Sweetlax Summer Challenge: Five New 2028 Midfielders to Know

The 2028 class is shaping up to be loaded across the board. At Prep Lacrosse, we have already covered plenty of the players who have helped define it. Here are five 'new' midfielders to know who stood out during Saturday's session of the Sweetlax Summer Challenge.    Michaud has popped up in my notes at multiple events this summer, including Best in Class, Maverikk Showtime, and the Sweetlax Summer Challenge. He is a tough two-way midfielder who plays bigger than his size and impacts the game all over the field. At St. Paul's (N.H.), he primarily played shortstick defensive midfield, where he held up well in one-on-one matchups, battled through pressured ground balls, and made plays in transition. I have also seen him cause turnovers by catching unsuspecting midfielders with one-handed wrap checks and reverse V-holds.   This summer, he has shown that he can produce on the offensive end too. He plays within the team offense by drawing defenders in transition and forcing slides in settled situations to create openings for teammates. He has also impressed me with the way he works through contact to get quality shots off the dodge and off the catch.     I liked what I saw from Dillon Lake at the NHSLS White Session and the Sweetlax Summer Challenge. At 6-foot-4, he knows how to use his size to his advantage. He has a deceptive dodge setup that helps him get a step on his defender, and after that, his presence does the rest. Even when matchups recover, he is physical enough that checks rarely seem to affect him. He also has a good arsenal of re-dodges, and short sticks rarely have the stamina to stay with him through a full matchup and still close out before he gets to his hammer of an on-the-run shot. He also showed value as a picker and moved the ball well when extra defenders came his way.     Skilled and athletic enough to play either midfield or attack, Hudson Hauseman is a player who is going to stand out no matter where you put him. He showed his athleticism on the defensive end in one-on-one matchups and by picking off skip passes in the lane. On the offensive side, he is a natural scorer. He first caught my eye against the Silverbacks at the Sweetlax Summer Challenge, where he pulled off an impressive answer move take that not many players can execute effectively. His spring highlight tape also shows a player who can score in transition, shoot with a variety of step-down releases, and finish with deception in tight.     Atticus Erwin, a three-sport athlete, is a player I would bet on. He is a legitimate two-way midfielder who makes an impact all over the field. On defense, he has the agility and quickness to put the clamps on dodgers. He is also a one-man clear and looks very natural in transition, where he beats defenders to space and slips away from double teams. In settled offense, he shows that same shake to create separation, along with the instincts to get off quality left-handed shots. Any college that is interested in him also has to like the idea of landing him and his twin brother, Archer, as a package deal given the chemistry they show on offense.     I circled Jaxson Wright's name after one impressive play where he caught the ball, hit a hard split to shake his defender, and buried a smooth lefty sidearm shot top shelf. That play sums up his game well. He is a quick dodger who can beat defenders to spots with pure speed or with subtle changes of direction when they overplay him. He is listed as a righty, but he can finish with either hand, both on the run and in tight. One thing I really like is how he gets defenders to bite by raising his hands into a passing posture, then splitting and finishing with the other hand.

The 2028 class is shaping up to be loaded across the board. At Prep Lacrosse, we have already covered plenty of the players who have helped define it. Here are five 'new' midfielders to know who stood out during Saturday's session of the Sweetlax Summer Challenge.