Top Uncommitted ’28s on Offense at the 3d Fall Classic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a frigid day at Fitchburg's Game On Sports Complex for the 3d Fall Classic. However, that did not stop players from around the region from competing against one another in the '28 and '29 brackets. Although a vast array of teams had committed players from the '28 class on their rosters, there were some uncommitted gems amongst the rest of the AA teams. Here are five offensive players who stood out among the crowd at the 3d Fall Classic:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["219066"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af1e2567d9ea"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The first of two Brooks players on this list, Floyd played the role of the lefty step-down artist to perfection. However, he's not just a catch-and-shoot guy; he knew where to be and how to space the field well to set up his dodges and lanes for his teammates to move through as well. Those are essential skills to have to be an effective lefty scorer whether you're playing attack - as Floyd did when I saw him at this event - or in the midfield. Either way, he's clearly very comfortable on the right side of the field, measuring up the defense and plotting his next move away from the ball. With the ball, he showed great shot variation, and his hitch caught more than a few committed poles out of position and scrambling for a back check.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["143257"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af1e2567da55"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Okay, I saw Hopkins play while watching another game, and he made a play that made me move my chair. He caught the ball at the top of the restraining box, dropped his shoulder, rolled down the alley, and hitched back into a shooting position where he rocketed a shot past the keeper. Now, most of the time that move set is reversed, and when it's not, it looks clumsy and awkward, but Hopkins made it look smooth and planned. I think of all the players on this list; he's the most likely to get a call from a college coach this week - he was the best player on his team at the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["219067"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af1e2567daa0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wilhelm is that lefty you need to make your offense work. He clearly loves shooting and has the skill set to get his shot off, even when a defender is draped on his shoulder or firing out to challenge him. He does play a very heads-up style of lacrosse, and doesn't just drive with his head down to get to a spot and rip. He has some nifty touch on his passes that I appreciated in both games that I saw him play in. He can also chain his dodges effectively, and got the middle of the field early and often in games. He is also strong enough to take a body check and still finish, which is something that every coach is looking for on the right side of the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["214213"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af1e2567dae5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">At this tournament, Weaver played a little higher up on the wing than the last few times I have seen him. He's clearly showing coaches that he can do more than roast a defenseman at X and beat the slide to score. Although, uh, he did do that quite a bit, Weaver can set up the offense from the wing and get his teammates involved. Most importantly, he knows how to elevate when other players drive from X and get into a shooting position. In all reality, he's the perfect inverted O-mid at the college level; he's just so good at drawing that interior slide and beating the goalie with a deceptive shot or a perfect cross pass. I want to see more of him this spring as Pinkerton defends its NHIAA title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["219068"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af1e2567db27"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Keefe clearly takes a lot of face-offs, but his open-field play was of a far higher quality than most of the face-off guys I saw in this class. Sure, the other guys have that technical clamp/sweep/counter/repeat cycle going for them, but Keefe plays like a freedodging inverted attackman when he gets a rep on offense. Keefe is quick side to side and made SSDMs second-guess their press outs after he roasted them the first time he got the ball in space. Though he did not draw a pole, I suspect he could have beaten a number of LSMs with his burst alone, which makes him quite dangerous in the right system. Keefe has got D3 dynamo written all over him, but his mix of skills is intriguing regardless of level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->