Iron Bowl: Class of 2028 Standouts

The inaugural Iron Bowl was held at Towson University on Tuesday, June 23, featuring eight teams across the 2027, 2028, and 2029 divisions. Every game carried weight from the opening whistle, with the event building toward a championship matchup at the end of the day. Despite heavy downpours throughout the event, there was still plenty to take away from an important summer showing for the 2028 class. Here are five standouts from the Iron Bowl:    Already known as a takeaway defender from his spring at Deerfield, Simonds looked every bit like one of the top dogs in the 2028 class at the Iron Bowl. He is not the kind of defender attackmen want to body up against. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he has the size and strength to get into his matchup and stay there. While close contact often gives attackmen a chance to create separation, that is exactly where Simonds wants them. He has a deep bag of takeaway checks that lead to constant turnovers. Even before getting to his cross-checks, he does a great job of initiating contact, extending out, and applying pressure before dodgers can get comfortable, something he showed throughout the Iron Bowl and again in the championship.     It does not take long to see the tools of a next-level SSDM in Peter Glynias. He has the size, footwork, and athleticism to make a real impact. At the Iron Bowl, he showed he can handle long dodges without needing much support. He was not afraid to make first contact, and he not only stayed with ball carriers but also remained physical and confrontational throughout the dodge. On film, he also appears to have a few tricks in his bag to force turnovers, including reverse V-holds and crowbars. When offenses tried to send him to the crease, he showed and slid well to the ball, and on pick plays he stayed tight enough to the picker that offenses could not really create an advantage by attacking him as the short stick. In the clearing game, he is a natural mover who does not force the issue, but still does enough in transition to draw pressure and make the right reads on where the slides are coming from.     When talking about Midwest talent in the 2028 class, Erno Merritt is a name worth mentioning for his impact all over the field. He is an athletic, instinctive pole with a nonstop motor that shows up consistently between the lines and in transition. The way he pushes tempo after scooping ground balls and in the clear stands out right away. He handles the ball well and can run through and past riding attackmen. Opposing defenses also have to respect him on the offensive end because of the way he can let it fly and navigate through the heart of the defense. On the defensive side, he showed the ability to press out and use his athleticism or sit back and play strong one-on-one defense.     The Iron Bowl was a strong setting to evaluate some of the top goalies in the 2028 class, and Luke Robinson belongs in that conversation. Even though his day ended with five goals allowed and a handful of saves against Hilltop in the championship, I thought he came away with several stolen saves throughout the event. Trending well since the spring and into Showtime, Robinson stood out most with how well he handled low shots and chances in tight. He also showed comfort with the ball under pressure, and his release helps him get it out quickly, on a line, and deep without much effort.     Goldstein stood out as a FOGO with the kind of potential to play at the next level. When he gets hot, he flashes impressive hand speed and quick exits that are difficult to counter. Even when faceoffs turned into tie-ups, he consistently found ways to get the ball out on his side of the scrum. When he wasn't winning cleanly on his hands, he showed a few counters, along with lower-body strength, making him tough to move. He may not be the quickest player on the field, but he makes up for it by scooping groundballs cleanly on the first try.

The inaugural Iron Bowl was held at Towson University on Tuesday, June 23, featuring eight teams across the 2027, 2028, and 2029 divisions. Every game carried weight from the opening whistle, with the event building toward a championship matchup at the end of the day. Despite heavy downpours throughout the event, there was still plenty to take away from an important summer showing for the 2028 class. Here are five standouts from the Iron Bowl: