IMLCA Players Summit: 2028 Brick Walls in the Making

The 2028 goalies at the IMLCA Players Summit showed up ready to compete. Between the big saves and the confident clears, a few of them really separated themselves. These are the keepers who impressed the most in Florida.    Team 91 Long Island Venom took home the 2028 title at the IMLCA Players Summit, and [player_tooltip player_id='172185' first='Colton' last='O'Connell'] was a huge reason why. He was the only goalie on the roster and stopped at least eight shots in their 10–7 win over 2Way. He made stops everywhere—high, low, five-hole, even sacrificing his body when he had to. Of the goals he gave up, several were doorstep dunks, and even on those, he read the release well.   Looking at him, you might not think much of him because of his size, but O'Connell can ball. He communicates at a high level, moves efficiently in the cage, and isn't scared about coming out for ground balls or getting involved in the clear. He's strong on high shots and has the technique to sweep and take away off-stick low. He makes a ton of clean saves that lead to smooth outlets and pushes the tempo in transition. O'Connell is riding real momentum after that championship—don't be surprised if it carries straight through to September 1.     Albanese was one of the most entertaining goalies at the IMLCA Players Summit. His shot-stopping ability was stellar, but what he did out of the cage is what makes him entertaining. Out of the cage, he is a legitimate athlete. He will beat attackmen to the endline, run into groundball scrums, slipping out of trouble with toe-drags and quick feet, and even go coast-to-coast to score as he did against FCA Maryland. In the cage, he stays relaxed in his stance, moves efficiently, and is solid in every area—especially low, where he made a bunch of tough stops. In the clearing game, he pushes tempo when it's there, throws a clean ball, and rarely turns it over. Albanese was one of the goalies you couldn't help but keep watching.     Lamonte was solid in just about every way at the IMLCA Players Summit. He plays out of a taller, relaxed stance and carries himself with a calm demeanor that makes tough saves look routine. He handled everything I saw—high, low, off-stick hip, off-stick low—and stayed balanced while doing it. What stood out was how well he moved pipe to pipe without leaving his feet. Where some goalies give up rebounds by diving around, Lamonte stayed upright, turning shots into clean saves.   His middies got used to getting up and out quickly because the ball was on their stick almost instantly—he's efficient with his outlets and knows when to push transition. And when teams try to lock off, he was confident stepping out of the cage and carrying the ball himself. Lamonte's all-around steadiness makes him a reliable option you can build a defense around.     Long Island Express had a strong weekend at the IMLCA Players Summit, and Scicchitano was a big reason why. His pure reaction time jumps off the field—he reads shooters well and has the awareness to throw something in front of the ball to make a stop. Stick, body, foot…it doesn't matter, he'll use whatever he can to keep it out. Because of that style, he's a little more prone to rebounds, but he still looked sharp everywhere: high, low, and off-stick. In the clearing game, he throws a clean, confident ball and doesn't panic under pressure. There's still some refinement to be made, but the tools and upside are definitely there for Scicchitano.     Mungovan's Raiders had a tough stretch at the IMLCA Players Summit, but his potential was still easy to spot. He's raw, but you can't teach his height, his natural reflexes, or how much net he takes away just by standing there. He tends to guess low, which leads to a ton of low saves, but you really see his instincts when shooters try to fake him—showing low and going high. He'll punch his hands up and steal one despite starting from that lower posture. On stepdowns, he sits back, reads the shooter's body language, and reacts cleanly. In the clearing game, he throws a crisp ball and rarely forces anything. There's plenty of refinement ahead, but the tools are there for Mungovan to become a legit prospect.

The 2028 goalies at the IMLCA Players Summit showed up ready to compete. Between the big saves and the confident clears, a few of them really separated themselves. These are the keepers who impressed the most in Florida.