Defensive Players that Impressed at the Team IL Fall Showcase

The <a href="http://teamillinoislax.com">TeamIL Fall Showcase</a> is quickly becoming a top tier recruiting event in the midwest and this year boasted over 150 players playing in front of a great list of college coaches. I was extremely impressed with not only the talent on the field but the event in an of itself. The TeamIL organization did a great job bringing in a strong list of coaches at multiple levels, plenty of staff to operate the event, an organized plan/schedule at a great facility in Loves Park, IL. I'd definitely recommend this event to Midwest players looking for a great fall recruiting experience.     The showcase itself had players from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Here are some of the defensive players that impressed me at the event:    A big and physical presence, Cody showed a nice ability to move and cover with his size.  Had a couple nice 1v1 reps and even though he could have used his size advantage to be overly aggressive, he stayed disciplined and picked his spots for checks and body contact.  He saw the field well and was comfortable handling the ball in the clear.  Did a good job of getting away from pressure and to survey the field to find open players.     Jack was aggressive and tough. He is engaged in the play and brought a technically sound skill set in his approaches and cover ability.  He was always in a good help position away from the ball but anticipated the play and would get out to hands of the guy he was matched up on as soon as the ball arrived.  Jack was willing to throw checks and pressure to the sidelines causing disruption of the offensive players he was competing against.      Patrick is just one of those guys who seemed to make an impact anytime he was near the ball. Being a SSDM can be a tough spot at a showcase event, as much of the work you do can go unnoticed but he was a ground ball machine, caused turnovers, took a beating in the clear and always seemed to make a play when he was out there.  Every time something good happened for his team, I looked down at my roster and his it was his name and number. He had a really nice goal on a 1v1 from up top getting inside position on his man and finishing showing there are some offensive tools in the bag as well. Patrick is an absolute grinder and workhorse - I admire the way he plays the game.     Elliot is everything you want in an LSM. A speedy disruptor between the boxes that has great hands and crafty work off the ground. He had multiple takeaways in the few minutes I saw him play and turned his defensive plays into offensive opportunities for his team.  Galfano has a great motor and aggressive presence by swarming the action and making life tough for the opposing offense to be comfortable.     Caleb has a big athletic frame and fills out so much of the cage.  You could tell even when shooters were in high percentage areas, they had to take an extra moment to figure out where to shoot. Jabas' most notable asset is his communication on defense.  He is LOUD. He commands his defense and is engaged in the game.  Combine that with great technique, stance, Quick hands and reaction time - he was simply a hard goalie to beat.  He has great poise and ownership of the cage and was one of the best goalies I saw at the event.     Dylan is a rangy defenseman with a nice frame that matched up well against some good attackmen at the event. His long stride and length allowed him to cover and match feet on his 1v1s and force his opponent to defer to other matchups. One thing that stood out to me was his sneaky speed in the open field. He had multiple instances where he picked up a ground ball in traffic and escaped, seemingly at ease, in situations I thought he was in a bit of trouble. Penne plays with a calmness and steadiness that benefits him especially against better/faster players.

The TeamIL Fall Showcase is quickly becoming a top tier recruiting event in the midwest and this year boasted over 150 players playing in front of a great list of college coaches. I was extremely impressed with not only the talent on the field but the event in an of itself. The TeamIL organization did a great job bringing in a strong list of coaches at multiple levels, plenty of staff to operate the event, an organized plan/schedule at a great facility in Loves Park, IL. I'd definitely recommend this event to Midwest players looking for a great fall recruiting experience.