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Apex First Look All Star Write Ups and Photos

By Jake Nordhausen, 06/11/21, 3:45PM EDT

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Zane Coda, 2023, Goalie, True Indiana, Zionsville HS

Coda looked cool, calm, and collected Sunday despite dealing with some blazing Maryland heat. He has a great game sense in the net that allow him to effortlessly make saves between the pipes. He moves extremely well with little to no wasted movement while having a large frame to work with. Coda displayed a strong top hand punch with excellent hand speed to stop shooters in their tracks. Combine his athleticism and his presence in net as a leader and Coda has an extremely high ceiling to work with. 


Bennett Yue, 2023, Goalie, Richmond Hawks, Norfolk Academy

Yue was a spark plug for his defenses throughout the day Sunday. He has an explosive first step that makes saves look routine. Yue is a leader on the defensive end organizing his defenders while echoing calls. Inside seven his hand speed was one of the quickest at the tournament able to track shooters sticks and shut down shooters refusing to bite on stick fakes. Yue looked determined in net and was locked in from range staring down shooters without backing down once. Continued development has Yue looking ready to step onto a college campus and be an impact player. 


Ryan Cunningham, 2023, Faceoff, Brotherly Love, Salesianum

When it comes to Cunningham speed is the name of the game. He seems to have perfected the pinch and pop, but that doesn't mean he is limited in his versatility at the X.  When able to push the ball forward of the draw Cunningham becomes a threat in transition. He has the stick protection and shooting ability to take it down the middle of the defense, as well as the ability to draw a slide out of the defense and start a clean fast break. Top notch of the ground and clean breakaway speed make him a force at the X. Cunningham caught a lot of attention from college coaches at first look, so look for him to make some waves on the recruiting trail this summer. 


Evan Spillane, 2023, Faceoff, Wilbraham and Monson Academy, Piatelli Lacrosse

A high IQ faceoff athlete Spillane put his game on full display this Sunday. His had a strong top hand punch that typically allows him to gain control of the clamp. Where he shines is his knowledge of his wings and exits. Spillane's exit's where precise always sensing when an opposing player was on his back and able to get the ball out of his stick to the open man.  Whether pushing it forward, exiting out the back or pulling it to his wings Spillane was on top of his game all day long. 


Patrick Ferguson, 2022, Defense, VLC, Yorktown High School

Ferguson is as a textbook of a defender as they come, and it showed this Sunday in Bel Air, MD.  When it came to off ball positioning there was never a time the he seemed to be out of place. Ferguson looked comfortable off ball, as he was eating up passing lanes and positioning himself to discourage dodging threats with hedge slides. On the ball his stance is technical approaching with his full stick length and making contact with offensive players hands on arrival. Ferguson plays with a strong base underneath of him, and does a great job of maintaining consistent contact with his opponent to discourage any type of dodging threat. 


Dan Rafferty, 2022, Defense, Tristate, Moorestown high school

When watching Rafferty play the first thing you will notice is his physicality. He is simply a force on the defensive end, and players that dared to come across the middle of the field were punished by getting put into the dirt. He plays with controlled aggression and it shines through in his well timed and effective checks. Rafferty throws heavy and accurate checks that frequently dislodge the ball out of would be dodgers hands. He never backed down from a match up even during a highly competitive all star game. Size, athleticism, and aggression are corner stones in Rafferty's game and thats what has him on coaches radars.


Ryan Colella, 2023, Defense, NJ Riot, St. Joseph Regional

Colella continues to impress at apex events and looks primed to have a very successful summer. Despite battling some scorching temperatures Sunday in Bel Air, MD Colella's high motor style of play never seemed to drop. His stance when on the ball is near textbook. Bent knees, light on his feet, and approaching with his stick in front Colella is hard to get a step on. He plays a technical style of defense leaving little to no room for offensive players to take advantage off. His ability to close out space and apply pressure on the ball makes him look like a prime candidate to take on a lockdown on ball defender spot. He is strong off the ground and has the stick work to push clears and effectively kick off transition for his team. Colella continues to improve after each apex event and his ceiling seems to just keep growing. 


Wells Bergstrom, 2023, Defense, Big 4 HHH, Manheim Township High School

Bergstrom impressed coaches on Sunday with some of the best footwork out of any defender. His approaches looked technical and seemed to force offensive players where he would be most successful.  His ability to play the trail position was something that stood out immediately as he never looked to worry that he was in a compromised position. His top notch footwork allows him to cover ground and play angles at a high level almost never losing a step. Bergstrom displayed high lacrsose IQ as he predicted rollbacks and re dodges with ease. He is aggressive to the ball once it was on the turf and definitely not afraid to get physical. Look for Bergstrom to grow and develop into something special this summer season. 

