10 Who Impressed At Adrenaline All-American Game

UncategorizedEventsRecruiting

Ty Xanders, Recruiting Rundown | June 8th, 2016

While it looked as if the Adrenaline All-American Game would end as an one-goal game for the fourth year in a row, the South team pulled away down the stretch to clinch a 18-14 decision over the North.

People familiar with lacrosse on the West Coast have called the graduating class of 2016 the deepest to come out of the region, full of marquee names bound for top Division I programs. With that said, Saturday was a prime opportunity to showcase talent from all over the left half of the U.S. map, even drawing players from Texas, Minnesota and Canada, among others. I was able to catch up on Saturday’s action by watching Lax Sports Network’s tape delayed broadcast with commentary from Chris Marshall and Jono Zissi. Here are ten players that stood out.

Christian Ford, M, Bishops School (Calif.) / Michigan
Ford was awarded MVP honors for his hat trick performance and deservedly so. On his first goal, he made a pretty cut and finished an Anthony DeMaio right over the goalie’s shoulder where he couldn’t get it. Thriving in the ‘run-and-gun’ game, he went hard down the lefty alley and displayed a cannon with his strong hand. Ford adds to a great class headed for Ann Arbor and is expected to thrive in Conor Ford’s offense.

Philip Thompson, F/O, Harvard Westlake (Calif.) / Princeton
The Los Angeles native was exceptional on Saturday evening, spearheading the South’s possession time by gobbling up an unofficial 10 groundballs at the X. He routinely won the clamp and scrum situations by utilizing his extremely quick hands and anticipation of the whistle. Part of a deep consistent of standout FOGO’s headed to the Ivy League, Thompson will help a Princeton team that went just 46% this spring.

Matt Trowbridge, G, MICDS (Mo.) / Michigan
Named an Under Armour All-American, made the most of his time in net (splitting time with two other keepers) by corralling five saves in the third quarter and six overall on the night. The St. Louis product stayed poised, robbing a number of would-be goals and confidently getting the ball out in the clearing game. Reminds me a lot of recently graduated Maryland goalie Kyle Bernlohr.

Jake Fiske, LSM, Poway (Calif.) / Bryant
The two-time San Diego Player of the Year was arguably the most impactful player on the field as he notched a hat trick with his longpole to go with countless caused turnovers and GB’s. Fiske pushed transition after throwing precise checks, staying on to demonstrate an excellent handle inside to catch and finish shots.  He was an Energizer bunny all over the field and should see the field instantly once he heads east to Rhode Island.

Keaton Komatz, M, Heritage (Colo.) / Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish recruit and 3d Colorado product really impressed me with his slickness, motor and athleticism. He’s an opportunistic shooter who scored his first on a nasty underhand shot coming around the crease after a rebound then added another with a lefty riser on the run with the first half seconds from ending. ND returns a lot, but Komatz has a nice skill set to eventually get minutes for Kevin Corrigan’s squad.

Tristan Courtney, M, Juan Diego (Ut.) / Tufts
What an awesome recruit for Mike Daly. Posting two goals and an assist on Saturday, his skill set makes you think that he’ll fit seamlessly into the Jumbos’ offense, impressing on both ends of the field and in transition. He has great range from the outside and can get up and down without getting tired, grabbing some big GB’s and finishing adequately dodging downhill.

Jarrett Jones, D, Palos Verdes (Calif.) / Georgetown
Ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the land, Jones is no stranger to writeups here onRecruiting Rundown. The Hoya recruit is an imposing force down low, taking strong approaches to his man and laying the lumber. Appearing particularly college-ready for a non-hotbed defenseman, he’s confident with the ball in his stick during the clearing game, even scoring late for the South squad.

Cal Costa, A, Bishops School (Calif.) / Ohio State
Coming out of Jono Zissi’s RC club program in San Diego, Costa racked up three points on the night, including a beautiful BTB assisted by Maryland-bound Preston Faecher to make it 3-1. He explodes out of his dodges and is a reliable dodger/finisher who the Buckeyes could use early on. Though there are times that he’ll make some questionable decisions, he’s still very productive and is also a riding asset.

Nick Wendel, M, Faith Lutheran (Nev.) / Cleveland State
I’ve been blown away by Cleveland State’s list 30+ incoming recruits and Wendel is a big part of that group. He put up two goals as well as some excellent plays in the middle of the field. Late in the first half, he tied it up with a crafty face dodge and bouncer sent from high over his head. A special middie who doesn’t always need the ball in order to be successful, the kid from Vegas will be important for Dylan Sheridan’s new program.

Beau Botkiss, D, Torrey Pines (Calif.) / Harvard
Botkiss is another known commodity, dazzling his way to high rankings over the years while playing with RC, West Coast Starz and the UA underclass West squads. In his last hurrah in Cali, Botkiss snagged a handful of interceptions, constantly making an impact as a field general. Along with Lafayette-bound Shane Sharp (Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Towson LSM recruit Scott Barger (Trabuco Hills, Calif.), Botkiss made up a stingy defense for the South team. He’ll see meaningful minutes early on in Cambridge.