ISL

[JoeMauer89]

A couple of random offseason thoughts.

I don’t expect to see schedules for another 3-4 months, but Lawrenceville dropped their 2024 schedule and St. Seb’s is on it (3/21) as they’re set to go down to Jersey again for their annual spring break road trip. They usually play two games. Last year they played Brunswick on the way back up from Lville. The Arrows were supposed to play Delbarton on the 2020 trip that was canceled for Covid. I’d love to see that game or a match up with another one of NJ all-boys powers.

It’s going to be really difficult to make All-ISL at attack in the spring. There are 17 D1 committed attackmen between the junior and senior classes. Factor in a number of guys from those classes that will play high D3 and that two of the best attackmen in the league are sophomores, and it’s a crowded field for 7 or so spots.

WOW, Big Red are finally playing St Anthony's. Believe its the 1st time ever!

Joe

[Laxxal22]

The Lawrenceville schedule is intense. I don't see a DC school but otherwise they have games against powerhouses from most of the hotbeds. Between location and funding the Big Red are the program best suited to play a national slate of games. I'm hoping St. Seb's catches them looking ahead to their match up with Boys Latin two days later.

[Laxxal22]

As I’ve done the past two years, here’s a look at junior class commits after three months of recruiting. A few more announcements may trickle in, but at this point coaches as well kids who don’t love their current options are probably turning their attention to the spring season.

Not sure if this is an outlier class or the new normal but this is the strongest group the league has had since I really started paying attention around 2016, which probably makes it the strongest class the ISL has ever had as it has continually improved over the past 20 years.

Removing/adjusting for seniors who plan to PG and have committed as 2025s, the class of 2025 has 24 commits compared to 19 for the class of 2024 and 18 for the class of 2023 at the same point in time. Beyond the quantity there is also real quality; 17 of the 23 commits are heading to schools that have made the tournament in the past 5 years, many to Quarterfinal/Final Four caliber programs.

Two things really stand out.
1. This class is really strong at attack: 11 D1 commits so far. In the past the ISL has produced a lot of goalies, poles, and two-way middies - athletes who could be developed at the D1 - but tended not to send too many offensive focused players to D1.
2. Players got targeted early by big programs: Since the implementation of 9/1 recruiting it seemed that many ISL kids who committed to top 20ish D1 programs got their offers in a second wave of recruiting instead of being top targets. This class seems to have more kids who were at the top of recruiting boards and committed in the first 2-3 weeks of the process.

Congrats to all those who’ve committed and good luck to those still going through the process.

2025 Commitments

Johnny Price - Mid, Roxbury Latin - Georgetown
Colin Kenney - Att, Nobles - Notre Dame
Ethan Train - Goal, Nobles - Navy
Garr Long - Goal, Thayer - Brown
Eli Friedman - FO, Belmont Hill - Cornell
Natty Mason - Att, Milton Academy - Georgetown
Tyler Chouinard - Att, Thayer - Army
Brock Geraci - Att, Govs - Georgetown
Teddy Lally - Att, Thayer - Notre Dame
Lindan Verville - Mid, Belmont Hill - Virginia
Will Fuller - Att, BB&N - Princeton
Gus Beaudry - Mid, Thayer - Army
Owen Crann - Att/Mid, Middlesex - Penn
Chandler McClements - Goal, St. Seb’s - Penn
Joe DiMella - Att, Govs - BU
Jack Cappadona - Def, Thayer - Army
Preston Evans - Att, Belmont Hill - Virginia
John Stenberg - Mid, St. Seb’s - Dartmouth
Charles Cochrane - Att, Govs - UVM
Jack Rabazzi - Def, Rivers - Colgate
Charlie Crowley - Mid, Belmont Hill - UVM
Paul Armstrong - Att, St. Seb's - Holy Cross
Crosby Thurmond - Mid, St. Seb's - Holy Cross
Ryan Farley - Def, St. Seb's - Lafayette
Devin Maguire - Def, St. Seb's - Army

[Laxxal22]

I plan to put a few hours in over the holidays consolidating various notes I have into an outline for the eventual season preview. Please message me with any thoughts or info you'd like to share. Young impact players, off the radar transfers, or any injury stuff (I'll keep that private but don't want to predict a 60 point season for a kid who will miss half of the spring) would be especially helpful. Also, it's always a bit harder to write up the traditionally weaker programs so any intel there would be great. March will be here before you know it!

[porkchop]

https://winterboxlacrosseleague.com/wbl ... standings/

[Laxxal22]

https://winterboxlacrosseleague.com/wbl ... standings/

Thanks for sharing. Taking the little steps (a solid web site, weekly recaps on social media) make such a big difference. I don't know how seriously kids take box, but this is definitely an elevated experience from what winter indoor used to be.

Schedules are starting to pop up. St. Mark's, Lawrence, and Tabor all have full schedules up on Inside Lacrosse. A full schedule isn't up for St. Seb's but it looks like again they'll have Lawrenceville, Brunswick, and Taft early on. Interested to see what other non league games get scheduled for the spring.

