ISL Lacrosse 2020

[Laxxal22]

Long read.

With a long holiday break I’ve had some time to start shaping the bits and pieces of information collected throughout the year into a cohesive 16-team season preview. While that will come closer to the season, here are some end of year thoughts I have after starting that process. Those, plus my preseason top units for 2020 and a list of 2021 D1 commits after almost four months of open recruiting.

A deeper and more balanced league
While the ISL isn’t at the level (and perhaps never will) of the MIAA A, NE West 1, or the best NY has to offer, I believe the quality of the league has taken another step up. Many teams that traditionally fall in the middle or bottom of the standings seem much stronger than even just two years ago.

The usual suspects at the top (Belmont Hill, Govs, Nobles, Rivers, St. Seb’s) seem about the same, and probably none look as strong on paper for 2020 as Govs or Seb’s looked last preseason. But Groton, Middlesex, Roxbury Latin, St. Mark’s, Tabor, and potentially Thayer all will have rosters that could knock off anyone in the playoffs – largely due to fantastic junior classes. That’s 11 teams, which means some talented squads won’t make the top-eight bracket of the ISL Tournament.

Even the traditional cellar of the league looms with BB&N placing three 2022s and a 2021 on the Bostonlax.net’s future stars list, and Lawrence Academy had three 2022s play on the New England Under Armour underclass team. Both squads were more competitive than usual last year, despite being very young, and could surprise some people in 2020.

Playoffs baby
After 30 years of no playoffs the ISL champ finally gets settled on the field in a winner-take-all match up. Love it. In the past some very strong teams were essentially relegated to playing spoiler by mid-April after a second loss in league play. I think fear of that fate often led to tight coaching and play. Now the reins are off as coaches and teams are building towards and end of season peak instead of stressing out over every possession.

Weighted scheduling and a separate tournament for the bottom half finishers are smart ideas. The 16 ISL schools are so varied in size, athletic focus, and lacrosse tradition that some schools have no shot at being ISL champs without a massive shift in priorities. Limiting the potential for blowouts, and giving teams something to improve and play for in May, should invigorate the traditionally weaker programs.

Non-league play
The shortened ISL schedule will allow more out of conference play, including after the playoffs, giving everyone the opportunity to find 1-2 additional challenges on their level. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but multiplied by 16 and it’s significant. Andover, Exeter, Dexter, Pingree, etc. will be getting a lot of calls.

Impact Transfers
Tabor, Middlesex, Nobles, Rivers (not sure on anyone else) have all added some very strong players coming in, mostly after 2 years somewhere else. Some reclassed, some did not, but all have All-ISL potential before graduating and are joining teams in the title hunt.


Top Units - My perceived 1-6 at each position group
Attack - Belmont Hill, Tabor, Groton, Roxbury Latin, St. Seb’s, St. Mark’s*
Middies - Govs, St. Seb’s, Nobles, Rivers, MIddlesex, Tabor, St. Mark’s
Longsticks - Roxbury Latin, Belmont Hill, Rivers, Groton, St. Seb’s, Tabor
Goalie - Belmont Hill, Middlesex, Govs, Nobles, St. Mark’s, Brooks

*2 of 3 returning starters are big-time hockey prospects and it wouldn’t be surprising if they don’t play this spring.


2021 Commits (please lmk if I’m missing anyone)
Blake Weldon - Attack, Govs - UMass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIgUY7TOH7c&t=
Zach Travaglini - Attack, Belmont Hill - BU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZzJdgp-wDs&t=
Theo Kostakos - Attack, Thayer - Jacksonville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYXrZwrYIOY

Will Hoyt - Midfield, Tabor - Colgate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkuJ0x0sxCY&t=
Peyton O’Leary - Midfield, Govs - UMass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9f0jbn8UsY
CJ Monturio - Midfield, Thayer - Army: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S-ZUxD5Sy4
Cole Van Meter - Midfield, Nobles - BU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGVbwvi2kAQ
Jackson Coutu - Midfield, St. Mark’s - Providence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70xayCD0lAM

Quinn McConnaughey - Fogo, Thayer - Providence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRshauiieM&t

Bryan Anderson - LSM, Roxbury Latin - Brown: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10903486/5 ... 0e2ccfd2e7
Ronan Doherty - LSM, Groton - Notre Dame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYbH3tgYqHo

Grant Litchfield - Defense, Belmont Hill - Johns Hopkins
Trey Brown - Defense/LSM, Belmont Hill - BU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYd0HKuo_u0&t=
Anthony Romano - Defense, Groton - Richmond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwVaa3pf3UY
Gregg Dennison - Defense, Rivers - Providence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsLTjQ_hUQo
Jimmy Freehill - Defense, St. Sebastian’s - Denver: (2018 highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BON5l8Rsg1E&t=

Sean Henderson - Goalie, Lawrence Academy - Hofstra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyAxTKBPwaI

Pretty good results so far. There are another 12-13 guys that seem like they’ll have D1 opportunities, but history says a good number of ISL guys will opt for the chance to be day one contributors in the NESCAC. There’s another 25 or so players that look like solid D2/D3 prospects, and as always some guys who will play college hockey or college football (a number that’s really grown as the ISL has become the arguably the top football league in MA). Fewer Ivy and ACC commits than the past few classes (especially 2017 & 2019) but the number of total recruits and D1 recruits from this class will be noticeably higher and more evenly distributed throughout the league than recent years.

[laxbro92]

Wow. That is a serious deep dive on the upcoming season. Thanks for pulling all that info together. 2 comments / questions for you:

1) Can you provide your FOGO rankings as well?

2) Who are the transfers / new players that you are referring to?

[Laxxal22]

1) Can you provide your FOGO rankings as well?

