfield in a hurry.
Kenton Mears '20, attack, Warwick Valley (N.Y.) / Hudson Valley Express
Mears had a mixed bag of tricks at his disposal on Sunday morning. He displayed nifty vision with a couple of slick feeds, then added an overhead sizzler from just atop GLE. He's not shy about asking for the ball, and he made sure to produce when he had it.
Walker Sussek '20, FO/M, Eastport South Manor (N.Y.) / LI Empire
Sussek has energy for days. He plays so hard and never, ever gives up on a play, and on a couple of occasions, that made the difference between a win and a loss for him. He did an excellent job of utilizing his wings and putting the ball in different spots.
Honorable Mention
Nick Agresta '20, defense, East Islip (N.Y.) / LI Empire
Nick Colantonio '21, midfield, Mount Sinai (N.Y.) / LI Empire
Christian Powell '22, defense, Ward Melville (N.Y.) / LI Empire
Fall Classic High School Invitational Standout Teams
Everest Academy (Ont.)
Massapequa (N.Y.)
Ward Melville (N.Y.)
