Under The Radar X-Factors in Friday's IAC Title Game

Heading into tonight's IAC championship, both teams are coming off double overtime wins on Tuesday. St. Albans stunned top-seeded Bullis 10–9, while Georgetown Prep beat Landon 11–10. Prep enters as the clear favorite, boasting a roster loaded with college-level talent, headlined by five-star attackman [player_tooltip player_id='16462' first='Noah' last='Han']. St. Albans counters with Brown commit Kane Green and a group of under-the-radar contributors like goalie [player_tooltip player_id='128833' first='Holt' last='Farver'] who have quietly played key roles.   These are the X-factors—players who may not headline the scouting report, but can ultimately decide the IAC championship. The final will be played at 7:30 p.m. at Georgetown Prep.    Manfreda was a major factor in Georgetown Prep's double OT win over Landon, finishing with a hat trick and an assist. All three goals required high-level shot-making and showcased his versatility as a scorer. To start, his low-to-high release is money, highlighted on both his first and final goals. He generates impressive torque by shifting his weight, allowing him to get his shot off quickly with velocity and subtle deception. The slight pause with his hands low before snapping it high keeps goalies guessing. His first goal showed he can get it off instantly, even with a defender draped on him.   His second goal was his most impressive, attacking straight through the heart of the defense using deception. Holding his stick high in a shooting posture forced defenders to abandon their responsibilities, and he finished to the off-stick hip with his off hand. Manfreda is a player the St. Albans defense has to account for in the scout.     [player_tooltip player_id='123741' first='Jason' last='Lane'], a senior defender, had an up-and-down performance in Georgetown Prep's semifinal win over Landon on Tuesday, but still showed traits that make him a key piece heading into the IAC final. His biggest moment came in the second quarter, when he caught the ball low in the clear, blew past an attackman, and found himself with a clean runway over the midline. Lane didn't hesitate, pushing all the way to the cage and sneaking a goal past the goalie when no one came to stop the ball.   Defensively, Lane came up with a couple of crafty caused turnovers. The first came early, as he shadowed a dodger behind the cage and stayed patient before coming up with a strip. Later in the second quarter, he pressed out at the right moment to intercept an adjacent pass. While there were a few hiccups in the clearing game, Lane's ability to disrupt possessions on defense makes him a major X-factor. If he can clean up the turnovers, his impact could be pivotal. The Tampa commit remains a great prospect with the tools to have a high ceiling at the next level.     Playing against a team without a true face-off threat, [player_tooltip player_id='23339' first='Cole' last='Reposa'] dominated the stripe vs. Landon, dropping just three draws all game. Landon threw multiple looks at him—a specialist, an LSM, and a midfielder—all tasked with countering him, then keeping the pressure on him physically when they couldn't win cleanly.   Reposa stayed calm pre-whistle and quick to the clamp, but what stood out most was his ability to exit cleanly and stay composed through constant pressure. The Army commit will be a key factor again in the final, where he's set to face uncommitted St. Albans specialists [player_tooltip player_id='129686' first='Jack' last='McBrady'] and Simon Smith.     Sheffield had an erratic showing in St. Albans' double OT win over Bullis on Tuesday, but his high-end plays outweighed the mistakes. He finished with multiple turnovers and a few questionable decisions, but also delivered one of the biggest goals of the game—not the overtime winner, but the game-tying goal with just over two minutes left in regulation. He slipped behind his defender in the chaos, navigated traffic, and finished the sweeping dodge high on the goalie. He added another in the second quarter, changing speeds down the lefty alley and finishing low and away from a tough angle.   Sheffield is a true swing player in a game like this. If he can limit the turnovers and clean up the decision-making, his ability to use his speed and make crafty feeds can be a difference-maker. St. Albans will need more of that production after putting up just one goal against Prep earlier this season.     The junior face-off specialist is an obvious mention after scoring the game-winner in double overtime to take down Bullis in the semifinals. He capitalized on a fortunate ground ball that popped forward out of a scrum and finished with a well-placed shot low and away to stun the Bulldogs. McBrady went roughly 9-for-15 on the day, while fellow specialist Simon Smith was around 6-for-8, giving St. Albans a dangerous two-headed look at the stripe. While McBrady gets the spotlight, the combination of both creates real depth.   What separates McBrady is his ability to stay on the field and contribute offensively. St. Albans is comfortable letting him play through possessions, but that will only be tested if he can win draws against Army commit [player_tooltip player_id='23339' first='Cole' last='Reposa'] in the IAC final.

Heading into tonight's IAC championship, both teams are coming off double overtime wins on Tuesday. St. Albans stunned top-seeded Bullis 10–9, while Georgetown Prep beat Landon 11–10. Prep enters as the clear favorite, boasting a roster loaded with college-level talent, headlined by five-star attackman Noah Han Noah Han 6'0" | 175 lbs | A | Right Hand Georgetown Preparatory School | 2026 State #15 Nation MD . St. Albans counters with Brown commit Kane Green and a group of under-the-radar contributors like goalie Holt Farver Holt Farver 6'1" | 175 lbs | G | Right Hand St. Albans | 2027 who have quietly played key roles.