A. L. L. Summer Championships: Lockdown Defenders to Watch

Having already covered the top <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/07/a-l-l-summer-championships-attackmen-shooting-the-lights-out/">attackman</a>, <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/07/a-l-l-summer-championships-make-it-take-it-fogos-on-the-rise/">FOGOs</a>, and <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/07/a-l-l-summer-championship-net-minders-you-need-to-see/">goalies</a> that I witnessed from the 2027AA division at the 2025 Alliance Summer Championships, we now shift to game-wrecking long-poles that are on the rise as they gain more experience on the summer circuit and at the varsity level.    First thing you notice when watching Mac Imperatore is his size and strength. At 6'1", he is a big body to try to push around and matches that size with strength at the point of attack, utilized when throwing hard slap checks or pushing a player down the alley on a dodge. The McLean, VA native has a physical style of play, but can also use finesse when handling the ball out of a scrum or when looking to clear. When sliding, he quickly commits and does a good job of causing havoc when doubling the ball. He showed a good drop-step when getting dodged on, moves well laterally and displayed good timing on trail-checks on the off-chance that his matchup had a step on him.     Hall is a tough and gritty long-stick midfielder for 2Way and displays a lot of effort when he steps on the field. He gets a quick jump on the whistle at the wing position and shows his quick burst of speed and acceleration when having to get in the hole after a face-off loss. He works hard in ground ball battles, trying to flick it to space and uses his speed to outrun his opponents. The Brunswick product handled the ball well on the clears and is a threat to score with the ball as shown in his performance vs 3D Garden State when he connected in transition. He shows aggression with his on-ball defense and throws good, hard checks to deter his matchup.     Griffin was a beast defensively for his team, firing on all cylinders and abusing his opponents with physical play. He is a tough player who enjoys hard contact at the point of attack and throws hard slap and poke checks to limit his matchup's ability. He showed good speed on loose balls and solid stick skills when handling the ball. The Loomis Chaffee product keeps his stick active and in passing lanes with good instincts and hand-eye coordination to cause turnovers with deflections. In his game vs Mad Dog East Elite he stood out with his toughness, effort and physicality as he looked for any way to give his team a chance to come out on top in a tight one goal game.     Albers is a pest to his matchups, as he showed smooth slap and lift checks, hard slides and good sticks skills. He displayed speed on the wing and stayed sharp on ground balls with confidence handling in the offensive end. He's out quick on a caused turnover or save and can kickstart his offense with a transition chance as shown with his assist vs DC Express. The Noble & Greenough product showed good defensive positioning when getting dodged on and an athletic breakdown with light feet, able to match his opponent's speed and can jam his hands with a hard check. He played fast and physical which stood out as he played hard every step of the way until the last whistle.     Boone showed a lot of hustle on the field for his squad as he was flying around, making great plays and showing solid defensive technique. He keeps his stick active and pesters his matchups with pokes and lifts. He showed a good amount of physicality when he sliding, using his wide frame and strength to hinder his opponents when in tight and using his burst of speed to get out on their hands when in space. He gets out quick on a save and showed good stick skills, notching an assist in his game vs Mad Dog West Elite for a transition goal. The Annapolis, MD native also did a good job on ground balls, whether in space or in a scrum, using good instincts to pop it to space.     Vachris was fun to watch all the way until the final whistle for the BBL Black squad, showcasing hard contact at the point of attack with good size and strength at close defense. He deters his matchups from dodging 1v1 with hard slap checks on their hands and the stamina to press out on them and match their speed. He showed athleticism in transition and plays smart with the ball not to force the ball into turnover scenarios. When sliding, he can lay the bodycheck or use his stick to help cause a turnover and shows off his stick skills on ground balls. The Lawrenceville product was a standout defensively, and it will be fun to see his progression.     Paik is a big body at 6'2" and he uses it to his advantage when connecting on a hard slide or getting backed down. He showed patience with good poke checks and slaps to keep his stick active, while also displaying his speed in the clearing game and with transition chances to flip the field as he did when he tallied a goal in the game vs Tri-State. The Rumson-Fair Haven product stays light on his feet with good footwork and smooth lateral movement making it challenging for opponents to get inside for a look at the cage. He plays a physical style of defense, pressuring teams with hard checks and strong double teams but is versatile can also throw some takeaway checks to jar the ball loose as well.     Scarlett was flying all around the field for his team and it was fun to see. He's a tough players who doesn't shy away from contact on slides and throws hard checks on the double team. He displayed quick feet when getting dodged on with good agility and pressure on the ball to force a pass from his matchup. He has a quick burst of speed off a ground ball or on an outlet pass in transition and is confident and smart with the ball in his possession and can let a few shots fly when he gets the chance. The Culver product displayed great speed, strength and stick skills and made sure to show a lot of effort on ground balls or double teams to help his team.     DePietro is a hard-nosed long-pole, who showed his grit, toughness and determination in the ground ball scrums and with his hard slap and lift checks at the point of contact. He uses his lower body strength to drive away bigger matchups dodging against him and the Manhasset, NY native shows his physicality when laying down a big hit. He moves well laterally, matching feet with his opponent and when he jars the ball loose, he is sharp on the ground ball and is up and out quick. DePietro is fast on his feet in transition and shows the ability to handle the ball, hitting a post in his game vs Evolve Elite. With his speed, athleticism and toughness, he was a really fun player to watch.     Chudzinski is a big presence defensively and exhibits confidence in his abilities when pressing out on his matchups with hard slap checks and good lifts on the gloves. At 6'4", he is probably the biggest recruit I watched and not only did his size stand out but his agility and quickness were fun to watch as well. He shows good change of direction and displays the stamina to continue to hound his matchup, cause a turnover and flip the field for a transition goal. The Shaker product tallied an assist in his game vs 3D New England and did a good job of being a threat, drawing a defender, and dumping it off to a teammate. He's a good communicator, talking through picks and in man-down defense, while also keeping his stick active and in passing lanes.

Having already covered the top attackman, FOGOs, and goalies that I witnessed from the 2027AA division at the 2025 Alliance Summer Championships, we now shift to game-wrecking long-poles that are on the rise as they gain more experience on the summer circuit and at the varsity level.