Govs, Nobles, Middlesex, Thayer, St. Seb’s, St. Mark’s, Tabor, Groton

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the top club team Fogos reside in the ISL. The first three are probably a cut above, all with D1-bound seniors.

2) Who are the transfers / new players that you are referring to?

Far from a definitive list, just what I’ve seen.

Middlesex
Johnny Cowdrick - Jr. Def/Lsm (Lexington High) - Middlesex League all star. Boosts an already nice class of 2021 longsticks for Middlesex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nY3eCRR_k

Oran Gelinas - So. Goal (Waltham High) - #10 ranked 2022 per NatLaxFed. Could really push the returning starter/D1-bound senior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcygnGUOemo

Nobles
Roman Tacelli - So. Mid (Needham High) - Bostonlax HM All Underclass Team. Having a strong first season of prep hockey.

Stephen Gaskill - Jr. Mid (Pope John) - Top player from Boston chapter of Harlem Lacrosse.

Rivers
Colin Eaton - So. Att/Mid (Acton-Boxborough High) All-league golfer at AB, and also plays hockey for Rivers.

Tabor
Scott Witkos - Jr. FOSO (Proctor Academy, 28g, 20a - 70% FO win) - Stood out at the dot and offensively in a very solid Lakes Region last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLhGcZ0RRs&t=

Jahmeir Warfield - Jr. Def/Lsm (East High, Rochester) - Looks a little raw but has the tools to be scary with a season of coaching and day-to-day competition in the ISL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_iZbO3oIhU

Cooper Manzi - So. Att (Lawrence Academy, 20g, 16a) - Lefty that adds flexibility and depth to a Tabor offense that will have 9-10 capable scorers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngyV6WogJrg&t=

[Laxxal22]

First bit of schedule news. Thayer will play at John Carroll in MD on 3/25. That's week two of spring break, so it looks like Coach Rubeor is taking the team's spring trip to his roots to prep for 2020. Smart. Thayer should be much improved as they graduated a tiny group and were incredibly sophomore dependent last year, but still have a ton of room to grow. I get the sense JC will be a solid test but probably not the ass kicking most MIAA A teams would provide after a week (including tryouts) of practice. It will be interesting to see if Rubeor schedules a guaranteed eye-opener/humble pie serving to instill the feeling of need to keep improving all season.

[laxbro92]

Hey Laxxal22 - thanks for answering my 2 questions about FOGOs and about impact transfers. Looks like a bunch of schools have added some talented new players. One data point - I think the Govs FOGO from last year (Laliberte) did not return to Govs this past fall.

[Laxxal22]

Hey Laxxal22 - thanks for answering my 2 questions about FOGOs and about impact transfers. Looks like a bunch of schools have added some talented new players. One data point - I think the Govs FOGO from last year (Laliberte) did not return to Govs this past fall.

That's pretty significant. I was thinking Govs would need a big year from him with what they graduated in 2019. They still have some very strong players, but I don't see the talent/depth advantage they've enjoyed over most of the league in the past.

[Laxxal22]

Inside Lacrosse is starting to gather schedules. Will post as more become published.

[Laxxal22]

https://twitter.com/tyxanders/status/11 ... 8144884737

Interesting that Jack Wood from Govs is no longer with Syracuse after fall ball. Not even taking into regard the cultural fit, showing up as a freshman for a traditional power can be pretty sobering unless you're a can't miss prospect, and if you don't see a path to playing time until you're a junior (without factoring in potential recruits coming in behind you) then it's better not to burn any eligibility. Hope he finds a good fit. Smooth player who definitely can contribute to a program.

Wood has apparently ended up at University of Tampa, about as far away from Cuse as possible. Good for him, I'm certainly jealous of anyone enjoying Florida on this January weekend. When you're a strong and competitive player growing up the inclination is often to push it to the highest levels possible in terms of recruiting and where you go to play. But you can love the sport yet loathe the D1 experience, especially as a second half of the roster player.

[Laxxal22]

Two bits of news I saw yesterday.

George Fulton, Middlesex (Def - 2021) committed to UVA. A 6'6" mountain that moves pretty well and has a ton of upside. Nice to see coach Worthen land a player at his alma mater. (Fall highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oylu2KbOx0

National Lacrosse Federation held an event at IMG over MLK weekend for "elite" 22, 23, and 24s. Some ISL guys included in their write up of the top sophomores; St. Seb's is brewing up a class that could be even stronger than the 2019 group that had five D1 players including three on IL's Top 100 freshmen list this fall. https://nationallacrossefederation.com/ ... standouts/

[laxfan77]

Are there any rule changes for the ISL besides the new Playoff System?

[admin]

Just updated the ISL thread so it's now "2020". 2019 fell back into 2019 with all the other 2019 threads.

[Laxxal22]

We're just over two weeks away from a lot of tryouts beginning. Good stuff. While I'll drop a bigger preview closer to the start of games, I'm wondering who people like to win the title this year. Beyond the usual suspects here are another three teams that I think could end up at the top.

Roxbury Latin - Insane group of longsticks. Potent attack duo. Good athletes returning in the midfield.

Tabor - Return a lot of scoring. Added some nice transfers. Don't see any weak spots on the roster.

Middlesex - Graduated almost nobody. Very strong specialist play. Preseason AA/POY candidate in the midfield.

[OFOSHO]

ISL FOGO - Matis Cole...solid, All ISL in 2019...he doesn't make this list? I believe he's committed to Michigan.

1) Can you provide your FOGO rankings as well?

Govs, Nobles, Middlesex, Thayer, St. Seb’s, St. Mark’s, Tabor, Groton

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the top club team Fogos reside in the ISL. The first three are probably a cut above, all with D1-bound seniors.

2) Who are the transfers / new players that you are referring to?

Far from a definitive list, just what I’ve seen.

Middlesex
Johnny Cowdrick - Jr. Def/Lsm (Lexington High) - Middlesex League all star. Boosts an already nice class of 2021 longsticks for Middlesex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nY3eCRR_k

Oran Gelinas - So. Goal (Waltham High) - #10 ranked 2022 per NatLaxFed. Could really push the returning starter/D1-bound senior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcygnGUOemo

Nobles
Roman Tacelli - So. Mid (Needham High) - Bostonlax HM All Underclass Team. Having a strong first season of prep hockey.

Stephen Gaskill - Jr. Mid (Pope John) - Top player from Boston chapter of Harlem Lacrosse.

Rivers
Colin Eaton - So. Att/Mid (Acton-Boxborough High) All-league golfer at AB, and also plays hockey for Rivers.

Tabor
Scott Witkos - Jr. FOSO (Proctor Academy, 28g, 20a - 70% FO win) - Stood out at the dot and offensively in a very solid Lakes Region last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLhGcZ0RRs&t=

Jahmeir Warfield - Jr. Def/Lsm (East High, Rochester) - Looks a little raw but has the tools to be scary with a season of coaching and day-to-day competition in the ISL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_iZbO3oIhU

Cooper Manzi - So. Att (Lawrence Academy, 20g, 16a) - Lefty that adds flexibility and depth to a Tabor offense that will have 9-10 capable scorers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngyV6WogJrg&t=

[Superlite2]

He will Face Off for Deerfield this Spring

ISL FOGO - Matis Cole...solid, All ISL in 2019...he doesn't make this list? I believe he's committed to Michigan.

1) Can you provide your FOGO rankings as well?

Govs, Nobles, Middlesex, Thayer, St. Seb’s, St. Mark’s, Tabor, Groton

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the top club team Fogos reside in the ISL. The first three are probably a cut above, all with D1-bound seniors.

2) Who are the transfers / new players that you are referring to?

Far from a definitive list, just what I’ve seen.

Middlesex
Johnny Cowdrick - Jr. Def/Lsm (Lexington High) - Middlesex League all star. Boosts an already nice class of 2021 longsticks for Middlesex. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7nY3eCRR_k

Oran Gelinas - So. Goal (Waltham High) - #10 ranked 2022 per NatLaxFed. Could really push the returning starter/D1-bound senior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcygnGUOemo

Nobles
Roman Tacelli - So. Mid (Needham High) - Bostonlax HM All Underclass Team. Having a strong first season of prep hockey.

Stephen Gaskill - Jr. Mid (Pope John) - Top player from Boston chapter of Harlem Lacrosse.

Rivers
Colin Eaton - So. Att/Mid (Acton-Boxborough High) All-league golfer at AB, and also plays hockey for Rivers.

Tabor
Scott Witkos - Jr. FOSO (Proctor Academy, 28g, 20a - 70% FO win) - Stood out at the dot and offensively in a very solid Lakes Region last year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLhGcZ0RRs&t=

Jahmeir Warfield - Jr. Def/Lsm (East High, Rochester) - Looks a little raw but has the tools to be scary with a season of coaching and day-to-day competition in the ISL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_iZbO3oIhU

Cooper Manzi - So. Att (Lawrence Academy, 20g, 16a) - Lefty that adds flexibility and depth to a Tabor offense that will have 9-10 capable scorers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngyV6WogJrg&t=

[Laxxal22]

Yup, definitely would have had him if he were still in the ISL.

Tough run for MA lately with big time players. Swirbalus (St. Seb's - Duke), Cole (Deerfield - Michigan), and Rice (BC High - Syracuse) have all left the school in recent years.

[Laxxal22]

Couple of random notes. Saw that Rivers and Seb's won the indoor league for Fighting Clams and Laxachusetts respectively. I'm sure Nobles and BH are duking it out for whatever Boston-area indoor league that 3D runs. Doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot, but it's early corroborating evidence that those teams will be strong.

Also, John Piatelli (Seb's 2017) went over 100 points in his Cornell career with a six-goal performance on Sunday. While the ISL has cranked out strongt college goalies and defenders for awhile, prolific scorers at the D1 level still aren't very common. Nice to see John getting it done on arguably the top attack in Division 1 at the moment. https://twitter.com/CornellSports/statu ... 5344360449

[Laxxal22]

Threw together a team of the top current NCAA players from the ISL. All the D1 guys listed are starters or in the top omid, dmid, lsm rotation and I opted to include guys who are tearing up high-level D3/D2 over those sitting on the bench at blue blood D1s. Plus, the D2/D3 guys I've included were all multi-year All ISL players so I'm guessing they had plenty of D1 offers. I don’t think this group wins a top conference or competes in NCAAs, but it’d definitely be a tough squad that could tangle with any of the D1 squads in New England other than Yale. I don’t think that would have been the case if I put this together 5ish years ago.

Attack
John Piatelli, Cornell (St. Seb’s 2017) Just eclipsed 100 points in second year as full-time starter.
Pat Daly, Villanova (Tabor 2018) 10 points through a very tough first four games.
Jake Haase, Williams (Belmont Hill 2018) 32g, 67a NESCAC rookie of the year.
Matt Paul, Dartmouth (Rivers 2017) Three-year starter for the Big Green.
Tyler Forbes, Middlebury (Groton 2018) 49g, 10a to lead Panthers in goals and points as a freshman.
Jack Wood, Tampa (Govs 2019) Ripping up D2 after transferring from Syracuse after freshman fall.

