IMLCA Players Summit '27s: Top Attackmen, Part II

Winding down the positional breakdowns from last month's IMLCA Players Summit, Part II of the attack standouts includes prospects from FCA Maryland, 3d Georgia, Shore 2 Shore, BBL, and Team 91 Long Island. <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/01/imlca-players-summit-27s-top-attackmen-part-i/">ICYMI, have a look at Part I</a> and the rest of the writeups on the top performers from the event.    An exceptionally skilled lefty, Scott burst onto the MIAA scene by posting 30 goals and 13 assists for the Gaels as a freshman starter. At IMLCA, he continued to provide a spark as FCA Maryland's primary offensive weapon and hero in the clutch, nailing an OT game-winner on extra-man in a win over True on Saturday. Defenses have to account for him at all times given how explosive he is as a dodger and how dangerous he is as an outside shooter, and his team does a terrific job of moving him around and putting him in a position to make an impact. In an 8-2 statement win over the Hawks, Scott scored on a low-to-low worm burner from the lefty wing, off of a fake flip EMO play and a sidearm stepdown that he placed stickside hip. Moving forward, I'd like to see his game grow when it comes to dodging to feed, which will only make Scott that much more dynamic as a prospect.     Posting a pair of goals while making the most of his touches, Mullen showed me a lot in the '27 championship game. He briefly left the title game in the first quarter due to injury, came back in on EMO, and buried a sidearm shot low on his second touch upon returning to action. Mullen's second goal was a thing of beauty and demonstrated his slickness. Following a face-off win to open the fourth quarter, he backpedaled to space on a 5v4 fast break, caught the ball loaded, and executed a silky toe drag/face dodge with his stick at his ankles. After briefly having only his right hand on his stick, Mullen got back to his left to increase his angle and finish on the doorstep. He also helped ice the game, taking on three defenders and flinging the ball (while falling) to a longpole, who then buried a goal to put S2S up two goals. Overall, Mullen has a great set of mitts and is incredibly crafty, opportunistic, and intelligent. On Saturday, he also demonstrated his ability as a feeder, tossing back-to-back assists early on against 2Way.     Johnson is far from the biggest, but more often than not, he's been the most explosive player on the field whenever I watched 3d Georgia in the fall. He plays with a ton of bounce and confidence, dodging hard and fearlessly, frequently attacking much bigger defensemen. He's always a threat to beat his man off the dodge, and he doesn't hesitate to attack highly occupied areas. In a highly enjoyable tilt against Team 91 LI, Johnson got on the board when he finished on the crease after making multiple brilliant fakes to move the goalie. Off the ensuing face-off win, he received the ball on the left side and face-dodged, tucking and ducking underneath a poor approach on his way to the rack.    —On Team 91 LI's attack, the chemistry displayed between Nolan Wieczorek and Rocco Spallina was a lot of fun to watch, as the Massapequa teammates made up one of the more formidable tandems I saw at the event. Standing 6'3 and 200 pounds, Wieczorek is an incredibly imposing athlete who provides more flash and a skill set that fits well above GLE, whereas Spallina, a lefty, has a more unassuming frame and is all substance with his well-rounded and fundamentally sound skill set. They consistently positioned themselves perfectly to make plays, demonstrating a strong awareness of each other's movements and intentions. In a narrow semifinal loss to BBL, Wieczorek and Spallina connected several times, with the latter opening up by scoring off a fast break after face-off specialist Tommy Massaro found Spallina, who threw a quick fake and then finished. Soon after, Wieczorek tallied in transition when he accepted a pass from middie Marco Petruccelli, spun around, and shot low. Before the 1-2 punch from 'Pequa hooked up for a few goals, Spallina connected on EMO with a cutting Luke Martini — the highly talented '28 from Wantagh and the third regular at attack — in the second quarter. During the second half, Wieczorek handled a low pass as the point man on the break and then, with the defense rotating, quickly flung the ball over to a wide-open Spallina on the right side of the crease. A few minutes later, Wieczorek found him again in the same spot, with Spallina adjusting to make the catch before making a quick-stick finish. Overall, I was really impressed with their decision-making and vision. In a win over 3d Georgia, Spallina recorded an assist and then at least three or four feeds to the doorstep that his teammates weren't able to finish, while Wieczorek made a highlight reel play on a beautiful over-the-shoulder assist to Martini. Because of how big and dangerous he is as a carrier, he draws so much attention from opposing defenses, allowing dependable goal-scorers like Spallina to be at the end of plays on a routine basis. — Back in November, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/11/alliance-fall-invitational-scouting-bbls-2027s/">I got a good look at an incredibly talented BBL squad at the Alliance Fall Invitational</a> and liked what I saw on offense from Nick Lagunowich, Leo Gillette, Brandon Fodor, and Owen Crowley. Those four made a ton of plays at IMLCA and were as good as advertised. That being said, I kept noticing BBL's complementary pieces more and more during my time in Florida, especially as bracket play progressed and the intensity heated up. In particular, Seton Hall Prep attack/middie Jack Merklinger was a player who caught my eye. A good-looking athlete who is a threat all over the offensive zone, he's unselfish and does the little things at a high level, always riding relentlessly and making the right read when the ball is in his stick. He has the hands and off-ball prowess to reliable around the goal, along with the athleticism and shooting ability required to be a formidable downhill dodger. Most notably, Merklinger produced the game-winning goal in a semifinal win over Team 91. With a full head of steam on his initial dodge, he put his left shoulder down, causing an opposing shortstick to stumble before smartly pulling the ball out and backpedaling to space up past the restraining line. Isolated up top, he flew down the right alley to get his hands free and flicked a sidearm rip high past the goalie to win it for BBL.

Winding down the positional breakdowns from last month's IMLCA Players Summit, Part II of the attack standouts includes prospects from FCA Maryland, 3d Georgia, Shore 2 Shore, BBL, and Team 91 Long Island. ICYMI, have a look at Part I and the rest of the writeups on the top performers from the event.