Excelsior Games: 2025 and 2026 Standouts, Part 1

Each year in New York, all of the regions get some of their top local talent and battle it to see which area is the top in the state. With the 2025's and 2026's playing together, there was some excellent talent. Check out some of the players who impressed from Nassau, Suffolk, Hudson Valley, and Western regions.    The Penn Yan product stuck out immediately at this event, instantly displaying himself as one of the best pure athletes on the field. He was a true two-way middie who excelled in several phases of the game, including on the defensive end, where he was very impressive for the Western region. He had some excellent jams and simply wasn't getting beat when it came to his on-ball defense. His athleticism and motor stood out as well.  After great possessions on defense, if Fingar picked up the ball, he was gone. He went coast-to-coast, flying by the defense and putting away a laser of a shot. He was the most complete midfielder I saw at this event.     The big lefty midfielder is '1st Team Off The Bus' at 6'4, 190 pounds as a rising junior. But once he got on the field, he delivered for this Suffolk team. Ramsay had one of the best shots of the tournament. He's a tough matchup for short sticks, as he's able to get down the alley and rip that hard lefty shot past the netminder. Ramsay has great skill and plays unselfish as well. He can dish it to his teammates and recognizes when to bang the ball to get his team the best look. As the years go on, I expect Ramsey's athleticism to increase and he will be an exciting prospect.     One of the most impactful players I saw at the event, Bier has an incredible motor and he causes havoc at the LSM position. He was great on the ground as he picked up some valuable GBs. He also threw some great stick checks to keep the GB battle alive and his team would ultimately get possession. He was explosive off the ground, as Bier picked up the ball and turned defense into offense and his team capitalized in transition. Along with his great stick skills, Bier also showcased his physicality. His aggression and skill make him a fun player to watch.     It was a lot of fun watching Connolly play for Hudson Valley. The athletic middie was winning his matchups up top at a routine rate. I saw him against Nassau and he was blowing by the opposition. Late in the first half, he dodged hard down the lefty alley and unleashed one of the hardest shots I saw all day. It rattled off the pipe and found the back of the net. He also has the ability to turn defense into offense. He knocked the ball out of a players stick, then was able to jump in mid-air to grab the ball and he bulldozed an attackman in the process. Connolly then flew downfield, showing his breakaway speed and would score another goal. He showcased his D1-level athleticism and is currently committed to Fairfield.     Listed at 6'4 and 200 pounds, Howley is an intriguing goalie prospect with his combination of size and athleticism. He was peppered with some quality shots from a talented Suffolk offense but made a variety of saves. He displayed quick hands when stopping shots that were placed off-stick and was also able to get down quick enough to some hard low shots. Once he made the save, the rebound control was there and he made quick outlets to his teammates that got his squad moving quickly the other way. His potential is exciting, especially from an athleticism standpoint.       The North Shore product was an interesting player to watch. The lefty attackman isn't the biggest or the fastest player, but he was productive and played the right way. Anobile got into dangerous spots and was able to capitalize for his team. He had good spacing within the offense and showed the threat he was away from the ball. Anobile displayed soft hands and good finishing ability around the crease. If he got into space around the perimeter, he could also shoot the rock hard and efficiently. He will be a 5-year varsity player for North Shore when it's all said and done.     Hunsberger was one of the engines that made this Suffolk team go. The first thing I'll say about Hunsberger is that he's even more impressive to watch in person and puts in a ton of effort, playing as hard as anyone and making a ton of little plays between the lines for his team. Hunsberger picked up a ground ball against the Western region and immediately sped right down the field, going up the middle and sticking a bouncer for the first goal of the game. On offense, I liked the patience that Hunsberger played with. He showed on multiple occasions how good he is at re-dodging, doing so on a handful of instances to create for his team.

Each year in New York, all of the regions get some of their top local talent and battle it to see which area is the top in the state. With the 2025's and 2026's playing together, there was some excellent talent. Check out some of the players who impressed from Nassau, Suffolk, Hudson Valley, and Western regions.