Omid
Nick Loring, Harvard (Nobles 2018) First line middie in 2020.
Sam Dwinnell, Denver (Middlesex 2017) In the rotation for Pios.
Sean Lowrie, Duke (Roxbury Latin 2015) In the rotation for Blue Devils.
Johhny Hincks, Williams (Belmont Hill 2016) 6’2” has gone over 30 points in each of his three seasons.
Trevor Ballantyne, Dartmouth (Rivers 2017) 5th in points for Big Green in 2019.
Jett Dziama, BU (Nobles 2018) Big lefty shooter EMO guy.

Dmid - all four on top dmid line for at least their second season
Jack Frisoli, Harvard (St. Seb’s 2017)
Zach Geddes, Georgetown (Belmont Hill 2017)
Parker Kent, Lehigh (Roxbury Latin 2016)
Will Stonestreet, Dartmouth (Belmont Hill 2017)

Fogo
Kyle Helfrich, Tufts (Brooks 2017) 2nd team All NESCAC in 2019.
Andrew Moynihan, Hartford (Lawrence Academy 2018) MAC Freedom specialist of the year for Wilkes (D3) before transferring.

Lsm
Zach Coffey, Bryant (Govs 2016) First Team All NEC in 2019.
Andrew Song, Princeton (Roxbury Latin 2017) Playing consistently since freshman year.
Will Frisoli, Duke (St. Seb’s 2019) Has seen a lot of time at Lsm during freshman season.

Defense
Will Weitzel, Yale (Roxbury Latin 2016) Has played both Lsm and close and been on the field a lot since soph season.
Cam Macri, UNC (Govs 2016) Moved to a starter at close for senior year after playing Lsm.
Peter Blake, Penn (St. Seb’s 2019) Has snagged a starting close D spot as a freshman.
Jack Lyne, Hopkins (Middlesex 2016) Starting as a senior for Hop after three seasons as a reserve.


Goalie
Josh Kirson, OSU (Rivers 2015)
Daniel Hinck, Dartmouth (Belmont Hill 2018)

[ISL Laxin']

Threw together a team of the top current NCAA players from the ISL. All the D1 guys listed are starters or in the top omid, dmid, lsm rotation and I opted to include guys who are tearing up high-level D3/D2 over those sitting on the bench at blue blood D1s. Plus, the D2/D3 guys I've included were all multi-year All ISL players so I'm guessing they had plenty of D1 offers. I don’t think this group wins a top conference or competes in NCAAs, but it’d definitely be a tough squad that could tangle with any of the D1 squads in New England other than Yale. I don’t think that would have been the case if I put this together 5ish years ago.

Attack
John Piatelli, Cornell (St. Seb’s 2017) Just eclipsed 100 points in second year as full-time starter.
Pat Daly, Villanova (Tabor 2018) 10 points through a very tough first four games.
Jake Haase, Williams (Belmont Hill 2018) 32g, 67a NESCAC rookie of the year.
Matt Paul, Dartmouth (Rivers 2017) Three-year starter for the Big Green.
Tyler Forbes, Middlebury (Groton 2018) 49g, 10a to lead Panthers in goals and points as a freshman.
Jack Wood, Tampa (Govs 2019) Ripping up D2 after transferring from Syracuse after freshman fall.

Omid
Nick Loring, Harvard (Nobles 2018) First line middie in 2020.
Sam Dwinnell, Denver (Middlesex 2017) In the rotation for Pios.
Sean Lowrie, Duke (Roxbury Latin 2015) In the rotation for Blue Devils.
Johhny Hincks, Williams (Belmont Hill 2016) 6’2” has gone over 30 points in each of his three seasons.
Trevor Ballantyne, Dartmouth (Rivers 2017) 5th in points for Big Green in 2019.
Jett Dziama, BU (Nobles 2018) Big lefty shooter EMO guy.

Dmid - all four on top dmid line for at least their second season
Jack Frisoli, Harvard (St. Seb’s 2017)
Zach Geddes, Georgetown (Belmont Hill 2017)
Parker Kent, Lehigh (Roxbury Latin 2016)
Will Stonestreet, Dartmouth (Belmont Hill 2017)

Fogo
Kyle Helfrich, Tufts (Brooks 2017) 2nd team All NESCAC in 2019.
Andrew Moynihan, Hartford (Lawrence Academy 2018) MAC Freedom specialist of the year for Wilkes (D3) before transferring.

Lsm
Zach Coffey, Bryant (Govs 2016) First Team All NEC in 2019.
Andrew Song, Princeton (Roxbury Latin 2017) Playing consistently since freshman year.
Will Frisoli, Duke (St. Seb’s 2019) Has seen a lot of time at Lsm during freshman season.

Defense
Will Weitzel, Yale (Roxbury Latin 2016) Has played both Lsm and close and been on the field a lot since soph season.
Cam Macri, UNC (Govs 2016) Moved to a starter at close for senior year after playing Lsm.
Peter Blake, Penn (St. Seb’s 2019) Has snagged a starting close D spot as a freshman.
Jack Lyne, Hopkins (Middlesex 2016) Starting as a senior for Hop after three seasons as a reserve.


Goalie
Josh Kirson, OSU (Rivers 2015)
Daniel Hinck, Dartmouth (Belmont Hill 2018)

I'd add in Jonathan Tesoro, Holy Cross (St. George's 2016), who's started in goal for Holy Cross since he stepped on campus. HC is off to their best start in years.

On the DIII side of things Owen Allen, Babson (St. Marks 2016). I believe he led the ISL in scoring once. Babson just knocked off Bates and is looking to have perhaps their best season in program history.

