In its five-year history, the Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight has emerged as one of the major events on the summer calendar.
The four-day showcase is highlighted by the all-star game.
This year’s event featured a new wrinkle in the format. For the first time, there were all-star games — separate contests for rising sophomores and rising juniors. Each was played with two, running 30-minute halves.
Here’s a recap of the two games played tonight at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury:
Rising junior game
Final score: White 11, Blue 5
Noteworthy performers – White team:
* Adam DiMillo, midfielder, Bishop Timon St. Jude, Buffalo, N.Y.: The game MVP, DiMillo emerged as one of the top performers at the event well before tonight’s game. Despite having committed to Maryland, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound was eager to play with and against the nation’s best, withstanding an 18-hour trek to Danbury that would have made for a fitting remake of the Steve Martin/John Candy classic, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”
* Austin Sims, midfielder, Fairfield Prep, Conn.: Sims is a big-time talent who has it all – size, speed and stick skills. He scored two goals against the Blue team, but scoring is just one of the many aspects of his all-game.
* Grant Limone, goaltender, Weston, Conn.: In an event marked by outstanding goaltending play, Limone, who is bound for national champion Loyola, has stood out.
* Ethan Frieder, midfielder, Horace Greeley, N.Y.: The 5-10, 170-pound Frieder showed strong dodging ability and a high lacrosse IQ.
* Chris Santangelo, midfielder, Rye, N.Y.: The 5-10, 165-pound Santangelo is a good two-way midfielder, who excels in the faceoff X and also showed good feeding ability in transition.
* Matthew Goettelman, defense, Cherry Creek, Colo.: The 5-10, 170 pound Goettelman is athletic with good range and footspeed.
* Anthony Abbadessa, attack, Desert Vista, Ariz.: The elusive Abbadessa is a complete attackman who showed a strong shot and some spectacular passing ability.
* Connor Vercruysse, attack, Yorktown, N.Y.: The big righty has a strong, accurate shot and is an adept dodger.
* Kieran Mullins, attack, Islip, N.Y.: The 5-10, 165-pound Mullins is consistent and at times crafty.
* Austin Fusco, defense, Yorktown, N.Y.: Part of a new breed of D-I defenders, the Syracuse-bound Fusco is athletic and rangy with strong stick skills.
* Kyle Foote, midfield, Greenwich, Conn.: Good size and athletic, Foote is a hard-nosed and persistent performer.
Noteworthy performers – Blue team:
* Craig Berge, midfield, Massapequa, N.Y.: The 6-1, 165-pound Berge continues to perform well in the summer with solid play all over the field.
* J.T. Caputo, midfield, St. Anthony’s, N.Y.: Good speed and dodging ability.
* Brian Begley, midfield, Moorestown, N.J.: The 5-10, 175-pound Begley is like the Energizer Bunny – always in active and in motion.
* Joe Lang, midfield, St. Ignatius, Calif.: Great all-around talent with a high lacrosse IQ.
* Mike D’Alessandro, midfield, Don Bosco Prep, N.J.: Excellent athlete with an all-out style of play.
* Bradley Voight, attack, Pen Yann, N.Y.: The 5-11, 168-pound Voight was one of the top talents on display during the evening.
* Kieran Byrnes, attack, Garden City, N.Y.: An offensive weapon with a fluid game.
* J.J. McBride, attack, Delbarton, N.J.: A cerebral player with good playmaking abilities.
*Nicky Bonitatibus, attack, Yorktown, N.Y.: A skilled and scrappy player who plays unselfishly.
* Jonathan Mambelli, defense, Randolph, N.J.: Strong and athletic position defender.
Rising sophomore game
Final score: Red 14, White 9
Noteworthy performers – Red team:
* Alex Concannon, midfield, Syosset, N.Y.: The game MVP, Concannon is a small but solid player who is a sparkplug. Scored twice vs. the White team, including the goal of the game on an acrobatic sidearm rip in the second half.
* John Daniggelis, midfield, Smithtown East, N.Y.: An athletic and hard-nosed player, Daniggelis has a tremendous upside, and, in the last month, has emerged as a target recruit of several major Division I programs.
* Nick Yevoli, midfield, Massapequa, N.Y.: An aggressive and physical player, Yevoli is a handful for opposing teams on both ends of the field.
* Michael Krauss, attack, New Canaan, Conn.: The savvy speedster showed a variety of skills.
* Decker Curran, attack, Greenwich, Conn.: An intuitive scorer with strong still skills, Curran is unquestionably a rising star.
* Stephen Parker, defense, South Side, N.Y.: A physical, takeaway defender.
* Austin Meacham, defense/LSM, Brunswick School, Conn.: Athletic with good size and speed.
Noteworthy performers – White team:
* Joey Sessa, attack, Minisink Valley, N.Y.: The rising star from Section 9, a high school All-American as a freshman, emerged as one of the top players overall at the event, showcasing a strong shot, exceptional stick skills, relentless riding ability and the ability to get after ground balls.
* Henry Grass, attack, Bronxville, N.Y.: A fluid player who good size, speed, stick skills and shooting ability, Grass was also among the top players overall at the event.
* Turner Uppgren, goaltender, Choate Rosemary Hall, Rosemary Hall, Conn.: The Minneapolis native distinguished himself as one of the top netminders in the event. He’s a strong stopper with good communication skills and clearing ability.
* Matthew Demarche, midfield, Longmeadow, Mass.: The speedy Demarche shoots well on the run.
* Ryan Lee, attack, John Jay, N.Y.: Smooth, with good feeding skills and a high lacrosse IQ.
* Tyler Kellogg, attack, Trinity-Pawling, N.Y.: One of the success stories of the week, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Kellogg has great size, stick skills and field vision.
For the all-star game rosters, click here.
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