Recruiting

[Laxfan500]

I saw the Spallina girl at the Delta Sonic car wash a few days back. Lotta cars in the Cuse go through there. She and her friends got out of the car and went in the store while Mom went through the wash. Girls got themselves candy bars and Mountain Dew. The Spallina girl had a Cuse Women's Lacrosse 2024, blue, orange letters sweatshirt/hoodie on. Pretty darn sure it was her.
She's a lock...comin' to Cuse.

Spallina (the coach) used to make a big deal about players leaving the island to go play for “big programs” that whole chip on shoulder - blue collar mentality stuff. So now his own kid doesnt want to stay and play for SB and wants to leave to play for a “big program” …

[njbill]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

[Kleizaster]

I saw the Spallina girl at the Delta Sonic car wash a few days back. Lotta cars in the Cuse go through there. She and her friends got out of the car and went in the store while Mom went through the wash. Girls got themselves candy bars and Mountain Dew. The Spallina girl had a Cuse Women's Lacrosse 2024, blue, orange letters sweatshirt/hoodie on. Pretty darn sure it was her.
She's a lock...comin' to Cuse.

Spallina (the coach) used to make a big deal about players leaving the island to go play for “big programs” that whole chip on shoulder - blue collar mentality stuff. So now his own kid doesnt want to stay and play for SB and wants to leave to play for a “big program” …

SB is getting a 'courtesy' consideration by default for obvious reasons. They are still in the mix but it seems like she wants to play at a big program and Cuse checks off all her boxes. I agree with DMac that she's going to Cuse. But she's been down at UNC camps past few months and took pictures with Levy. It'll get interesting with UNC.

[DMac]

I better come clean pretty quickly here, There's not a word of truth ('cept for the lot of cars going through, I guess) to my story, was just trying to throw a little garbage out there. Didn't intend to deceive, figured everyone would know it was BS. Had that happened it would have been a lot longer story as there's not a chance I'm not going over to talk with that Spinella girl. I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her though. Sorry for any confusion.

[wlaxphan20]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

Yeah, I knew she would have her brothers there, but UNC as a possibility also makes a lot of sense considering Joe coaches Team USA with Jenny Levy, no?

[wlaxphan20]

I saw the Spallina girl at the Delta Sonic car wash a few days back. Lotta cars in the Cuse go through there. She and her friends got out of the car and went in the store while Mom went through the wash. Girls got themselves candy bars and Mountain Dew. The Spallina girl had a Cuse Women's Lacrosse 2024, blue, orange letters sweatshirt/hoodie on. Pretty darn sure it was her.
She's a lock...comin' to Cuse.

Spallina (the coach) used to make a big deal about players leaving the island to go play for “big programs” that whole chip on shoulder - blue collar mentality stuff. So now his own kid doesnt want to stay and play for SB and wants to leave to play for a “big program” …

Would sincerely hope, and expect, Joe to put the "dad" hat firmly on his head and leave the "coach" one off where his own daughter's recruitment is concerned.

[Seacoaster(1)]

I better come clean pretty quickly here, There's not a word of truth ('cept for the lot of cars going through, I guess) to my story, was just trying to throw a little garbage out there. Didn't intend to deceive, figured everyone would know it was BS. Had that happened it would have been a lot longer story as there's not a chance I'm not going over to talk with that Spinella girl. I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her though. Sorry for any confusion.

Hah! Nice use of the car wash name for verisimilitude. Very effective.

[jff97]

Thought it would be fun to see the breakdowns of where the player on this list were in recruiting rankings. Just to jog everyone's memory, ILWomen had 26 five star players in the class of 2022, 24 four star players and then another 50 four stars listed alphabetically in their watchlist. Just because someone ranked high isn't on the list doesn't mean they're overrated. It can take a few years to figure that out.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tars/61011
Five-Stars
#1 Kori Edmondson, M, Maryland
#2 Marissa White, A, North Carolina
#8 Caroline Godine, A, North Carolina
#25 Jocelyn Torres, G, Virginia Tech
Four-Stars
#28 Nikki Mennella, A, Hofstra
#43 Paris Masaracchia, D, Clemson
Four-Star Watch List:
Camryn Callaghan, A, Cincinnati
Amelia Hughes, G, Princeton
Madison Taylor, M, Northwestern
Ava Yovino, M, Navy
Not Ranked:
Sophia Chepnik, A, Clemson
Jenika Cuocco, G, Drexel
Brigid Duffy, M, Army
Maddie Epke, A, James Madison
Anna Hackett, M, Elon
Jami McDonald, A, Princeton
Lola Mancuso, A, Xavier
Reagan O'Brien, M, Johns Hopkins
Jane Trauger, A, Vermont
Coco Vandiver, D, Syracuse