[Laxxal22]

Nice additions. Having watched some of Providence v. Brown yesterday, I'd add Mike O'Grady (RL, 2017) Lsm for the Friars, and Mike Hughes (Brooks 2019) also had some nice run at Lsm for Providence. They both scored goals in the win.

Billy Philpott (Tabor 2015) is absolutely ripping it up in the midfield for Umass, but I've kept him off the list because he graduated before Tabor replaced St. Paul's the ISL.

[Laxxal22]

With tryouts set to begin this week here’s 2020 preview. Since there’s two separate playoffs at the end of the year, I’ll preview the contenders for the championship bracket here and the consolation bracket in a later post.

A lot more info out there compared to a few years ago, which is a mixed blessing as this is lengthy. As always I’m primarily just aggregating easy to sort public info here, so I’m definitely not up to date on all the players, commitments, transfers, injuries, or guys dropping lacrosse to focus on football/hockey/etc. Bear with me and know any errors or omissions are due to absence of info and no sort of agenda.

This was the right year for the ISL to go to a playoff system. The league has become way more balanced over the past few seasons, and I think the old system could have ended up in a five/six way title split with this year’s crop of teams. None of the usual contenders look to have a true juggernaut, and most of the middle tier have their strongest looking roster of the past 4-5 years. I’ve got 11 teams in the hunt to make the top-8 playoff bracket, and I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see a low seed catch a three-game hot streak in the tournament to win it all.

Obviously only eight teams can make the top playoff, so the regular season will still be quite important/competitive. Improvement from March through May, staying healthy, and gameday coaching will be huge in a year where the Day 1 roster talent of a lot of teams puts them in the hunt.

Here are the top eleven teams (alphabetically) and some players to watch from each squad.

Belmont Hill
2019 Record: 14-2 (13-2 ISL - tied for 2nd place)

They beat Avon Old Farms early in 2019, lost to Seb’s by two and unexpectedly dropped one to Groton. Attack is skilled and arguably the league’s top group as they head into their second year starting together, the close defense is very intimidating and wouldn’t look out of place lining up for the opening whistle of a college game, and goalie is one of the best in the league. Midfield has questions as a handful of strong players graduated and another left for junior hockey instead of senior year at BH. There are a couple of strong returners, some guys who look ready to step up, and as always a pipeline of athletes ready to take over and thrive between the boxes. A challenging preseason slate (Brunswick and Deerfield among others) and starting with AOF again will provide nice tune ups, and BH should once again find themselves near the top of the heap in May.

Blake Brookes - Sr. Def (All ISL - Dartmouth) Intimidating physical presence and one of the ISL’s most experienced defenders.
Quinn Richards - Sr. G (HM All ISL - Air Force): Led the ISL in save % last season.
Cam Rubin - Sr. Att (36g, 14a - All ISL - Penn) Lefty howitzer of a shot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY6ksldQidA
Dylan Browni - Sr. Att (29g, 6a - HM All ISL - Colorado College) Strong off-ball shooter and crafty inside finisher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POck2G17U1s
Grant Litchfield - Jr. Def (HM All ISL - #57 2021 per IL - Hopkins commit) Built and plays like a bull.
Trey Brown - Jr. Def (HM All ISL - IL 4-star-recruit - BU Commit) Can put the ball on the ground, pick it up, and push it on offense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYd0HKuo_u0&t=
Zach Travaglini - Jr. Att (14g, 21a - BU commit) Such a prototypical BH attackman, on the smaller side but extremely quick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZzJdgp-wDs&t=

Biggest Questions: Who emerges to lead the midfield? Fogo.


Govs
2019 Record: 14-3 (13-2 ISL - tied for 2nd place)

Govs got hammered by injuries in 2019, but still only lost to Seb’s, BH, and Avon. A large and talented senior class departed, especially on the defensive side, and Laliberte not returning is a tough blow even though he only played a handful of games last year. Junior and senior classes have some nice talent but maybe aren’t as deep as usual, and I’m in the dark about the sophomores outside of 1-2 players. They had a strong JV last year, usually a couple of soph transfers arrive, and they always have athletes so I’m sure players will emerge to fill out the roster, but this team might be a bit top heavy. Pieces are still there to win a lot of games, but those games are looking a lot more competitive than they were a few years ago.

Shane O’Leary - Sr. M (27g, 16a - All ISL - Umass) AA/POY candidate. Perhaps the best athlete in ISL lacrosse (2x ALL ISL QB). Took over at times last year and will have to do so again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlsVy06uPNU&t=
Todd Kennedy - Sr. Goalie (HM All ISL - Georgetown) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vehzalx6qMo
Brian Barlottai - Sr. Lsm/Def (Mercer) Only played a handful of games after transferring in before injury. (2018 summer highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXUtcDntAw&t=55s
Nick Ingemi - Sr. Att/mid (14g, 4a - Conn College) Big shot, no fear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckS6ID1lwPU
Peyton O’Leary -Jr. Mid (10g, 3a - Bostonlax All Underclass Team - UMass commit) 6’4” three-sport athlete. Could take a huge step this season and provide a devastating 1-2 punch with his brother. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9f0jbn8UsY
Blake Weldon Jr. A/M (22g, 25a - UMass Commit) Incredibly smooth in all facets of his game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIgUY7TOH7c&t=
Ian Olenik So. Lsm/Def (4a - Bostonlax All Underclass Team)

Biggest Questions: Longsticks. Is the overall talent level at the same level it’s been?


Groton
2019 Record: 8-9 (6-9 ISL - tied for 9th place)

This is a very experienced Groton team with a handful of truly standout players. No lacrosse stars in the senior class but some good multi-sport athletes. The junior class is loaded with guys who will have opportunities to play college lacrosse, four with definite D1 chops (2 already committed). I don’t remember Groton having many/any classes this strong before. A few sophomores look ready to contribute on offense and another takes over in net. The Zebras beat Belmont Hill last year, but only scored double digits once all season. Some of the between the boxes athletes will need to become scorers, and the new goalie must step up, but they have the roster to hang with anyone and are probably still a year away from peaking.

