Alliance Fall Invitational 2028s: Offensive Stalwarts, Part I

The Class of 2028 made its presence known at the Alliance Fall Invitational, and our staff was there to get an early read on the next wave of offensive playmakers. Here are five '28 prospects who separated themselves during the event.    Physically, Barad looks like he belongs on a Division I lacrosse field right now, but he's far more than just a big body. Drawing slides just about every time, Barad is a powerful shooter and a formidable dodger who can get downhill, sweep across the top for a quality look, or stretch defenses with shots from 12 to 15 yard stepdowns. He's ferocious with his release, and his shots are particularly difficult for goalies to get a beat on when he goes straight over the top. In addition, Barad is poised and calm under pressure when the slide comes, and he possesses the skills and physicality to go right through the teeth of defenses to finish in tight. He netted two goals in each of the two games I watched, 4Leaf, following up on an impressive performance at the Terp Classic a few weeks ago.     Incredibly skilled and intelligent, Carpenter is already so dynamic, able to threaten opposing defenses in a variety of ways. He can get up the hash and finish appropriately, break ankles at X then drop a dime to a cutting teammate on the doorstep, or score with time and room. He's known for his lacrosse IQ, off-the-charts stick skills, and stop-and-start ability as a dodger, with his COD making it hard for defenders to get their hands on him. Even when he's not directly getting on the stat sheet, he's affecting the play and creating offense, however that may be. Carpenter is just as dangerous as a feeder as he is as a scorer, and he gets after it in the riding game to generate more scoring opportunities as well. As young as he is, I'd expect him to make a splash at the varsity level this spring.     I would buy stock in Lamanna before it gets too high, given the fact that he's already made a splash at the varsity level for a reputable program, paired with the kind of attributes that college coaches tend to covet. He's a tall and highly skilled offensive weapon who can hurt defenses in numerous ways, and I've been impressed with his willingness to think creatively and take calculated risks. His hands and wrists stand out: his release is smooth as butter, and he has an excellent handle around the cage. When serving as the point man, Lamanna can flat-out let it go in eyebrow-raising fashion, and on one occasion at A.L.L., he obliterated a corner from range after his teammate hit him off a face-off win. Beyond his ability on offense, Lamanna has proven to be a constant threat in the riding game, where he's relentless and picking up tough contested groundballs.     The son of the all-time winningest coach in Penn lacrosse history, Murphy didn't just get his feet wet at the varsity level on a roster loaded with veteran talent. A slick lefty, Murphy ultimately seized a starting role and ended the 2025 season with 22 goals and 14 assists in largely an off-ball finishing role. He's everything you'd expect from a player with his bloodlines and then some, possessing an innate feel for the game and never failing to make the right play. Murphy's feet, hands, and vision are rather ridiculous: he's constantly making defenders miss with his jitterbug tendencies with the ball in his stick and putting feeds right on his teammates' earholes as a passer. However, he doesn't need the ball to be productive, and although I'd imagine that was a skill he already possessed, but one that grew last spring with Malvern. If Sunday served as any indication, there's no doubt that Murphy looks poised to take on a much more significant role within the Friars' offense.     Playing for a squad that Michael Campanile covered in-depth on Thursday, Richardson's skill and substance caught my eye over the weekend. He's two-handed, able to make things happen all over the offensive zone, and has a noteworthy feel for the game (though he could stand to be more consistent with his shot selection, if I were to nitpick). Slick and productive, he can beat his man off the dodge but also finish appropriately in close after creating shots with his sneaky off-ball prowess. His ability to create offense all over the field leads me to believe that he could be a standout at midfield as well, as he has demonstrated the athleticism to beat a short stick or take advantage of poor approaches when dodging poles.

The Class of 2028 made its presence known at the Alliance Fall Invitational, and our staff was there to get an early read on the next wave of offensive playmakers. Here are five '28 prospects who separated themselves during the event.