Rory Quinn, 2023, Defense, Southshore, St. Augustine Prep

Quinn was a ball hawk this weekend at First Look, and had ball carriers running at the sight of him. His biggest strength is his precise and extremely well timed takeaway checks. Using his range and stick control Quinn was frequently knocking the ball loose from attackers. He has the athleticism to play all over the defensive end, and apply pressure to players hands without ever putting himself in a compromising position. He is excellent off the ground and in transition which makes him playing him at the LSM spot a viable option. 


Miles Harvey, 2023, Midfield, Richmond Hawks, St. Christophers

Continuing his success from his appearance at Fall National Harvey looked as athletic and dominant as ever at First Look. Harvey is a versatile Midfielder who always seemed to make the right play. When he sees space given to him he is more than willing to push the envelope and press on his defender. He created space with some high level change of direction moves from the high wings, able to get to the middle of the field with ease and create chaos for the defense. Harvey shines when he has his hands free as he has pinpoint accuracy with his shots able to change planes and keep goalies scratching their heads. With a whole Summer slate ahead of him Harvey should be popping up on coaches radars this season. 


Ben Iannantuono, 2023, Midfield, FCA, Calvert Hall High School

Iannantuono seemed to be in the right place at the right time all day long this weekend. Touting a technically sound strong outside shot Iannantuono is a threat from range. He is able to place the ball on net with precision minimizing the goaltenders ability to make a clean save. Placing himself in off ball shooting positions seems to be his biggest strength as he had tremendous success finding pockets in the defense. Iannantuono operates at the high wings and uses his frame to create contact and separation to push into the center of the defense. Combined with excellent vision with the ball in his stick Iannantuono had a strong showing in front of a ton of college coaches Sunday. 


Tyler Smith, 2022, Team Minnesota, Duluth Easth High School

The name of Smith's game was speed at first look. Whether it is inverted behind the net or off the wings Smith has the ability blow past almost any defender that squares him up. He has quick and decisive change of direction dodging that allows him to gain a step on would be defenders, and once Smith has space he is able to hit another gear. He is a straight line speed dodger able to come around the crease at top speeds and display excellent body control with his finishing ability. When defenses start sliding early he has great vision to find open shooters to dish too. Smith looks ready to be an impact player at the next level. 

Ben Scandone, 2022, Midfield, Dukes 2022 Elite, Allentown Central Catholic HS

Scandone came to play this weekend as he was influential all over the field.  He is a Swiss army knife type of player able to play any role that presents itself. On the offensive end he displayed some insane bursts of speed, able to blow past any matchup and finish shots with some incredibly difficult releases to read.  When he started to draw early slides he was able to find open shooters with ease as he did a great job of reading the defense and tracking slides. Defensively he is just as solid not afraid to close the gap on offensive midfielders and create contact. Excellent of the ground Scandone seems to be the whole package as far as the two way midfielder goes. 


Jack Green, 2022, Midfield, Sweetlax Florida, Montverde Academy

Green is a high IQ midfielder who knows exactly when there is blood in the water, and always seemed to take advantage of that. He looks calm when setting up dodges never doing more than he has to in order to create space.  Green showed off some high heat coming out of the dodge always releasing the ball when he had the prime shooting opportunity and best angle to bury it. Using defenders as screens and changing his release points he had goalies guessing every shot he took. Complementing his play with the ball in his stick by having excellent vision Green impressed in almost every facet of the game this weekend. 


Nathan Cobery, 2023, Midfield, Piatelli Lacrosse, Loomis Chaffee

One of the most explosive and versatile players from the weekend Cobery made a myriad of highlights displaying his athleticism on the field. Cobery is a threat in almost any position on the offense end. When dodging from up top he shows off some serious bounce able to push with either hand leaving defenders clueless as to where he is trying to make a move. Behind the goal he showcased some insane bursts of speed able to create seperation from defenders with ease. The strongest part of Cobery's game is his finishing ability. Whether it was in tight, on the run, or from range Cobery seemingly always found the back of the net. 


