Standouts from Adrenaline Platinum Cup, Part 1

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Spencer Turkel, Recruiting Rundown | 6.14.16

Now in its third year of existence, the Adrenaline Platinum Cup went down this past weekend at Long Island’s Sachem North High School and provided college coaches and the club world with early battles between the nation’s top programs in four different graduating classes. This year’s participants included Big 4 HHH, Crabs, Laxachusetts, Leading Edge, Long Island Express, Express North, Madlax, Mesa Fresh, Prime Time, Team 91 and the West Coast Starz.

Spencer Turkel, a Weston (Conn.) graduate who is a sophomore face-off man and broadcast journalism major at the University of Delaware, joined Recruiting Rundown as a summer intern and split duties this weekend at Platinum Cup. Below are his 11 standouts from the teams that he was able to watch – check back on Wednesday night for Ty’s look at who impressed at Platinum Cup and Black Card, Friday’s individual event for uncommitteds at Stony Brook. For a rundown of the scores and brackets from the team event, check out the link over on Tourney Machine.

Nick Loring ’18, M, Laxachusetts / Noble & Greenough (Mass.)
Loring had a knack for finding seams in the defense when moving without the ball. He was always open and and in a great position for a hard, accurate step-down shot to blow by the keeper. Another aspect that jumped out in his style of play was his ability to use his big frame and be physical, often initiating contact on his primary dodge and rolling back to free up his hands. The Princeton commit filled up the net for Laxachusetts.

Andrew Bonafede ’18, G, LI Express / Chaminade (N.Y.)
I watched Bonafede play against a high-powered PrimeTime offense on Saturday afternoon and was impressed with the tremendous poise that the Duke-bound netminder brought to the table. Whether it was an open step-down from ten yards out or an attackman throwing fakes on the doorstep, he stayed calm and collected while making terrific saves, only allowing one goal in the half that he played. After making the save, he sparked transition by getting the ball up and out to his defensemen quickly. Bonafede is one of the gems in the strong pipeline from Chaminade to Durham.

Angelo Petrakis ’19, FO, Team 91 / Massapequa (N.Y.)
Another Greg Gurenlian protégé, Petrakis won his draws in a plethora of ways, though the uncommitted FOGO often ran the break effectively after he pinch and popped. Once they started to cut the break, he had an array of moves to pop the ball behind to himself or his wings in order to secure the possession. Following up on a notable November in front of college coaches, Petrakis should solidify his status in the coming weeks, especially if he keeps this up.

Billy Coyle ’17, A, Mesa Fresh / Malvern Prep (Pa.)
Coyle was certainly a bright spot for a Mesa 2017 team that otherwise struggled. In one of the halves that I watched, they played against Leading Edge (the tournament champions) and the Cornell commit had three impressive goals – he is incredibly shifty and after shaking his defender with his initial move, he accelerates down the alley. Coyle has a very well placed shot on the run and can also score in a variety of ways. When he isn’t creating offense, Coyle is the beneficiary of one of his teammates dodging and drawing the slide due to his phenomenal off-ball movement. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Malvern Prep rising senior can do during his final year and at the next level for the Big Red.

Bryson Shaw ’19, M, Crabs / Mt. St. Joe (Md.)
The Maryland commit was one of the best all-around athletes in the Class of 2019 bracket. He has a deadly stepdown, can outmuscle his defender to the goal and has the ability to run all day. Shaw plays stingy and aggressive 1-on-1 defense that flusters the ball carrier, but he shines brightest when using his legs to transition the ball from defense to offense in a “punt return” style clear. His prowess as an athletic two-way midfielder reminds me of collegiate studs Jake Matthai and Isaiah Davis-Allen.

Gavin Tygh ’19, FO/M, Big 4 HHH / Penn Charter (Pa.)
A product of the Faceoff Academy, his technique was second to none and he was essentially automatic at the X for Big 4. What impressed me most about Tygh was how effective he was in pushing transition after a win. With the ball in his stick he was a threat, sticking multiple goals and dishing out a handful of assists over the weekend. Named to Recruiting Rundown’s Freshman Fifteen in February, Tygh committed to UVA last July.

Connor Shellenberger ’19, A, Madlax / St. Anne’s Belfield (Va.)
The Hopkins commit has a shooting stroke that is as deadly as that of Ryan Brown, one of the best shooters in Johns Hopkins history. That said, to classify Connor as solely a shooter does not do justice to his versatility as a player. He led the high-powered 2019 Madlax offense to the championship game. Besides being able to get topside at will and hammering home his shots, he was their quarterback and their initiator. Along with Connor’s athleticism and physical presence, his IQ is off of the charts. He is one of the most complete rising sophomore lacrosse players that I’ve seen and too much fun to watch. 

Andrew McAdorey ’20, FO/M, Team 91 Crush / St. Anthony’s (N.Y.)
McAdorey is a throwback midfielder: he takes the draw, plays offense and gets back on D, excelling at all three. Whether he’s finding open cutters or reading the defense for when to make a cut off-ball, the Long Island native has incredible vision and awareness. At the face-off dot, his impeccable technique and fast hands let him pinch and pop into a fastbreak and will. McAdorey plays fundamental D and excels in transition, constantly sparking his team. I’m excited to see this utility man mature in all three facets of the midfield, as well as hearing of his future college commitment.

Clay Lanham ’19, D, Crabs / Georgetown Prep (Md.) 
Committed to UNC for just under a year, Lanham plays at one hundred miles an hour and with a mean-streak that inspires his teammates. He slides physically, throws and lands hard checks, and is always looking to push the ball up the field in transition. It is clear that he has a high lacrosse IQ after watching him play off-ball and communicate with his teammates. Everything Clay does on the field is calculated, and although he plays very aggressively, he is seldom careless.

Griffin Westlin ’18, M, Leading Edge / Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) 
The undisputed leader of the offense, Westlin was the go-to-guy for Leading Edge. In the game that I caught against Long Island Express, the SHP product was clutch down the stretch, netting the game-tying goal and assisting on the overtime goal. The offense ran through 31 – he forces the defense to slide and always keeps his head up coming out of his dodge, scanning the field for his cutting teammates. The Hopkins commit played very physically, often lowering his shoulder into his defensemen in an effort to get to the goal. 

Kenny Brower ’19, D, Team 91 / Kellenberg Memorial (N.Y.)
A recent Michigan verbal, Brower is the poster-boy for a fundamental defenseman, as he doesn’t play a lot of defense with his stick. The lefty throws the occasional check, but it is well-timed, accurate and powerful. He has great feet and positions himself so he never gives up topside. Brower consistently pushes the dodger off of his line and makes him roll back. In addition to his ability to shut down the opponent’s top attackman, his high IQ is evident when watching him play – he’s vocal and directs traffic amongst the defense. Definitely one of the better defenders in the 2019 class at this early point.