Alliance Summer Championship: 2027AA Finals Recap and Stars

On Sunday, July 13th, at the Alliance Lacrosse League Championships held in Boyds (Md.), the one-loss 2027 BBL Black squad was set to take on the undefeated 3D New England team in the 2027AA division, a division which featured multiple teams who could've seen themselves in the finals, showcasing their durability and skill throughout the weekend.   It was a hot and humid Sunday afternoon for the last game of the entire tournament, and both teams had one more game to cap off a competitive three days in Maryland. Both teams and their parents were amped up and ready to go for the title game, with both BBL and 3D New England having traveled hundreds of miles to be right in this position, and neither team wanted to go home empty-handed.   The final round started slow, with a few solid defensive stops on both ends and a great man-down stand by BBL before midfielder Dean Chiusano connected with attackman [player_tooltip player_id='123945' first='Jack' last='Merklinger'] on a backdoor cut to open the scoring. 3D New England responded with efficient offense, hitting a few pipes early and then broke through with middie [player_tooltip player_id='122408' first='Henry' last='Card'] dodging across the middle of the field for a high percentage goal, shortly after, teammate [player_tooltip player_id='120501' first='Ryan' last='McCarthy'] finished the quarter on a last-chance scoop and score in front of the net to take the lead.   The second frame was all BBL as they applied a lot of pressure on the opposing defense with a slew of shots and long possessions, one of which was capped off with a Dean Chiusano goal as he showed patience offensively, re-dodging his matchup until he found his shot. BBL midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='121825' first='Brandon' last='Fodor'] also found the back of the net as he took the ball through the middle off a clear and stung the top-left corner to give his team momentum and the lead. Merklinger added a highlight reel goal second later as he got the pass from SSDM Brendan Sommer and took it around-the-world to beat the goaltender with almost no angle. Shortly thereafter, 3D midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='23838' first='John' last='Lynch'] took it himself, dodging into the middle of the field, turning, and unloading a rocket that went bar-down for a momentum-shifting goal heading into the break down a goal.   To this point, 3D New England had been taking care of business at the face-off X, with [player_tooltip player_id='135003' first='Finley' last='McClintock'] and [player_tooltip player_id='120701' first='Alexander' last='Dimnaku'] tallying multiple wins and making it look easy most of the time, while goaltender [player_tooltip player_id='122424' first='Grady' last='Alger'] along with defensemen [player_tooltip player_id='125362' first='Alasdair' last='McDonough'] and [player_tooltip player_id='122426' first='Thomas' last='Mitchell'] among other had done a good job of making life tough on their matchups, throwing hard checks and playing good position defense. The third quarter finished with both teams trading goals, as attackman Anthony Pavone scored for BBL and [player_tooltip player_id='129783' first='Quincy' last='Quillard'] tallied a goal with a solid individual effort, able to get under his defender to bring his team to within one heading into crunch time.   The final quarter started with BBL getting good looks at the cage, but strong defensive work from goalie [player_tooltip player_id='135036' first='Henry' last='Amenhauser'] helped 3D stay in it before Merklinger corralled a long rebound off an Amenhauser save for a step-down laser for his hat trick. Quillard connected with teammate [player_tooltip player_id='141446' first='Nick' last='Donovan'] on a nifty stick fake, spin, and finish on the doorstep to cut the lead down and get momentum back on their side before a controversial offsides call went against 3D late in the game to give BBL possession and only needing to run out the clock. Fodor did a great job of working hard to play keep-away from the defense until he found a wide-open [player_tooltip player_id='123945' first='Jack' last='Merklinger'] for an open-goal dagger with just seconds left.   BBL finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, with their only loss coming to the Predators by one goal in pool play. With having to play five games on Sunday due to inclement weather the day prior, BBL showed its toughness, durability, and resilience were enough to get the job done and take home the hardware for the 2027AA division.    Merklinger is a marksman with time and room to shoot and works hard to get the ball in his stick. The Seton Hall Prep product has good agility and footwork mixed with a quick first step, making it tough for defenders to keep up with him. He can beat you with either hand and has an array of dodges he utilizes to create space from his defender or initiate offense. He can also beat you without the ball, showing his ability to use V-cuts and backdoor cuts to help his teammates find him. He finished with a hat trick in his quarterfinals matchup vs. Brotherly Love and then put a stamp on the weekend with a four-goal performance coming in the championship. He is a good leader for this BBL offense and does a great job of dodging to initiate offense and then dumping it off once a slide comes to get the defense out of position. He will be fun to watch for the next two years at the high school level and should garner a lot of attention during the recruiting process this fall.     Watson did a great job in cage for BBL as they looked to close out their opponents in the championship round. The Montgomery (N.J.) native was called on to take over in cage after halftime and played smart and tough in order to stop a high-powered 3D New England offense from making a second half comeback. He doesn't have the size that some goalies do, but he plays hard with good footwork and quick hands inside showcasing the ability to stonewall his opponents on the doorstep like he did multiple times. While he didn't see a ton of shots due to stellar defense from his teammates, he did make a few big saves late in the game where the tide could've turned including late in the third quarter and late in the fourth to seal the win. He is confident with a high lacrosse IQ, making him a solid prospect. It will be interesting to see how he develops moving forward.     It was really fun to watch McClintock this past weekend, as I was able to catch three of his games where he was lights out from the face-off X. He tallied five wins in his games vs DC. Express and Sweetlax while splitting time with Dimnaku and topped those performances with seven total wins in the championship. He has good strength and skill to win the face-off forward or behind with easy and when he gets the ball he runs hard with good speed and makes smart plays with the ball. He isn't afraid to rough it up in a ground ball pile and does a good job of using his body to box out and get low. The North Andover (Mass.) native works hard at his craft and puts it all on the line when he steps onto the field. He is the type of FOGO any team would welcome with his mix of skill, speed and strength and it will be exciting keeping an eye on his game moving forward.     Quillard stands out with his size, but combine that with his speed and dodging ability and you quickly see why he turns heads. He is a hard-working midfielder and does a good job of being patient with the ball and getting to his spots on the field that he likes. If he likes his matchup, he will dodge and re-dodge, mixing in different moves to keep his defender guessing, displaying an aggressive dodging ability. He is a threat with either hand and has the speed to blow past his matchup or bully his way to the net with his size and strength, while also getting his teammates involved when he draws a slide. The St. Sebastian's product has a hard shot and places the ball well, while also showing finesse around the crease. He tallied a goal vs. DC Express, two goals vs. Sweetlax and one goal and an assist in the championship. Quillard is a handful for defenders to deal with and that should continue as he grows his game year to year.

On Sunday, July 13th, at the Alliance Lacrosse League Championships held in Boyds (Md.), the one-loss 2027 BBL Black squad was set to take on the undefeated 3D New England team in the 2027AA division, a division which featured multiple teams who could've seen themselves in the finals, showcasing their durability and skill throughout the weekend.