[Laxboy78]

IMG is coming up to Mass for a week. Play Govs, SJP, Tabor and BH. 4 games in 8 days.

[Laxxal22]

IMG is coming up to Mass for a week. Play Govs, SJP, Tabor and BH. 4 games in 8 days.

Good to see those games in April after things have been underway for a month or so. I'd give the MA teams a good shot. Though they handled Tabor with relative ease last year it doesn't seem IMG puts together the same level of teams as the one that came up with Tehoka Nanticoke 6-7 years ago and smoked a very strong St. Seb's squad. 4 games in 8 days and closing with SJP and Belmont Hill will be very difficult.

[Laxxal22]

Quickly scanned the expanded D1 box scores on Inside Lacrosse, which show GBs, TOs, CTOs, and give a better sense of who played as opposed to just who scored. After a quick glance, the ISL alumni player of the week goes to Aidan O'Neil (Att. Tabor/Richmond) who put up 6g, 6a against Robert Morris today.

[Laxxal22]

IL’s preseason top 25 is out. Belmont Hill at 24. https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... at+the+top

[tmast33]

Thanks.

[MA Lax Fan]

Not looking to start up the yearly debate but…….

Congrats to Radnor, Manhasset and Staples for making the list w/o re-classes or PG’s.

[Laxxal22]

Yup, at this point even I'll get on board with that sentiment. Public schools do more with less and it's commendable.

Just looking at commitments for MA, while last year the MIAA team beat the ISL team in the Bostonlax aal-star game, the gulf between ISL and MIAA in the 2024 and 2025 classes looks to be the largest I have seen. It's starting to reach the levels like they have down in Maryland. While I obviously love ISL lacrosse, I worry about the overall health of the game in MA if the gap gets too big.

[Superlite]

to be fully fair when discussing MIAA lets take out the Catholics..Then the numbers will probably be more drastic

Yup, at this point even I'll get on board with that sentiment. Public schools do more with less and it's commendable.

Just looking at commitments for MA, while last year the MIAA team beat the ISL team in the Bostonlax aal-star game, the gulf between ISL and MIAA in the 2024 and 2025 classes looks to be the largest I have seen. It's starting to reach the levels like they have down in Maryland. While I obviously love ISL lacrosse, I worry about the overall health of the game in MA if the gap gets too big.

[MA Lax Fan]

I worry too. I know plenty of towns that have really strong youth programs but the HS teams blows. I think lacrosse in Mass overall has slowed in its growth and progress due to towns not being able to produce competitive teams anymore.

Any kid who is half decent feels obligated to jump ship and go private.

Some towns like Reading, Hingham, Dux, Rica, etc…. Have been able to retain talent despite the pressure to leave their HS programs but they are the exceptions.

[Superlite]

I believe Mass youth numbers are as strong as they have ever been. The strength of the ISL is a reflection on that. Even if these kids choose to attend private it does not mean that the youth numbers (or talent levels) are down. 90% of the elite ISL players are day students, which is a reflection of the talent in MA no?

anyway, this is moving away from normal ISL discussion. Teams are heading south in a few weeks while others take on IMG and some NE West teams...

I worry too. I know plenty of towns that have really strong youth programs but the HS teams blows. I think lacrosse in Mass overall has slowed in its growth and progress due to towns not being able to produce competitive teams anymore.

Any kid who is half decent feels obligated to jump ship and go private.

Some towns like Reading, Hingham, Dux, Rica, etc…. Have been able to retain talent despite the pressure to leave their HS programs but they are the exceptions.

[Laxxal22]

I'm hoping schedules start dropping soon.

What I've gathered so far...

Seb's has the same gauntlet of Lawrenceville, Brunswick, and an extra-motivated Taft team after the Arrows grabbed the upset last year.

I've heard Belmont Hill has Avon and Deerfield again, as well as IMG when they come up in April.

I saw Nobles is on Deerfield's schedule again.

Thayer's non-league is a little underwhelming with Austin Prep and Pingree. Don't get me wrong, Pingree is strong program that beat Thayer, Middlesex, and RL last year, but Thayer will be emptying the bench before halftime against AP.

[Laxboy78]

Govs has Andover, IMG and a tough one with Loomis. Loomis seems to be firmly on the level of the best Founders/NE West now.

[Laxxal22]

ISL had a good year against West 1 last season, but with Deerfield having a huge scouting edge on Belmont Hill and Nobles with Woods and Schwartz as PGs, Taft seeking retribution on Seb's, and Loomis firing on all cylinders again, I'm anticipating an empire strikes back early spring.

[Laxxal22]

Govs has Andover, IMG and a tough one with Loomis. Loomis seems to be firmly on the level of the best Founders/NE West now.

Full Govs schedule: https://www.thegovernorsacademy.org/ath ... team-id/55

I don't know how strong Andover is but otherwise that's quite a challenging start to the season up through the Nobles game. No Belmont Hill on the regular season schedule which is a benefit to both schools chances of making playoffs.