Eli Daniel, 2022, Midfield, Team Minnesota, The Blake School

As athletic as they come, Daniel has a tremendous frame to pair with some top level stick skills that separate him from his peers. Daniel has great speed and bounce that allowed him to create space in almost every matchup he was facing. He has a technical overhand shot that he can bring the heat with when he loads up. Daniel becomes extremely dangerous when he shows off his ability to play in either hand. Defenders have to respect both hands as well as outside range and top notch dodging ability which makes predicting his movement near impossible. Daniel has the frame and skills to step onto a college campus and compete at a high level. 


Mitchell Adkins, 2023, Attack, Looneys, Loyola Blakefield

Operating mostly from the low wing and X Adkins is a slick righty with strong finishing ability.  Adkins does well with contact sometimes initiating it himself to feel out defenders. He showed off some serious game sense when dealing with double teams and pressure always taking the right path to escape the double and find high percentage shots inside the mouth of the defense. He never dodged with his head down always able to dish it to the open man when he felt the defense collapsing in on him. Adkins is a straight playmaker and someone too look out for this upcoming summer season. 


Alex Shapiro, 2022, Attack, Predators, Hotchkiss

Despite being in a highly competitive environment Shapiro was able to lead an extremely talented offense as the quarterback in the all star game. Shapiro is equally as strong as a distributer as he is as finisher. He never holds onto the ball longer than he has to making the correct decision when to push for himself or make the next pass comes easy to him. He has great range from deep, and once he's posed that threat he makes defenders miss with a strong hitch move. Shapiro continues to grow from events prior and seems to  have matured his game even further which makes him that much more dangerous.


Jake Likes, 2022, Attack, Denver Elite, Valor Christian HS

Once Likes got a head of steam on dodges it was a one way train to the goal.  Likes is an athletic attacker who showcases great top end speed and is able to stop on a dime. His ability to get to the middle of the field and pull shots on the run made him a nightmare for defenders. Likes appears to operate best on the wings giving him the option of pushing topside or underneath with quick bursts of speed. He has great change of direction dodging to complement his game that make him a serious threat with the ball. Throw in his ability to find shooters after drawing slides and Likes is everything you ask for in an attackman. 


Andrew Kohlbrenner, 2023, Attack, Orange Crush, Christian Brothers Academy

Kohlbrenner is an attackman with a solid frame, and the capability to score in a variety of ways. He embraces contact and is able to feel the defender out and decide which way he wants to break him down.  He can post up on the low wing to shoot around defenders or he tuck it with excellent body control and finish in tight. He fought for every loose ball trying to gain another possession and opportunity for his team. His vision and passing ability shine when he draws a slide and is able to find the open man.  Kolhbrenner has a high ceiling and room to grow his game, and with that much potential he is a player to keep an eye out for. 


Patrick Walsh, 2023, Attack, 4 Leaf Lacrosse, Avon Old Farms

Walsh made a living on the left wing this weekend at First Look.  Walsh touts a cannon of a left handed shoot with a 3/4 underhand release.  He does a great job of finding gaps in the defense and positioning himself in prime shooting position to bury shots. Walsh showed of some top level hitch moves that had defenders bitting on closeouts as he blew by them towards the middle of the field. Able to move the ball with speed he can fit skip passes through tight windows and have the defense spinning trying to keep up. Walsh is a pure finisher and made goals look effortless all throughout the day.



Tristan Lenard, 2022, Goalie, Patriot High School, Madlax Capital

Lenard exuded confidence the entire day while he was commanding his defense. He is athletic in between the pipes with quick feet and hands that help him steal shots out of the air.  His quick top hand allowed him to match inside finishers extremely well and shut down inside finishers. Lenard transitions smoothly from making big time saves to clearing the ball efficiently and with confidence. He can hit midfielders in stride while breaking up the field causing lethal transition. Lenard looks primed and ready to have a big time summer season.


Rudy Zarate, 2022, Goalie, Stick Star Lacrosse, Saint Mary’s Hall

Zarate was on his game Sunday in the heat, and was making big time saves throughout the day. Zarate is quick and explosive displaying excellent top hand speed able to make some saves that looked all but lost on the doorstep. What is most impressive part of Zarate's game is the maturity he shows in playing his angles. He seemingly understands how to force shooters into poor angles by holding pipes and giving the least amount of net up in order to remain successful. Zarate continues to perform at a high level at Apex Events and seems to be on the right track to be grabbing college coaches attention. 


Michael Kuligowski, 2022, Faceoff, Cavalier, Langley HS

Kuligowski picked up right where he left off from previous apex events and dominated throughout the day on Sunday. Not only did he have some of the strongest hands at the event demonstrated by his strong clamps and rotations, but he showed off the ability to make quick and clean exits using speed. Kuligowski is as versatile as they come with great game sense and the ability to flat out take over a game. 