Teddy Carlin - Sr. Fogo (1g - Haverford) All ISL-10 offensive lineman. A strong presence, literally and figuratively at the faceoff dot.
Caleb King Coleman - Sr. Mid (1a - Princeton Football) The ISL-10 POY in football at RB/LB. A great athlete to have at ssdm. Football highlights: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6470249/5d ... 1610de42b0
Russell Thorndike - Jr. Att (38g,16a - 2x HM All ISL - IL 4-star-recruit) Starter since 8th grade. Incredibly smart and smooth player. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCHRlPBvknc
Shane Dennin - Jr. Att (28g, 15a - HM All ISL) Plays well through contact. 3rd year starting alongside Thorndike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7_oRZ67zRI&t
Ronan Doherty - Jr. Lsm/Def (6g, 1a - All ISL - #70 2021 per IL - Notre Dame commit) Not big but has the feet that allow him to constantly attack the hands of his opponents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYbH3tgYqHo
Anthony Romano - Jr. Def (1g, 1a - 2x HM All ISL - Richmond commit) Lefty who leaves a mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwVaa3pf3UY
Patrick Eldredge - So. Att/mid (8g, 2a) Lefty who should double/triple his point production this year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDj7EfWrylM

Biggest Questions: How good is the new goalie? Will some scorers emerge to alleviate the burden on Thorndike and Dennin?


Middlesex
2019 Record: 8-10 (7-8 ISL - tied for 7th place)

The Zebras were very young in 2019 and more competitive than the record shows as they suffered seven one-goal losses. After graduating a tiny senior class, they have everything needed to compete for a title in 2020. An AA/POY-type midfielder and a top-level fogo and goalie lead an experienced and deep team with 2 All ISL and 4 HM returning. Defense added a stud transfer giving the unit lockdown potential, the midfield has a lot of athletes, and there are three strong goalies. A young but nice attack rounds out a roster that looks as complete as any in the league. If they show well in their non league slate to start the season (Pingree, Westminster, Andover) then expectations of a 12th league title will look very realistic.

Cole Nye - Sr. Mid (31g, 28a - All ISL - Middlebury) Top returning midfield scorer in the ISL. Also 2x All-ISL/NEPSAC WR and will play both at Midd. Should tear up the NESCAC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am36vuLN7Nw
Liam Tasker (23g, 12a - HM All ISL - Bowdoin) Speedy lefty with a hammer for a shot. Makes a nice pair with Nye. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvBnO16__e8
Harry Friedman - Sr. Fogo (1g, 1a - All ISL - Boston University) Firmly in the discussion of top Fogo in MA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IVMsFOppW4
Michael Allieri - Sr. G ( 2x HM All ISL - Marquette commit) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqm9GcJEHEo
George Fulton - Jr. D (HM All ISL - IL 4-star-recruit - Virginia commit) A 6’6” mountain who moves pretty well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFgOVDRNDic
Johnny Cowdrick - Jr. D (Lexington HS transfer - Middlesex League All Star) Aggressive cover defender rounds out a very strong group of junior longsticks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsEsiRrCMkA
Will McCarthy - Jr. Att (27g, 10a - HM Bostonlax All Underclass Team)

Biggest Questions: How does young attack do in big games?


Nobles
2019 Record: 11-7 (11-4 ISL- 4th place)

Did surprisingly well last year despite graduating a huge class that led them to a shared title in 2018. Now they are seasoned and look ready to contend again. The attack is a little young (junior, soph, soph, frosh returning) but are very skilled, the defenders play with an edge, and there are strong athletes and speed (including two transfers) in the midfield. The specialists look quite strong with a D1-bound fogo and three-year starter in net. Some intriguing football prospects round out a roster with the usual club guys and rink rats that the Dawgs have every year. I don’t see any real weaknesses and this team looks ready to hit the ground running.

John Dixon - Sr. Fogo (All-ISL - #90 2020 per IL - Georgetown) 9th rated fogo in the class of 2020. (2018 highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIMBosDU25Q
Dan Donahue - Sr. Goal (HM All ISL - Union) 3-year starter in net. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoZdOMvHY7o
Ollie Bernstein - Sr. Mid (23g, 13a - 2x HM All ISL - Bowdoin) Heads up downhill dodger with a heavy shot. (2018 highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_wwVpxJqqk
Pierce Kenney - Sr. Lsm/Def (HM All ISL) Also a strong hockey player. Nice size/speed combo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRyjNG_joPo
Cole Van Meter - Jr. Mid (8g, 9a - IL 4-star-recruit - BU commit) Has the feet to get his hands free against just about anyone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGVbwvi2kAQ
David Jacobs - Jr. Att (46g, 17a - HM All ISL) Prolific scorer in hockey as well. Should end up with plenty of looks in both sports.
Tate Seeman - So. Lsm/Def (NE Under Armour Underclass Team) Big summer after internal reclass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JzjAGazeYE

Biggest Questions: How does the young attack do against the league’s more physically intimidating longstick units? How impactful are the transfers?


Rivers
2019 Record: 13-6 (10-5 ISL - tied for 5th place)

Rivers looked primed for a big season last year but injuries were a factor from start to finish. Despite graduating a talented senior class (2 All ISL, 3 HM) the Red Wings have reloaded in their typical understated way. They don’t have the top attack, midfield, or longsticks in the ISL, but all are top-5ish units, with some of the league’s best at each position. Specialists may be an issue as a talented goalie transferred out and I don’t have a fogo on my radar for them, but the rest of roster will put them in contention if they have better luck with health this season.

