IMLCA Players Summit: Quietly Productive '28 Offensive Weapons

In the final installment of our IMLCA Players Summit evaluations, we spotlight under-the-radar offensive players. These are prospects college coaches may not know well yet—but likely will soon. Each is a versatile weapon capable of impacting the game from multiple spots, whether finishing inside, initiating from behind, or stepping out of the box to make plays in space.    Cooper Schindler has made a name for himself this fall with 3D Georgia and again with Kings Alliance at the IMLCA Players Summit. He had a major impact during his freshman season at Milton, finishing with 28 goals and 14 assists to help the team reach the Final Four. They utilized him a lot with a double-seal EMO look, where Schindler showed off his step-down shooting from a place he is very comfortable: the lefty wing.   If you let him shoot it there with his feet set—or even coming up the hashes on the run—he's automatic. He uses that threat to inside roll for a better shot or draw slides to find his open teammates. As a dodger, he uses jabs and hitches to get defenders off balance before exploding to the spots he wants. Off the ball, he does a great job finding gaps, timing cuts, and finishing in tight with soft hands and crafty finishes. When the ball goes the other way, he shows real value in the riding game, forcing turnovers with pure hustle and effort.     Jack Gonzalez, a righty attackman for BBL, showed up frequently on the stat sheet. His game isn't flashy, but it's effective, and he gets it done without mistakes. From the opening face-off, you notice him with his stick up and ready, which sums up his game: always moving, available, and prepared to make a play. At the IMLCA Players Summit, he operated a lot from X, but he has a knack for finding his way back to the right wing, where defenses are challenged to guard his topside. He's dangerous coming up the hashes, sweeping across, and especially on step-downs from that spot. Within BBL's offense, he benefits a lot from backside looks, finding space against recovering defenders and capitalizing with his step-down game. He loves his underhand release, generating real velocity and accuracy through the rotational force coming from his hips. Beyond scoring, Gonzalez impacts the game as a timely cutter on the crease, a reliable feeder from all over the field, and a pest in the riding game—usually good for at least one forced turnover every time out.     After being sidelined due to injury during his freshman season at Calvert Hall, Adam Heuston is a name to track. He has the size, burst, vision, and shot that make him a real prospect for the next level. Starting with his shot, the ball jumps out of his stick so quickly that it makes it tough for goalies to move pipe to pipe and get set. That threat sets up a lot of his game. He uses it to hitch, sweep across, and work for better shots. One play that stood out to me at the IMLCA Players Summit came against Riot, when he swept across and hit an impressive high-to-low pull that was extremely tough for any goalie to stop. On longer dodges, he uses jabs and changes of speed to put defenders in unfavorable positions and force them to slide. From there, he makes strong reads—either throwing it forward against the adjacent slide or jamming it inside to beat the second slide when defenses slide from the crease. I see Heuston making a big jump in his game heading into his sophomore season.     With two goals and an assist against BBL at the IMLCA Players Summit, Conor Joyce's production came as no surprise. He put up 30 goals and 17 assists as a freshman starter at Greenwich CDS, and that same efficiency showed again in Florida. Joyce's game is built on quickness—his feet, decisions, and release are all a step ahead.   As a ball carrier, he has the shiftiness to shake defenders and the burst to run by them when he wants a step. When slides come or in transition, he shows great touch and deception as a passer, consistently making his teammates open. One of his best weapons is his release. He doesn't waste cradles, and his lightning-quick snap freezes goalies, especially when he uses the same release to hit all four corners.     Rogler was quietly one of the most productive players for Shore 2 Shore at the IMLCA Players Summit. He may not have the size you typically associate with high-end offensive players, but his skills show that he is. He's shifty with the ball, slippery off it, and understands how to work for quality shots. He's at his best initiating from behind the cage, and it didn't matter whether defenses put a pole or a short stick on him—he consistently found ways to shake his matchup. Even when defenders stayed attached, Rogler freed his hands and got shots off coming up the hashes. He does a great job generating looks right on the doorstep, and when that's taken away, he's dangerous from the island as a shooter. When the slides came, he moved the ball well, and he was especially effective as the mirror inside, showing soft hands and touch on one-timers.     The North Carolina native, who currently attends Deerfield Academy (Mass.), had a great showing in Team 91 South's quarterfinal matchup against Long Island Express, finishing with two goals and an assist. Pang's physical attributes don't jump off the page, but he's quick and crafty enough to make plays. He often gets a step on his defender with his first move, using a jab or hitch before bursting past his matchup. A lot of his production comes off shots on the run, where he has a quick, compact release that makes his shot much harder for goalies to react to. Off the ball, he's a pain to cover. He sets up his cuts well, finding lanes and sprinting to the ball carrier, forcing defenders to chase him all over the field. Inside, he has great hands and creative finishes to put the ball in the back of the net.

In the final installment of our IMLCA Players Summit evaluations, we spotlight under-the-radar offensive players. These are prospects college coaches may not know well yet—but likely will soon. Each is a versatile weapon capable of impacting the game from multiple spots, whether finishing inside, initiating from behind, or stepping out of the box to make plays in space.