Colin Hannigan, 2022, Faceoff, Dukes Elite, Springfield High School

Hannigan was a force at the X in the heat on Sunday in Bel Air. He has some powerful hands that he uses to bear down on opponents. There wasn't a faceoff that Hannigan was truly out of because he always seemed to scrap and punch his top hand to eventually win the draw. He has the ability to slow it down and make safe exits to his wings showing a lot of maturity. Hannigan can take care of the ball post draw and does a great job of pushing transition to start fast breaks. When he got hot Hannigan was hard to stop, and should be popping up on coaches radars this summer. 


Rees Chandler, 2023, Defense, Cityside Lax, Seattle Prep

Chandler was doing what he does best on Sunday, and made plays all over the field.  He is your do it all defenseman with a motor that just never seems to run out. Chandler is a lockdown cover guy using great size and range to blanket offense players all over the field. His game certainly isn't limited to the defensive end, because with the ball in his stick Chandler is a nightmare for opposing teams. Whether clearing it himself or pushing in transition when he crosses the midfield line he becomes a scoring threat.  This was evident when he pulled off a give and go with the point attackman before unleashing a rocket into the back of the net. Chandler is someone that college coaches should love to add to their roster with the ever growing speed of the game and importance on defenders who can make plays on both ends of the field. 


Joshua Kubala, 2022, Defense, Orange Crush, Cicero-North Syracuse

Taking everything he learned at the Austin Pifani Defensemen showcase Kubala looked to be in top form Sunday. Great size and speed are the hallmarks of Kubala's game. His approaches are near perfect as he utilizes his full stick length and keeps his feet choppy in order to deal with quick change of direction moves. Kubala never seemed to miss a step looking more than comfortable trailing defenders, patiently waiting for ball carriers to make a mistake before throwing strong takeaway checks. His physicality on and off the ball was something to note as he was bringing the body on slides punishing offensive players trying to get into the mouth of the defense. 


Daniel Hanlon, 2023, Defense, Blue Star, Westfield

Hanlon was firing on all cylinders at first look, and he didn't give defenders a second to breath all day long. He has top notch footwork that allows to him push the pace and remain in ball carriers hands without losing a step. Hanlon is never too aggressive with his stick always throwing well timed heavy checks when he is least vulnerable.  Hanlon isn't afraid to make plays off the ground as he was able to run through ground ball scraps coming out clean with the ball and able to push transition.  Hanlon has all the pieces of a future leader on the defensive end of the field.


Ben Berger, 2022, Defense, Koopers Lacrosse, Central Dauphin HS

Berger had a dominating performance in almost every matchup he had this weekend at First Look.  He is a textbook defender when it comes to technique.  Before he even engaged ball carriers he was fully broken down and in a near perfect stance. Berger displayed excellent stick control being able to guide dodgers into positions where he would be most successful. He throws some heavy hitting checks with accuracy that deter dodgers and frequently cause the ball to be moved away from him. His athleticism shined when he fought through groundballs and pushed transition with some great break away speed. Berger has shown tremendous improvement throughout his runs at Apex as his skill level seems to take another jump with each appearance. 


Ethan Hecht, 2022, Defense, Madlax OR, Lake Oswego High School

Hecht was aggressive all over the field Sunday, and offense players felt his presence every time they matched up. Hecht has top level footwork that allows him to maintain constant pressure in opponents hands. Hecht's game is driven by his never ending motor and pace of play. Never giving ball carriers a second to breathe as he approached with his full stick length with controlled aggression. Hecht throws heavy checks without ever putting himself out of position frequently able to dislodge the ball. Great off the ground and able to push transition Hecht seems to have all the intangibles of a collegiate defender. 


Jarrett Bessette, 2023, Midfield, Ironhorse/Southstar, Westlake High School

Bessette showed off some serious athleticism this weekend as he was slashing through defenses. Standing at 6'1 Bessette demonstrated great body control off the bounce able to protect his stick while dodging. He has great top end speed and acceleration that allowed him to blow by almost every short stick matchup. Bessette's game isn't limited to dodging as he has a hammer of a shot that always seemed to find the back of the net.  Technically sound and athletic as they come Bessette looks primed to have a big time summer season. 