Tommy Miller - Sr. Mid (11g, 11a - HM All ISL in 2018 - Villanova) Ready for a redemption tour after injuries in 2019. (Soph highlights) https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9287273/5a ... 06b45db4d7
Riley Van Duzer - Sr. Mid (17g, 6a in 11 games - Bryant) In the same boat as Miller after missing time in 2019 https://www.hudl.com/video/3/8398380/5c ... 1454fa8946
Ryan Rahbany - Sr. Def (2x HM All ISL - Amherst) I’d take him over most of the D1-bound junior and senior longsticks in the ISL. Could definitely play hockey at Amherst as well, but haven’t heard if that’s part of the plan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOVa5c_4eqA
Greg Dennison - Jr. Def (IL 4-star-recruit - Providence commit) Another complete and physical defender. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsLTjQ_hUQo
Joey Kraft - Jr. Att (20g, 12a - HM Bostonlax All Underclass Team) Put up nice numbers as a soph. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOqtnusVPgE&t=
Nick Bell - So. Att (25g, 18a - Bostonlax All Underclass Team) Lead ISL freshmen in points.

Biggest Questions: Who/how good is the new goalie? Do they have a Fogo in league filled with them?


Roxbury Latin
2019 Record: 8-9 (6-9 ISL - tied for 9th place)

Bit of an up and down 2019, but the Foxes didn’t graduate much and ended the season with a nice confidence boost taking Seb’s to the wire in the last game. This RL team has the best talent, balance, and depth across the entire roster in years. The longsticks 1-6 have to be one the best groups in the country and will make even the most impressive offenses uncomfortable. The lefty/righty junior attack duo combined for 104 points last season (with one playing on the Team USA U-17 dev team this summer/fall), and there’s a lot of experience and athleticism in the midfield. It all comes down to the goalie, who has the unenviable task of replacing a legend, but will have plenty of talent in front of him to help ease the adjustment.

Charlie Weitzel - Sr. Def (2g, 1a - All ISL, HM in 2018 - #49 2020 per IL - Yale) Very fluid athlete for 6’4”. (From 3 summers ago - was already pretty scary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNczwzx5TJE&t=
Colin Bergstrom - Sr. Def (HM All ISL, 1st team in 2018 - #63 2020 per IL - Harvard) Physical defender that looks like absolutely no fun to play against. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9273602/5d ... 0e5c46ad3d
Bobby O'Grady - Jr. Att (45g, 13a - HM All ISL - US Lacrosse Under 17 development team) ISL’s top goal scorer in 2019. Blistering lefty shot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7JJuyyhjv0
Beau Keough - Jr. Att (29g, 17a) Great COD and finishing ability in tight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZYAbRxYxL4
Peter Frates - Jr. Lsm (2a - HM All ISL) Scrappy, obvious hockey player. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9062204/5d ... 076c8c8c76
Bryan Anderson - Jr. Lsm (Brown commit) More of a prototypical lsm. https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10903486/5 ... 0e2ccfd2e7
Declan Murphy - Jr. Mid (13g, 7a) Physical middie with a rugged style but nice offensive polish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJzpPVJm8Ag

Biggest Questions: Who/how good is the new goalie? Do scoring threats beyond top 2 attack and #1 middie emerge?

St. Mark’s
2019 Record: 8-8 (7-8 ISL - tied for 7th place)

Got hot down the stretch in 2019, graduated only two contributors, and seven HM All ISL return (three 2x honorees) including in net and fogo. Very unique and talented team. A handful of seniors have had significant roles since freshman year, and about 10 guys have been the backbone of the hockey and lacrosse teams for the past three years - and the hockey team just went 22-4-2 and earned the #1 seed in the NEPSAC small school tournament. The pieces are there for the Lions to make a strong run this season with an athletic group that has played a ton of big games/spent a ton of time together. Stickwork might be a bit behind with so many guys coming off skates, and they have a tough start to the ISL schedule, but this group won’t be intimidated by anyone and has the chance for a special chemistry that could make them real tough by May.

Von Mabbs - Sr. Mid (30g, 13a - 2x HM All ISL - Swarthmore) Gritty with a gifted scoring touch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSpF6TGA9qQ
Tucker Hartmann - Sr. Att (29g, 18a - 2x HM All ISL) Also a 2x All ISL/1x HM hockey player. A gifted scorer in general as he had over 100 pts from the blueline.
Noah Robb - Sr. Def (HM All ISL - Bowdoin) Does everything at a high level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxlSKFV94qc&t=
Reese Hornstein - Sr. Fogo (2g, 5a - HM All ISL - Conn College) Good with the ball after winning the draw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmNKlMzqr04&t=
Hunter Mulvey - Sr. Mid (19g, 11a - HM All ISL (2018) - Assumption) 6’3” and well polished offensive threat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzJpE-Togg&t=
Jackson Coutu’s - Jr. Mid (25g, 13a - HM All ISL - Providence commit) Great athlete, could definitely pursue college hockey if he wanted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70xayCD0lAM
Henry Peters - Jr. Goal (HM All ISL - HM Bostonlax All Underclass Team) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm_lFqIr9d0&t=9s

Biggest Questions: There are a few very high-level hockey prospects that contributed in 2019, do they all play lacrosse spring? Longsticks depth.