[Kleizaster]

Thought it would be fun to see the breakdowns of where the player on this list were in recruiting rankings. Just to jog everyone's memory, ILWomen had 26 five star players in the class of 2022, 24 four star players and then another 50 four stars listed alphabetically in their watchlist. Just because someone ranked high isn't on the list doesn't mean they're overrated. It can take a few years to figure that out.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... tars/61011
Five-Stars
#1 Kori Edmondson, M, Maryland
#2 Marissa White, A, North Carolina
#8 Caroline Godine, A, North Carolina
#25 Jocelyn Torres, G, Virginia Tech
Four-Stars
#28 Nikki Mennella, A, Hofstra
#43 Paris Masaracchia, D, Clemson
Four-Star Watch List:
Camryn Callaghan, A, Cincinnati
Amelia Hughes, G, Princeton
Madison Taylor, M, Northwestern
Ava Yovino, M, Navy
Not Ranked:
Sophia Chepnik, A, Clemson
Jenika Cuocco, G, Drexel
Brigid Duffy, M, Army
Maddie Epke, A, James Madison
Anna Hackett, M, Elon
Jami McDonald, A, Princeton
Lola Mancuso, A, Xavier
Reagan O'Brien, M, Johns Hopkins
Jane Trauger, A, Vermont
Coco Vandiver, D, Syracuse

I agree. Sometimes it comes down to circumstance. Some players simply don't get to play much in year one because they are stuck behind upper classmen. But this class is turning out to be strong, despite being the covid class where most of their evaluations were based on their freshman year of HS and alot of film. I like to pile on Maryland for their recent failures but they absolutely got a stud in Edmonson. i like her aggressive style.

[Kleizaster]

There's been a sizeable shift in women's lacrosse the last few years as result of the growth of the game. Alot of the midwestern states are starting to churn out some excellent recruits on a more consistent basis. Before, it used to be any top player from the midwest or west coast was a lock to go to a top east coast program. Now the wealth is being spread alittle more. A top 5 recruit will almost certainly still go east but alot of the 4 star and 3 star level recruits are staying close to home. Denver is a program to watch. They'll be in prime position to start tapping into that with their recent success. Denver's roster is chalk full of Maryland kids so that pipeline is already established. I think women's lacrosse is in a great place right now. I don't think there's ever been this many good teams at once.

[LaxDadMax]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

[Madlax59]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

You are prob right
However that will never happen
She will go to a top 5 (lax) school
Cuse SB or unc
Prob Cuse
She prob has great stick skills
She won’t have to move , she’s big and tough, defenders prob won’t move her off her position like they would a Choma or a wurtz

[LaxDadMax]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

You are prob right
However that will never happen
She will go to a top 5 (lax) school
Cuse SB or unc
Prob Cuse
She prob has great stick skills
She won’t have to move , she’s big and tough, defenders prob won’t move her off her position like they would a Choma or a wurtz

You are probably right.

However, if she goes to Syracuse or UNC, I doubt she sees the field for several reason.

Lots of folks will call her a flop and not deservedly so. Look at the benches of UNC, Syracuse and Boston College these days. Tons of inside lacrosse top 100 attackers who rarely if ever see the field their first couple years.

[Kleizaster]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

I agree that she's not number 1 overall material anymore. A year ago yes but alot of girls have caught up and surpassed her. She'll still be an assett to whoever lands her though and it's still cuse for me

[Madlax59]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

You are prob right
However that will never happen
She will go to a top 5 (lax) school
Cuse SB or unc
Prob Cuse
She prob has great stick skills
She won’t have to move , she’s big and tough, defenders prob won’t move her off her position like they would a Choma or a wurtz

You are probably right.

However, if she goes to Syracuse or UNC, I doubt she sees the field for several reason.

Lots of folks will call her a flop and not deservedly so. Look at the benches of UNC, Syracuse and Boston College these days. Tons of inside lacrosse top 100 attackers who rarely if ever see the field their first couple years.

Also depends on who graduates . There may be a lot of room for freshmen to move into spots

[LaxDadMax]

Don’t know about a “lock.” She has one brother at Syr now, a freshman, and two other brothers (twins) going there next year as I understand it. Could explain the campus visit.

She is currently a high school sophomore and can’t officially commit until September 1 of this year. Her father, of course, knows the women’s lacrosse recruiting rules very well.

I saw her play twice in the summer of 2021 and once last summer.

My information isn’t very good at all, but from what I understand, she hasn’t made up her mind yet.

I feel sorry for her in a lot of ways. Definitely way too much pressure put on her. I have a daughter in the same class who has played against her many times.

Is she a very talented player? Absolutely.

Is she one of the top 5 players in the class like many have rated her? No. NOT. EVEN. CLOSE. Obviously with the last name she has combined with her brother's reputation, she will have to live up to a standard which is impossible. Combined with the fact that she is a big, low attacker without the best mobility, she needs to look for a program with more slower tempo offense.

Based on talent alone, she should probably go to a school in the bottom of the top 25 and probably have to wait a couple years to see the field. Not a bad thing, in fact, it is what many of her club and high school teammates will do. But to expect her to be an impact player is just not fair to her.

You are prob right
However that will never happen
She will go to a top 5 (lax) school
Cuse SB or unc
Prob Cuse
She prob has great stick skills
She won’t have to move , she’s big and tough, defenders prob won’t move her off her position like they would a Choma or a wurtz

You are probably right.

However, if she goes to Syracuse or UNC, I doubt she sees the field for several reason.

Lots of folks will call her a flop and not deservedly so. Look at the benches of UNC, Syracuse and Boston College these days. Tons of inside lacrosse top 100 attackers who rarely if ever see the field their first couple years.

Also depends on who graduates . There may be a lot of room for freshmen to move into spots

And who grad transfers in, could matter even more.

[LaxDadMax]

Did anyone else notice the strange dates for U18/U16 National team tryouts this year? Almost all of the tryouts dates are associated with B level tourneys which run against major recruiting events?

The only ones which don't conflict is Memorial Day weekend in Maryland.

The rest

June 9: Southeast (same date as Live Love Lax)
June 23: Midwest/ NY (same date as Lax For the Cure)
July 7: New England (same weekend as G8)


I know they have a virtual option. Has anyone ever had success with this route qualifying for the camp?

Makes little sense to me for multiple levels. 1) May not attract the best talents and 2) won't have the top coaches. When my daughter tried out last year there were 3 top 20 D1 coaches pretty much running the event.

[jff97]

Decided to go back and look at the recruiting rankings for the contributors on the Final Four teams, and left a quick note about each team. Obviously one team's recruiting has not been like the others. ILWomen has ranked the top 50 players in each class in order, than put the next 50 in alphabetical order titled "On the Rise" or "Four-Star Watch List."
#1 Northwestern
2018: Elle Hansen, #5
Izzy Scane, #27
Hailey Rhatigan, Not Ranked (Transfer)
Allie Berkey, Not Ranked
Molly Laliberty, Not Ranked (Transfer)
2019: Jane Hansen, #5
Erin Coykendall, #22
Dylan Amonte, #29
Kate Shanley, On the Rise
Hannah Gillespie, Not Ranked
2020: Kendall Halpern, #44
Carleigh Mahoney, Not Ranked
2021: Sammy White, #8
Samantha Smith, #23
Emerson Bohlig, On the Rise
Serafina DeMunno, On the Rise
2022: Madison Taylor, Four-Star Watch List
-Like all the top level teams, Northwestern has had its fair share of successful ranked recruits and misses. What jumps out to me is neither Scane nor Coykendall were the top ranked recruit by ILWomen in her class. Scane was actually the fourth highest-ranked recruit in their 2018 class. Though the two offensive leaders are veterans, they've gotten quite a bit from recent classes in the middle of the field and on defense. Rhatigan and Laliberty were obviously huge transfers and may put them over the top next weekend.
#2 Syracuse
2017: Tessa Queri, Watchlist (transfer)
2018: Meaghan Tyrrell, #6
Megan Carney, #9
Sierra Cockerille, NR
2019: Delaney Sweitzer, #8 (Transfer)
Katelyn Mashewske, #30
Bianca Chevarie, #35
Emma Tyrrell, Not Ranked
Savannah Sweitzer, Not Ranked (Transfer)
Hallie Simkins, Not Ranked
2020: Jenny Markey, #29
Katie Goodale, #36
Emma Ward, #41
Natalie Smith, On the Rise
Maddie Baxter, Not Ranked
2021: Olivia Adamson, #46
McKenzie Olson, Not Ranked
2022: Jordan DeBlasio, #46
Superia Clark, Four-Star Watchlist
Coco Vandiver, Not Ranked
-Since bringing in Meg Tyrrell and Carney, Syracuse has done a great job in bringing in players one tier below the "can't miss" recruits and developing them. All these players except for the transfers were recruited by Gary Gait, and Kayla Treanor has done a great job helping them find another level on both ends of the field this year. They have the deepest offense in the country, and are much more buttoned-up defensively. With Treanor kicking the recruiting up a notch, the future looks bright.
#3 Boston College
2017: Melanie Welch, Not Ranked
2018: Jenn Medjiid, #7
Cassidy Weeks, #8
Courtney Weeks, #18
2019: Sophia Taglich, #31
Hollie Schleicher, Not Ranked
2020: Belle Smith, #2
Andrea Reynolds, #11
Annabelle Hasselbeck, #38
Hunter Roman, On the Rise
Kayla Martello, Not Ranked
Sydney Scales, Not Ranked
2021: McKenna Davis, #18
2022: Shea Dolce, #6
Shea Baker, #15
Abbey Herod, #22
-The Eagles are the best at bringing in the top talent of any of the Final Four teams. The 2018 class has been excellent for them, and it doesn't include Caitlynn Mossman, who opted not to return for her COVID year. 2020 has been excellent too and includes under-the-radar finds like Scales and Martello. Four of the unranked players are currently defenders, but entered college as midfielders. That's similar to what you find at quite a few programs. A funny tidbit is that BC brought in the #1 and #3 players according to IL in 2021, but Davis is the only contributor from that class so far is Davis. There will be a lot to replace after next season, but AWW has shown she's capable of stacking classes to keep the standard the standard.
#5 Denver
2017: Trinity McPherson, Not Ranked (Transfer)
2018: Kayla DeRose, Not Ranked
Gracie DeRose, Not Ranked
2019: Sam Thacker, On the Rise
Julia Gilbert, Not Ranked
Ellie Curry, Not Ranked
2020: Anna Palmisano, On the Rise
Sloan Kipp, Not Ranked
Bryn McCaughey, Not Ranked
Abby Jenkins, Not Ranked
2021: Lauren Black, Not Ranked
Mollie Estepp, Not Ranked
Caroline Colimore, Not Ranked
Emelia Bohi, Not Ranked
Sarah Pokorny, Not Ranked
2022: Ryan Dineen*, Four-Star Watch List
Megan Klingenberg, Not Ranked
-Obviously the Pioneers have not recruited at the same level as the other Final Four teams. Maybe their players don't stand out as much on the recruiting trail, or the program hasn't gotten the respect yet to have their recruits get a bump in consideration for rankings. The bump happens in college football, where Power 5 commits will get a bump because they're going to that type of school. However, there is a blueprint here. Many of these players are from the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Even if they weren't the highest ranked recruits, that's still an area with a ton of talent and somewhere any program will try to get players from. Clearly it's worked for the Pioneers. Given how many players can come back next year, this Final Four run might not be a fluke.