Liam Schwartz, 2023, Midfield, Blue Star Lacrosse, Christian Brothers Academy

Schwartz seemed to be the whole package on Sunday at First Look. The first thing that comes to mind when you see Schwartz is his size, standing at 6'4 and weighing in at 210 he has a handful to deal with when he gets moving downhill. Schwartz does a great job of keeping his dodges simple by being decisive with his moves. he excels at shooting on the run using his momentum to put his weight behind his shot, but he is just as dangerous when placed in shooting spots off ball able to place the ball in corners with precision. Schwartz has the intangibles to be a big time midfielder at the next level. 


Alex Dixon, 2023, Midfield, Fighting Clams, Brooks School

Dixon was one of the most confident players on the field on Sunday, and it showed through his top level play.  smooth with both hands Dixon is a threat when he sizes up midfielders to dodge from the high wings. Operating at high speeds Dixon has the ability to switch hands with ease making it near impossible to predict which part of the defense he wants to attack. Dixon is no slouch on the defensive end either as he made stops by standing up ball carriers with some strong crosschecks. Dixon is about as athletic as they come and has a high ceiling to continue to develop into a special player.  


Justin Robbert, 2022, Midfield, Middle Country, Centerreach

Robbert was just as much a threat with the ball in his stick as he was without it. He is athletic and strong off the dodge able to push threw stick checks with ease and finish in tight around the crease. Robbert's vision was on full display as he was dishing to open shooters and hitting some big time skip passes through the defense. Dodging with aggression at his matchups he seemed to have confidence pushing past short sticks all day long. Strong change of direction moves allowed him to get a step and finish off his dodge with some top notch shooting on the run.


Jacob Osborn, 2023, Midfield, TrueUtah/True National, Waterford School

Osborn continued his dominant run at Apex events as he was letting shots fly at will from just about everywhere on the field. Osborn has great stick skills able to push the ball in either hand making him a serious threat for defenses. When he decides to unleash a shot he brings his hands back and hides his stick very well making it difficult for goalies to track the ball. Osborn has the ability to shoot with precision from multiple release points always keeping the goalies guessing. Osborn is dangerous with time and room, and should be popping up on college coaches radar this summer. 


Gabe Roman, 2023, Attack, Team Connecticut, Maloney High School

Roman is about as unselfish of a player as it gets, and he was the glue on multiple offenses this weekend. Roman has top level vision that allows him to take on a facilitator role. He seemed to be thinking one step ahead of the defense at all times knowing when and where to strike to maximize quality shot opportunities. He is just as lethal with the ball in his stick as he is shifty and able to finish in tight around the crease. Roman also showed off some hustle on the ride fighting to get back possessions and help his team get second chance goals. 


Scotty Bovard, 2023, Attack 3D Colorado, Denver East high school

Bovard was a walking highlight Reel this weekend, as he was making all sorts of eye grabbing plays. Bovard plays light on his feet and has some strong shake in his game able to make defenders bite and leave them in the dust.  He has top level stick protection when he gets in tight only bringing up his stick in order to tuck it past the goalie. Bovard showed of some great body control as he was pushing dodges close to GLE. Change of direction and change of speed dodges made him a lethal force on the low wing as he took over the All Star game that was stacked with talent. 


Travis Fry, 2022, Attack, Team Buffalo, Akron high school

Fry had a dominant run on Sunday at First Look, as he was a major dodging threat from behind the net. Operating mostly behind the net Fry seemed to master the X dodge as he had defenders tripping over the net left and right. Fry showed off some strong change of direction dodging and slick hands as he blew by defenders. Never putting his head down his finishing was just as good as his ability to track slides and find the open man. Off ball Fry seemed to find pockets in the defense and was great at getting himself open to bury shots.


Braden Root, 2023, Attack, TEAM CT, Trinity Pawling School

Root is a do it all attackmen who was making plays all over the field this weekend. He is strong with the ball in his stick able to run through checks and even sometimes run over defenders. Root plays physical as he isn't afraid to create contact rather he embraces it. He always seemed to finish opportunities in tight never giving the goalie anything easy to make a play on. Root was scrapping and fighting for ground balls he is hard nosed player who looks to be ready to make big time plays this summer. 


Nick Blalock, 2023, Attack, Blue Star White, Christian Brothers Academy

When defenses lost track of Blalock Sunday there was a pretty good chance he was getting a shot off. He was hands down the best off ball player at First look, and his game sense came shining through all day long. As soon as Blalock's defender turned his head he was on the move. Never standing still he was finding holes in the defense and punishing with precision shots. Blalock also has the ability to take it for himself from the low wings and finish off some shots inside 5.

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