St. Sebastian's
2019 Record: 18-1 (15-0 ISL - 1st place)

Historic season for the Arrows, but they graduated six All ISL honorees (including league POY) and another 4-5 solid role players. They’ll be quite young (only 5 seniors return) but they played a lot of depth last season, even in big games, so they’re not green. The juniors and seniors aren’t quite at the level of the last few classes to graduate but both have plenty of pop, while the sophs are loaded with the top-end talent and overall depth to be the program’s best class yet. There will be strong competition to fill vacated roles, a lot of team speed/athleticism, and once again the ability to wear teams down with depth - especially in the midfield. They could be vulnerable early (difficult non-league and ISL schedule to start) and understandably a bit down from 2019, but the bones are there to grow into a team nobody will want to play in May or the next two years.

Declan Maguire - Sr. Mid (18g, 4a - All ISL - Colorado College) Sharpshooter that plays with an edge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebkLUluOp8Y
Liam Ford - Sr. Mid (8g, 5a) Big and strong two-way playmaker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX_SKLfZNaw
Jake Cusack Sr. A (21g, 20a - HM All ISL - Bowdoin) Very balanced, will take over as QB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUH50uz7_9g
Tommy Armstrong - Jr. Att/Mid (10g, 4a - HM Bostonlax All Underclass Team) Nimble feet and crafty handle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG0DIvUaOGo&t=
Jimmy Freehill - Jr. D (1a - HM All ISL - #73 2021 per IL - Denver commit) Takes over as the leader on defense after two years as the third starter. (2018 highlights) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BON5l8Rsg1E&t=
PJ McKeigue - So. Lsm/Def (4g, 1a - #20 2022 per National Lacrosse Federation) The highlight from 2:18 - 2:30 pretty much says it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWozyDZgBwU&t=
Jack Rideout - So. Fogo (3g, 4a - All ISL) Only freshman to earn first team All ISL last year. Has the skills to do more on offense if needed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeG2tgEApOU
Aidan Maguire - So. Mid (16g, 6a - Bostonlax All Underclass Team) Makes eye-popping plays on a routine basis. Has the tools to develop into a truly elite player.

Biggest Questions: How quickly does the team jell with so much reshuffling and youth? Is the frosh goalie ready?


Tabor
2019 Record: 8-10 (6-9 ISL - tied for 9th place)

Seven of their 2019 losses were within 3 goals, and the program continues to add talented players. Four strong longsticks return and another potential stud transferred in, but it’s the mix of guys on an offense that goes 9-10 scorers deep that gives Tabor such a high ceiling. The attack will be one of the most exciting in the league, they’ll have a potent 1-2 punch from the midfield, and the addition of a strong Foso plus some nice depth give the Seawolves a lot of ways to attack defenses. With two solid options in net, Tabor shouldn’t have a talent deficit against anyone in the ISL. In just their third year of ISL play the Seawolves look like a threat to win it all.

Mike Shaw - Sr. Att (25g, 18a - HM All ISL - Union) Son of a coach and it shows. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvg6Qdo-QzQ=
Jake Peluso - Sr. Mid (31g, 16a - HM All ISL - Middlebury) Tremendous speed and has the talent to make an instant impact in the NESCAC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGIw5WoJelc&t=
Will Milkweski - Sr. Def (HM All ISL - Furman) Big, physical defender who’s a nice centerpiece of the close d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMQCWPbZP_c&t=
Gunnar Von Hollander - Jr. Att/Mid (22g, 11a) Quick twitch dodger and shooter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBkpsuXveI&t=
Will Hoyt - Jr. Mid (16g, 12a - HM All ISL - Colgate commit) Pretty good feet and uses his 6’4” frame well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkuJ0x0sxCY&t=
Scott Witkos - Jr. Foso (28g, 20a - 70% faceoff for Proctor Academy) Could be a real weapon at faceoffs and on offense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQLhGcZ0RRs&t=
Jahmeir Warfield - Jr. Def/Lsm (East High, Rochester) Intriguing transfer with a very high ceiling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_iZbO3oIhU
Aidan O’Neil - So. Att (17g, 16a - #9 2022 per National Lacrosse Federation) Smooth with a great game sense, not sure if he’s righty or lefty. Could easily eclipse 60 points orchestrating this offense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMlSu6W3fkY&t=

Biggest Questions: How’s the shortstick midfield defense? Can they reach the potential that the talent on paper suggests?


Thayer
2019 Record: 5-11 (5-10 ISL - 12th place)

More competitive last season than the W/L record suggests. I’m excited to see how Coach Rubeor moves the program forward in his second season with a team that is still quite young despite returning almost everyone. The junior class is really strong with 12 returners (3 D1 commits already), 5 sophomores are back as well and a freshman (hockey player committed to Penn State) who played as an 8th grader. Perhaps a year away, as the senior class is tiny once again, but should take a big step forward and definitely be title contenders in 2021 at the culmination of a three-year build up.

Peter Kip - Sr. Mid (25g, 19a - HM All ISL - Holy Cross) Well-rounded offensive game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGGFRiFEzd4
Ryan Bogar - Sr. Mid (12g, 10a - Assumption) Nice step down shooter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiPYsmmWEbc
Theo Kostakos - Jr. Att (23g, 15a - NE Under Armour Underclass team - Jacksonville commit) Big, physical attackman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYXrZwrYIOY
Jake McLoy - Jr. Att (21g, 11a) Small but fearless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRke-ViCK7k
CJ Monturio - Jr. Mid (8g, 10a - Army commit) Could also have college hockey opportunities if he pursued that route. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S-ZUxD5Sy4
Quinn McConnaughey - Jr. Foso (70.4% - HM All ISL - Providence commit) QB on the football team as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRshauiieM
Nick Roukounakis - So. Def (BU Hockey Commit) Raw 6’2” 220 lefty with a lot of upside.

Biggest Questions: Longsticks? How viable is a team with only two significant senior contributors?