Best in the Midwest: Defensive Difference-Makers in the '28 Class

On Wednesday, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/07/best-in-the-midwest-five-more-2028s-to-know/">we featured several reputable '28s throughout Midwestern states</a>, highlighting a deep class in the region. Today, we're focusing on the defensive side of the ball, posting evaluations of three goalies and two poles with an emphasis on Project Midwest standouts.    Beymer was someone who established himself and popped onto my radar rather early, having earned Honorable Mention honors in the Command Division at the New Balance Underclass Tournament, which is a pretty good indicator of talent. This spring, he was a Third Team All-State and First Team All-Conference selection while playing for one of the more well-known programs in Ohio. Though Beymer may be somewhat unassuming physically, he's a reliable cover defender who has choppy footwork around GLE and always has his stick in the right position to limit his matchups from getting scoring opportunities topside. He plays under control yet with tenacity, and is impactful when serving as the slide guy. He also has really good hands, using them to his advantage when pickpocketing dodgers, getting his stick on passes to disrupt offensive flow, and cleanly picking up first-time groundballs.     There's a clear confidence emanating from the crease when Carpenter is in between the pipes, in part a byproduct of his helping lead St. X to a 21-1 record and the program's second consecutive state title. Light on his feet, Carpenter does a terrific job of getting down low to stymie shooters who attempt to go low, which normally doesn't go well for them. At times, he's more than happy to come out to cut down shooters' angles, and will even step out of the crease and lay the boom when appropriate. Overall, Carpenter is fundamentally sound in every sense, playing great technique, hugging the pipes when he needs to, showing off outstanding footwork, and staying patient pre-shot. In addition, he's known to steal possessions with run-outs and key groundballs occasionally.     Already accomplished in his own right, the younger brother of UAlbany rising sophomore Wally Swiney plays an excitable brand of the position that's easy to love and has endeared itself to recruiters. He plays with a considerable amount of energy, showing off ridiculous hand speed while playing a wide base. Swiney is outstanding in close and will jump out and steal shots from would-be scorers within a few yards of the crease, in addition to piling up extra possessions with his work outside of the goal. Facing a rigorous schedule of top programs on the East Coast, his film from NHSLS was excellent and demonstrated his level of poise when the lights were the brightest. In the clearing game, Swiney has a penchant for making the right decisions and will get the rock up and out to trigger transition.     When you're a longpole below 5'10 or so, as is the case for Swoboda, there's a certain motor, relentlessness, and overall grit that's required to hang against matchups that have a few inches on him. Swoboda does exactly that, and can give bigger middies a hard time with his V-holds and by staying on their gloves to limit their dodging ability, meeting them at the top of the box and matching feet. He's got an incredibly active stick and is super smooth and reliable off the ground, doing a really nice job rolling away from traffic and eluding the ride once he's corralled the ball. Swoboda does some of his best work in the middle of the field, whether he's picking up interceptions or snagging contested groundballs.     An electric 6'1 lefty, Williams has a habit of making saves in bunches and stops that he has no business making. After missing all but four games of his sophomore season due to injury, he came out of the gates hot this summer, impressing at multiple events. With exceptional top-hand speed and superb footwork and technique, he catches the lion's share of his shots cleanly and is incredibly fluid in between the pipes. He can go pipe-to-pipe extremely well to make saves across his body while flashing his athleticism, one of the biggest strengths of his skill set. Like his fellow goalies on this list, Williams thrives outside of the crease as well.

On Wednesday, we featured several reputable '28s throughout Midwestern states, highlighting a deep class in the region. Today, we're focusing on the defensive side of the ball, posting evaluations of three goalies and two poles with an emphasis on Project Midwest standouts.