ISL Lacrosse 2020

HS Boys Lacrosse
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

Some juniors have made commitments. I'll edit this post as more players make decisions.

Will Potter (def) - Rivers/Laxachusetts - Utah
Aidan O'Neil (att) - Tabor/Laxachusetts - Utah
Tim McNamara (goal) - Tabor/Laxachusetts - Denver
Oran Gelinas (goal) - Middlesex/Laxachusetts - Ohio State
Gavin Begonia (att) - Lawrence Academy/NH Tomahawks - Ohio State
Jack Rideout (fogo) - St. Seb's/Laxachusetts - Michigan
PJ McKeigue (def) - St. Seb's/Laxachusetts - Penn
Aidan Maguire (mid) - St. Seb's/Laxachusetts - Duke
Jack Pappendick (mid) - BB&N/3D New England - Duke
Thomas Porrell (mid) - BB&N/3D New England - Notre Dame
Charlie Cave (mid) - Belmont Hill/3D New England - Brown
Chad Palumbo (att) - Nobles/Fighting Clams - Princeton
Ian Olenik (lsm) - Govs/Twisters - Providence
Jack Taylor (mid) - Lawrence Academy/Fighting Clams - Jacksonville

I like the 22 class (especially the middies) and think there's a lot of guys that will land in the range of NESCAC to top 30ish D1 programs. I could see some of the "local" D1 schools (BU, Holy Cross, Providence, Bryant, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, UVM) targeting this group pretty heavily.
Last edited by Laxxal22 on Tue Dec 08, 2020 5:24 pm, edited 9 times in total.
SidelineHorn
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by SidelineHorn »

I've been told by a few parents that a certain ISL coach is trying to recruit student athletes away from other NEPSAC schools. Isn't that illegal?
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

SidelineHorn wrote: Mon Sep 21, 2020 1:01 pm I've been told by a few parents that a certain ISL coach is trying to recruit student athletes away from other NEPSAC schools. Isn't that illegal?
Interesting. The policy has traditionally been "no first contact" from schools towards prospective student athletes. But how do you really define or enforce that when so many ISL coaches are heavily involved with the region's top club programs? With how much stronger overall ISL athletics have become in the last 10 years or so it's pretty clear the envelope continues to be pushed further and further.
SidelineHorn
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by SidelineHorn »

I see. This is an active recruiting move it seems, with no regard for the rules in place. This coach should instead focus on KEEPING his players and not poaching from other programs.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

Yeah I think that type of behavior will eventually get him in some hot water with his AD and school. While it's been fun to watch develop I wonder if the ISL might course correct away from such a strong athletic focus if the unwritten and expressly written rules get flouted in a schoolboy athlete arms race. It's bizarro world to me that BB&N has the best football program in the state based on that school's aversion to athletics 15-20 years ago.
SidelineHorn
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by SidelineHorn »

Laxxal22 wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:14 pm Yeah I think that type of behavior will eventually get him in some hot water with his AD and school. While it's been fun to watch develop I wonder if the ISL might course correct away from such a strong athletic focus if the unwritten and expressly written rules get flouted in a schoolboy athlete arms race. It's bizarro world to me that BB&N has the best football program in the state based on that school's aversion to athletics 15-20 years ago.
Not to mention having four guys heading off to DI programs Ewald (Harvard), Pappendick (Duke), Porell (Notre Dame) and Addonizio (PG at Exeter/Holy Cross). I think it says alot about the coaches working hard and getting as much as they can out of what they are given for support. I hope they have a breakout year like Groton did a few years back. That's always fun!
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

With Ewald, Pappendick, Porell, and Nico Berger BB&N's top four is as strong as any team in the league. Similarly, Lawrence also has a very strong top 4-5 players. Definitely a big step in the right direction for two programs that traditionally reside at bottom of the standings. How big of a jump either team makes in 2021 will probably be decided by the rest of their rosters. While they don't all need to be on track to go D1 (or play any level of college lacrosse) I think you need at least 15 (closer to 20) kids who are comfortable competing in high-level high school lacrosse games to have a realistic shot at winning the league, and pretty close to that to even get into the top eight at this point.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

