Names To Know: Long Island 2026 Attackmen

Some of the top '26 attackmen on Long Island have made their commitments and some are still on the board. Learn about these highly touted prospects and who you have to know during these crucial recruiting weeks.    After a successful spring and summer, Gillis put himself in the conversation with the top players in the country. He played attack for Chaminade, but he was recruited and eventually committed to Duke as a midfielder. I was very impressed with how he performed at the varsity level as a sophomore. A smooth and quick dodger, Gillis was a game-changing playmaker who produced in many ways. His sudden movements allow him to create separation from top defenders, and he's skilled enough to finish in various ways. He is an elite scorer who can create for himself or take advantage of making smart plays away from the ball. Gillis will lead the Flyers' prolific offense for the next two years.     Cacciabaudo is widely considered the best right-handed inside guy finisher on the island and some might even say in the entire '26 class. After watching his summer tape, I couldn't agree more. The UNC commit's hands are great, but what's more impressive is how poised he is inside. He makes amazing cuts and has the spatial awareness and ability to find pockets inside that allow him to be a threat. A very creative finisher with extremely quick hands, he is calm, cool, and collected when finishing inside. If there's even the tiniest bit of open space, he's the guy you can force it inside and good things will likely happen.     The recent Maryland commit is going to be a household name on Long Island the next two years. Rooney has a cannon of a shot and when he had space this summer he was able to unleash some absolute lasers. Rooney has a ton of skill and possesses some sneaky athleticism to make himself one of the top threats on Long Island. He had a fantastic summer with Shore 2 Shore, as he consistently produced at a high level during the summer. I could see him impacting this St. Anthony's offense in so many ways next year. His superb shooting ability combined with his explosiveness as a dodger will allow him to have a successful year in whatever role the Friars elect to give him.     The do-it-all attackman for the Bulls took a big step during his sophomore year and proved he was a top ‘26 prospect on the island. He was tasked to be an elite scorer and feeder during the spring and he did a fantastic job. James took a leap in his athleticism, as his speed allowed him to gain separation and crank home shots on the run. His feel for the game was impressive, as he set up teammates and had good awareness of where he was on the field and making the correct decision. James is a nifty lefty and consistently made defenses pay for their mistakes. He also showed ability to score with his right hand at times last season.     At this point, many people on Long Island know how good Paccione is, and Villanova will be getting a player who could eventually have the keys to its offense at X attack. Although he's not the biggest, Paccione is hands down the best feeder on the island, recording 68 assists as a sophomore. Putting together a great summer with Team 91 Storm, He sees the field very well, and his quick and effective decision-making is always on full display. His instincts as a passer on film are incredible. He knows where his teammates are going to be and he puts them in positions to succeed. Paccione is also a talented dodger and will force slides to allow his feeding ability to take over. He netted 36 goals as well, he was a great shooter and finished around the cage very well.     Balsamo is a well-rounded attackman who can be one of the top attackmen in this class when it's said and done. Having recently committed to UVA as a 2027, he had a highly productive spring and summer with Chaminade and LI Express. Balsamo is an excellent shooter and was able to find the back of the net a ton, but it's the number of attributes that make him so intriguing for how he'll impact the game. Balsamo proved that in addition to his shooting, he was a very talented feeder. He can play a quarterback type of role, as he found cutters and threw terrific skip passes to elevate the players around him and have his offense succeed. In the spring, I saw firsthand the dodger Balsamo could be. He is a polished lacrosse player who is only getting more athletic, so look out for him to have a huge junior season.     Berger is the most underrated player on this list, but his breakout spring was something that Long Island natives couldn't miss. He helped guide Roslyn to a great season and he was their offensive engine that helped them compete against some of the best teams on the island. Berger is a slick offensive player who just makes plays. He doesn't jump off the page athletically, but he can get his hands free and his quick release combined with an accurate shot makes him a pure goal scorer. He's a player who can step up to the plate and deliver when needed against excellent competition. In the summer for Shore 2 Shore, he continued to display his scoring ability. He also showed flashes of great inside finishing and dished out some nice assists throughout that circuit.

Some of the top '26 attackmen on Long Island have made their commitments and some are still on the board. Learn about these highly touted prospects and who you have to know during these crucial recruiting weeks.