Alliance Fall Championships: Scouting Sweetlax's 2027s

With the November circuit winding down, I hit DE Turf on Sunday for the inaugural Alliance Lacrosse League Fall Championships, attended by over 200 college coaches in the event's fall debut. Although I sprinkled in a handful of '26 games, my main emphasis was getting an early look at some of the better '27 squads in attendance, starting with Sweetlax Upstate.    Viewed as one of the very best '27s in the country, Holbrough backs up all of the hype. Formerly a member of the Class of 2026, the dynamic playmaker from Rochester is dangerous for a lot of reasons, but first and foremost, he's a chameleon in the sense that his skill set allows him to be moved around and utilized in a multitude of ways. He can carry below the goal line and orchestrate the offense, attack from the wings, bang it from range, initiate his dodges from up top, or bump to the high crease and finish the rock. He does it all at a high level and does it with remarkable consistency. Even with defenses sliding to him early and often, Holbrough is so frustrating to defend because you can cover him well by staying on his hands or getting physical and he still finds ways to make big plays time and time again. As a dodger, he has excellent body control and change of direction, and as a finisher, he keeps goalies on their toes with his ability to change his release points and finish in tight windows with flare. Holbrough's presence alone opens up a lot of opportunities for his teammates, and he did a nice job of sharing the ball. If you looked away and missed a Sweetlax goal this weekend, there's a very good chance that No. 21 was involved, even if the play didn't result in a point being added to Holbrough's tally.     Playing an excitable 'balls to the wall' brand of lacrosse, Stankavage is a lot of fun to watch on Sunday. The lefty plays much bigger than he is and is constantly willing to throw his body around and take a beating on his way to the rack. Utilizing an excellent first step and COD, he fearlessly attacked his matchups, made precise passes, and got after it in the riding game. I loved what he could do without the ball in his stick, as he was constantly moving without the ball and finding holes in the opposition then finishing appropriately. It's clear why he plays with so much confidence, too. As a freshman, Stankavage racked up 126 points and was named Player of the Year in his team's conference, so he's already proven himself at the varsity level.     From a size and physicality standpoint, Sanden is a total outlier as a big and imposing athlete. I've only been evaluating '27s for a few weeks now, and I haven't seen anybody look anything like Sanden, who dwarfs the competition with his 6'3, 210-pound frame and has clearly committed himself to the weight room, unlike a lot of first-semester sophomores. He's such an intriguing recruit, and there's so much more there than him just passing the eye test with flying colors. Sanden has a skill set that could put him at attack or a two-way midfield role. On Sunday, I felt like he was at his best between the lines and going from defense to offense. He got after groundballs and used his brute force to body defenders, and when he was in space chugging upfield, no one could stop him. Sanden was particularly impressive in a narrow loss to BBL and put up a goal and assist, but his presence was felt in multiple facets. I'll be excited to see how his career progresses, as he's quite a piece for Dylan Sheridan and the Pioneers to work with for another three years.     Goodberlet was among the most accomplished freshmen in all of New York in 2024, racking up 70 goals and 14 assists and earning 2nd Team All-County honors at attack. A middie for his SweetLax squad, Goodberlet was yet another above-the-cage presence who put pressure on opponents with his scoring ability and crafty skill set. He may not have game-breaking speed, but his ridiculous stick skills, outside shot and elite wrists make him a highly capable offensive weapon. A coach's son, he also put himself in the right spots to succeed and made decisions with poise within the team's offense. Goodberlet stood out with two early goals against Team Ten, showcasing his range and snappy release in the first half of a decisive win to start the day.     Doing a nice job supplying his team with extra possessions, face-off prospect John Little first popped onto my radar during a brilliant showing in the Showtime All-Star Game in June. At 5'8 and 180 pounds, the New Jersey native is built like a fire hydrant, possessing a frame that resembles former Power 100 recruits Joe Neuman and Petey LaSala. Little, who reclassed last year after transferring in from Christian Brothers Academy, looked strong throughout and continued to show off his power on clamps, clean offensive exits, and aggressive mindset at the X. He did struggle a bit in his matchup with BBL (as did his wings), but he looks to be a name to watch in the Class of 2027 and should see plenty of platoon reps for Culver this spring.     Sweetlax's defensive unit thrived early on in an 11-4 win over Team Ten, then came back down to earth a bit and had trouble with some individual matchups and off-ball play against really talented BBL and Next Level squads. However, Hezel was one of the bright spots on the back end, showing flashes of rock-solid 1v1 play, an athletic frame and strong fundamentals, particularly with his approaches and posture. A lanky 6'0 lefty who is still growing into his body, Hezel started as a freshman for a top program in Section V and also had a strong year on the varsity hockey team. Down low, he moves his feet well and has a great stick, which he used to cause a bit of disruption in the passing lanes and in scrums for groundballs. Even when his man got a step on him, Hezel recovered well and used his length and position to hinder his opponent's dodges.

With the November circuit winding down, I hit DE Turf on Sunday for the inaugural Alliance Lacrosse League Fall Championships, attended by over 200 college coaches in the event's fall debut.

Although I sprinkled in a handful of '26 games, my main emphasis was getting an early look at some of the better '27 squads in attendance, starting with Sweetlax Upstate.