Intriguing tournament down in Baltimore this weekend - The Nike National All-Star Games - featuring some top players on regional 21, 22, & 23 squads. ISL is well represented on the New England squads with some of the league's top sophs, juniors, and seniors. Interesting to see a few 2021s (both public and private school players, some committed and some not) playing on the 22 squad, apparently contemplating a PG or gap year.

https://laxnationals.net/regional-teams/new-england/
SidelineHorn
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by SidelineHorn »

Do we have a sense of what ISL institutions are allowing students to play club sports? I know at Groton and MX you must be a remote student to participate in club sports. Seems like a distinct advantage for the day schools. Speaking of advantage...I've heard the Lakes Region teams are practicing and scrimmaging. They will be way ahead of the game if we get to play in the spring.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

https://twitter.com/CoachLow21/status/1 ... 3042985985

Groton are clearly holding fall practices. I believe I saw somewhere that the league is allowing spring sports to practice with coaches 2-3 times per week this fall. Makes sense given they lost the entire spring.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

Laxxal22 wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:27 am Intriguing tournament down in Baltimore this weekend - The Nike National All-Star Games - https://laxnationals.net/regional-teams/new-england/
Solid showings by the "New England" (basically all MA players) teams. The 2022s went 4-0 making it to the final before getting walloped by an absolutely loaded Maryland squad. I caught some of the Youtube stream of the final and the announcers were saying MD already looked/played like a college team. But overall, after a strong weekend I imagine we'll see more commitments from the NE squad in the coming weeks.

The 2021s played well (2-2) hanging with but losing to eventual champ DMV in pool play, and losing to Maryland by a handful in the top consolation game. The 2023s got knocked around a bit at the start of pool play but won their final two games to end 2-2.
runrussellrun
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by runrussellrun »

Laxxal22 wrote: Mon Sep 28, 2020 8:01 am
Laxxal22 wrote: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:27 am Intriguing tournament down in Baltimore this weekend - The Nike National All-Star Games - https://laxnationals.net/regional-teams/new-england/
Solid showings by the "New England" (basically all MA players) teams. The 2022s went 4-0 making it to the final before getting walloped by an absolutely loaded Maryland squad. I caught some of the Youtube stream of the final and the announcers were saying MD already looked/played like a college team. But overall, after a strong weekend I imagine we'll see more commitments from the NE squad in the coming weeks.

The 2021s played well (2-2) hanging with but losing to eventual champ DMV in pool play, and losing to Maryland by a handful in the top consolation game. The 2023s got knocked around a bit at the start of pool play but won their final two games to end 2-2.
How were the tryouts for this event marketed ? And to whom?
ILM...Independent Lives Matter
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Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

I don't know about the marketing and tryouts, just saw a tweet about the tournament last week. NE rosters looked to have a heavy base of Laxachusetts players with 3D, Fighting Clams, Twisters and some other clubs rounding out the squads. They didn't get all of the top players from MA, and certainly not the rest of non-Connecticut New England, but they did get a lot of them.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

A few ISL guys played at the One Percent Showcase (unfortunate name imo) in NJ, and the showcase did write ups so I pasted them below. These are all still uncommitted 22s, and definitely guys I expect to be impact players if there's a 2021 season.

Nicholas Johnson, midfield, Governor’s Academy (Mass.) / NH Tomahawks 
Speedy in transition, Johnson scored one early goal while at full stride when he was able to pick out a corner with great accuracy. He has the ability to consistently create separation and draw a slide with his shiftiness and speed. 

Alex Vlacich, midfield, Rivers (Mass.) / Laxachusetts 
Active defensively with strong hands and good instincts in transition, Vlacich scored two goals off the bounce in the event. A complete lacrosse player who demonstrated a high lacrosse IQ, Vlacich brings savvy and plenty of finesse to the table. 

Tate Seeman, defense, Noble and Greenough (Mass.) / Fighting Clams 
All-Star. A shutdown cover guy who made a case as the best ’22 defenseman at the showcase. High center of gravity given his upper body strength but very athletic. Seeman is tough to knock off the ball and a very skilled all-around lacrosse player. Also a threat to clear the d-zone with the ball in his stick and to jump into attack, something that has to be accounted for.