[VAMomGlax2019]

Seems like a lot of Not Ranked players on the list which probably is a reflection more on how the rankings are done. Certain clubs and high schools will attract college coach eyeballs because of past recruiting, but for many rankings are driven a lot by how much players/parents are willing to spend in time and money to get noticed and heavily market the player. Several Virginia public school players played in the final 16/8 this year. None spent the time or money to attend events to showcase and promote themselves, but clearly the results show they are great talents. I guess you can call them under the radar talent. IMO in a sport like girls lacrosse relying on rankings as a way of measuring the potential success of a team is risky at best. Yes, there are a few can’t miss players, but in general most of the top 300 players are fairly even and it comes down to a coach developing and getting the most out of that talent.

[user1020]

Seems like a lot of Not Ranked players on the list which probably is a reflection more on how the rankings are done. Certain clubs and high schools will attract college coach eyeballs because of past recruiting, but for many rankings are driven a lot by how much players/parents are willing to spend in time and money to get noticed and heavily market the player. Several Virginia public school players played in the final 16/8 this year. None spent the time or money to attend events to showcase and promote themselves, but clearly the results show they are great talents. I guess you can call them under the radar talent. IMO in a sport like girls lacrosse relying on rankings as a way of measuring the potential success of a team is risky at best. Yes, there are a few can’t miss players, but in general most of the top 300 players are fairly even and it comes down to a coach developing and getting the most out of that talent.

I agree. Making these rankings would be a hard job, but they clearly favor the top colleges and high schools. Commits to top schools will be ranked higher and commits on premier high school teams will be as well. Sam Thacker went to McDonogh, so people were clearly at her games determining the rankings, so this allowed her to be “On The Rise”. Anna Palmisano is from the same class and high school as Caitlyn Wurzburger, who received a ton of attention in high school. Which then gave Palmisano the rating because they were on the same team. I don’t know much about the Severn School (where Dineen went), but they play in the IAAM so people who make these rankings are watching her games. It’s all a popularity contest and based on proximity and access, so you can have your pick of the litter of anyone