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<p><em>Photo: Mason Hemphill (Courtesy)</em> | <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/justified-hype-class-of-2028-summer-recruiting-preview/" data-type="link" data-id="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/06/justified-hype-class-of-2028-summer-recruiting-preview/">As Ty Xanders noted earlier this summer, the Class of 2028 is loaded with LSM talent.</a> With seven already highlighted in his earlier piece, here are five more LSM-type defenders who have stood out this summer in Part I of the series.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Swenson's game screams LSM. His spring highlight tape is full of plays between the lines, takeaway checks, and transition goals. He has carried that over this summer. At Showtime, he had an impressive rep where he used a hard poke to stay on hands, something players without his length could not replicate. In transition, his stick excels, especially as a shooter. His overhand shot freezes a ton of goalies, and he also has a deadly jump shot that adds another layer of difficulty for them.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">LSMs get a bad rap for their off-ball ability, but that is not the case with Swenson. His off-ball play has really stood out this summer, as he has been terrific sliding to the ball for support and timing his double teams to force turnovers.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">At NHSLS, one college coach described Hemphill as an "absolute vacuum." His ability to jump on ground balls, cover midfielders at the top of the box, and play with an aggressive defensive style puts him more in the LSM category. I'm not sure what his listed height is, but he is usually the tallest on the field, and he uses that length well. It helps him land takeaway checks like over-the-head, trail, and wrap checks, while also getting into passing lanes and covering a ton of space off ball. He recently decided to transfer to Good Counsel, adding to the strong core Dane Smith has built there.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Mejia found time in Lawrenceville's SSDM rotation this spring, but he went back to pole at NHSLS. What stood out this spring was that he not only has the footwork and physicality to hold his own with a shortstick, but he also brings a competitive edge and dawg-like mentality. He goes all out on ground balls and in the clearing game, and he embraces isolation dodges. Once he returned to his natural spot as an LSM this summer, the move was seamless. He gets his stick into lanes, has some takeaway checks in his arsenal, and is reliable with the ball.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">You do not find many players of Mickey Ball's height who can move the way he does. He earned Second Team All-NEPSAC as a safety for Deerfield's football team and rotated in as a short stick in the spring for the lacrosse team, which gives you an idea of his athleticism. You can make an argument for which of the three defensive positions he fits best, but at IMLCA he looked comfortable at LSM. No matter what stick he has in his hands, I love his ability to stay with dodgers and use his reverse V-hold to kill momentum, especially near GLE. He had a great off-ball sequence versus 2Way when he showed to the dodger off a mirror, then scraped back to the ball and closed out with his body to kill an advantage. He wants the ball in transition and pushes the tempo when he gets it, and his tape shows he uses his six feet of pole well to generate real velocity on his shot.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">From the first time I saw Preston James at the Iron Bowl, I knew he was an athlete. He usually plays without sleeves, and his ripped biceps are a reminder of his other sport as a Texas football running back. He brings that same style to the field. You see his dynamic quickness when he is covering the quicker dodgers and running clears by himself, speeding past riding attackmen like he would on a punt return. His speed is obvious, as he rarely loses a foot race to dodgers or to 50/50 balls. His stickwork and lacrosse IQ could still improve when he gets into trouble on the clear, but when the ball hits the turf, he is usually the first one there, no matter the distance. </p>
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Swenson's game screams LSM. His spring highlight tape is full of plays between the lines, takeaway checks, and transition goals. He has carried that over this summer. At Showtime, he had an impressive rep where he used a hard poke to stay on hands, something players without his length could not replicate. In transition, his stick excels, especially as a shooter. His overhand shot freezes a ton of goalies, and he also has a deadly jump shot that adds another layer of difficulty for them.
LSMs get a bad rap for their off-ball ability, but that is not the case with Swenson. His off-ball play has really stood out this summer, as he has been terrific sliding to the ball for support and timing his double teams to force turnovers.
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At NHSLS, one college coach described Hemphill as an "absolute vacuum." His ability to jump on ground balls, cover midfielders at the top of the box, and play with an aggressive defensive style puts him more in the LSM category.…
Mejia found time in Lawrenceville's SSDM rotation this spring, but he went back to pole at NHSLS. What stood out this spring was that he not only has the footwork and physicality to hold his own with a shortstick, but he also brings a competitive edge and dawg-like mentality. He goes all out on ground balls and in the clearing game, and he embraces isolation dodges. Once he returned to his natural spot as an LSM this summer, the move was seamless. He gets his stick into lanes, has some takeaway checks in his arsenal, and is reliable with the ball.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
You do not find many players of Mickey Ball's height who can move the way he does. He earned Second Team All-NEPSAC as a safety for Deerfield's football team and rotated in as a short stick in the spring for…
From the first time I saw Preston James at the Iron Bowl, I knew he was an athlete. He usually plays without sleeves, and his ripped biceps are a reminder of his other sport as a Texas football running back. He brings that same style to the field. You see his dynamic quickness when he is covering the quicker dodgers and running clears by himself, speeding past riding attackmen like he would on a punt return. His speed is obvious, as he rarely loses a foot race to dodgers or to 50/50 balls. His stickwork and lacrosse IQ could still improve when he gets into trouble on the clear, but when the ball hits the turf, he is usually the first one there, no matter the distance.
Evaluations are normally subscriber-only but when an athlete subscribes, theirs becomes free for all readers.
Subscribing doesn't change who the Scout covers, it changes who gets to see it.
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