Travis Foster, faceoff, Lawrence (Mass.) / NH Tomahawks 
Yet another highly skilled faceoff man who did well against some excellent competition. He fought for loose balls and demonstrated a series of counter moves when he didn’t win the clamp. Disciplined at the stripe throughout the day, Foster also hustled off the field.

Jack Taylor, midfield, Lawrence (Mass.) / Fighting Clams 
Taylor is a prototypical tough, low-to-the-ground middie. He’s got a rocket of a shot, even if it comes with a bit of a long release, but his footwork and his hands are good enough to put off charging defenders who sell out for the shot. He can create shots from a variety of angles and while most comfortable from the point, can also present matchup problems by inverting. 

Lucca Casagrande, defense, Milton (Mass.) / Laxachusetts 
A solid cover guy from a Laxachusetts program that pumps them out like an assembly line, he was tasked with matching up against Ryan Colsey in one game and did an admirable job on the Virginia commit. He has quick feet, sound footwork, always has his stick in an opponent’s hands and is an all-around solid defender one the ball.

Griffin Hough, LSM, Tabor (Mass.) / Laxachusetts
All-Star. Hough stood out with his work on the ground and his dogged wing play. He has an advanced stick, even by LSM standards, and once he gets the ball, he’s also adept at knowing what to do with it as an effective passer. Off the ball, he shows a lot of hustle and good recovery speed.

Peter Del Col, goalie, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Fighting Clams 
Del Col impressed with his shot stopping, particularly on low shots. He tracks shooters well, doesn’t often get beaten high for a shorter goalie and is an excellent distributor, both with his ability to hit accurate long passes and his awareness of the early clear option. He’s also got the quickness to carry the ball outside the crease.

Chad Palumbo, attack, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Fighting Clams
All-Star. Maybe the best uncommitted attackman in the country, Palumbo rose to the occasion in the final with a pair of goals and an assist. He’s super elusive and fearless on the crease, despite a physical frame that means he doesn’t exactly sneak up on people. A physical dodger through X, Palumbo scored goals with one-handed and behind-the-back shots, part of a stunning array of options. He’s big enough and clever enough to rarely let defenders solidly body him up.

Tim Souza, defense, St. Sebastian’s (Mass.) / Laxachusetts 
Souza is a good on-ball defender, thanks in large part to his footwork. He was solid in tracking dodgers and in coping with the two-man game and showed the recovery speed to work within the team defense concept.

Tim Evnin, attack, St. George’s (R.I.) / Express North
A strong attackman, Evnin can create shots with both hands. He’s got a rocket of a shot from distance and can also tapdance his way around a defender with ease. A really skilled all-around player, he can create chances for himself and others and is an excellent worker on the ground.
Can Opener
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Can Opener »

Thanks, Laxxal. I hadn’t seen much on this tournament, but the write-up gives some good insights. Palumbo just committed to Princeton, so he is no longer the best uncommitted attackman in the country. ISL basically just cancelled winter sports. Not feeling good about ISL lacrosse this spring. That is frustrating because club teams have been going full speed since June.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

My pleasure. Twitter makes it so easy to collect and redistribute this stuff.

It's interesting as Inside Lacrosse moves more from covering recruiting/writing evaluations towards hosting recruiting events, individual events are moving towards writing up their own events and evaluations. For instance, the National Lacrosse Federation is releasing their top 60 2022s tonight - I'll share if any ISL guys make the list.

New England Lacrosse Journal did a nice write up on Palumbo and his commitment to the Tigers. It's behind a paywall, but NELJ has really stepped up it's online coverage over the past year and has done a lot of pieces on high schoolers - ISL players as well as other leagues. https://www.laxjournal.com/chad-palumbo ... princeton/

I'm staying optimistic about the spring. There's another four months to learn and prepare, teams/players/fans never have to be around each other indoors, and I can't imagine they want to take two full seasons away from these kids. Still might have to wait another year for the ISL tournament though.
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

National Lacrosse Federation released their Top 60 2022s. A few ISL guys made it. All three are from Laxachusetts, which makes me wonder if the list is a little partial to the six original member teams of the NLF. It'll be interesting to compare this to the Inside lacrosse Top 100 when that comes out at the end of the fall.

19. Aidan Maguire, midfield, St. Sebastian’s (Mass.) / Laxachusetts / Duke ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Rating: 92
Maybe the best two-handed shooter in the class, Maguire is a problem with either hand, particularly when he’s got time and space to step into his shot. After kicking off the year with a great performance at the Futures at IMG event, Maguire showed off more of his versatility with that scoring and his transition skills. Good luck catching him in the open field. It ain’t happening. That, to go along with a great 6-3 frame, made him one of the most coveted midfield recruits in the class and a huge pull for the Blue Devils.

26. Jack Rideout, faceoff, St. Sebastian’s (Mass.) / Laxachusetts / Michigan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Rating: 90
There aren’t many, if any, faceoff men in the class who shoot up out of their stance quicker than the explosive Rideout. He’s got a great first step that helps him get out in space off the win, and he also chases down ground balls with aplomb. The future Wolverine definitely isn’t shy about handling the ball, either. He’s got some midfield skills that provide mismatches, and Rideout frequently makes the right decision with the ball, whether that’s testing his luck as a shooter or dumping it off to Laxachusetts’ skilled attack crew.

41. Aidan O’Neil, attack, Tabor (Mass.) / Laxachusetts / Utah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Rating: 86
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

Interesting tweet here. Peyton O'Leary, a Govs middie and Umass commit received a preferred walk on offer as a WR for Michigan football. Pretty impressive with no summer camps or fall season - but the kid is a 6'4" three-sport star and Michigan has recruited the ISL pretty regularly for the past 6-7 years. His older brother (who was my favorite to win ISL POY if 2020 had been played) is a freshman with the Minutemen, so there's still some family pull there, but it looks like he's focused on pursuing football.

https://twitter.com/peytonoleary6/statu ... 4521562112
laxbro92
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by laxbro92 »

Laxxal22 - thanks for highlighting the news about Peyton O'Leary. He and his older brother (Shane) are clearly fantastic athletes. Agreed that Shane was a likely ISL POY candidate for the spring 2020 season. Out of curiosity, who else did you think had a chance at POY in 2020? And not to get ahead of ourselevs, but who do you think are candidates for POY for spring 2021 (assuming there is in fact a lacrosse season)?
Laxxal22
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Re: ISL Lacrosse 2020

Post by Laxxal22 »

For last year, in addition to O'Leary these were the guys that I thought would've been in the mix for the three All America spots - Cole Nye (mid Middlesex - Middlebury), Cam Rubin (att Belmont Hill - Penn), Charlie Weitzel and Colin Bergstrom (defs Roxbury Latin - Yale, Harvard), John Dixon (fogo Nobles - Georgetown), Ryan Rahbany (def Rivers - Amherst).

It's tough to judge the upcoming season but my rough top 10 seniors - largely based on 2019 production and in no particular order - are Ronan Doherty and Russell Thorndike (def & att Groton - Notre Dame, Middlebury), Trey Brown (def Belmont Hill - BU), Max Ewald (lsm BB&N - Harvard), Blake Weldon (att Govs - Umass), Bobby O'Grady (att Roxbury Latin - Marquette), Jimmy Freehill (def St. Seb's - Denver), CJ Monturio and Quinn McConnaughey (mid & fogo Thayer - Army, Providence), George Fulton (def Middlesex - UVA).

Imo the junior class is stronger at the top and deeper overall, but it's rare for juniors to get AA spots. Guys I could see having dominant junior years are Jack Pappendick and Thomas Porrell (mids BB&N - Duke, Notre Dame), Gavin Begonia (att Lawrence Academy - Ohio State), Oran Gelinas (goal Middlesex - Ohio State), Aidan Maguire and Jack Rideout (mid & fogo St. Seb's - Duke, Michigan), Chad Palumbo (att Nobles - Princeton).
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