Prep Nationals: Brunswick, Salisbury, Deerfield, Lawrenceville

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Nationals has rapidly become one of their premier events on the high school lacrosse calendar. It features four of the top private schools in the country, all based in the north east, with semifinals being played on Friday and a championship game on Sunday. In 2023, the event became a de facto national championship, as Lawrenceville defeated Brunswick in double overtime to secure the top spot in national rankings across the high school polls. This year, a rematch looked to be in the cards.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first game of the day saw Lawrenceville take on Deerfield. The Big Red got out to a fast start, and never looked back. They held a 5-1 lead after the first and an 11-4 lead at the half. In the second half, it was became a runaway, as they outscored Deerfield 8-2 over the final two quarters. Lawrenceville went to the backups and were running time off the clock midway through the 4th quarter, as they secured a spot in the finals with a 19-8 victory. Deerfield played zone for nearly the entire game, and the Big Red looked more than ready for it. Dodging was rare, they let the ball do the work, and used off ball motion to overload weak spots in the zone and create opportunities for shooters. The Big Red also employed an aggressive 10 man ride that gave Deerfield fits all day. They caused several turnovers, and converted into transition goals at least once in each quarter. In a game with 19 goals it can be hard to pick the standouts. And while the biggest impact players wore red, Deerfield had a few standouts as well.<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["14871"],"_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_0_evaluation":"The stars seemed to align for Matia in this one. Deerfield spent the game in a zone, and Lawrenceville spent their preparation getting ready for it. Part of the zone was that the Deerfield shorties were positioned down low, on the pipes. With this alignment, when Matia had the ball behind the goal, it meant a shorty would be stepping out to guard him. Without a pole there to disrupt his hands and harass him, Matia would survey the field, and find shooters through skip lanes or open cutters inside. With his vision and feeding ability, it was a surgical day for him, and he was distributing all over the field. He found [player_tooltip player_id='20833' first='Ted' last='Rawson'] on the inside for goals, he found Hansen Peck on the wings and [player_tooltip player_id='14951' first='Mikey' last='Rooney'] in the midfield for time and room shots, and he was distributing all over the field. Even as Deerfield sluffed back in the zone more to protect the interior and try to cut the skip lanes, Matia would attack GLE and force the issue, becoming a shooter himself or creating space for teammates via defensive rotations.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["20833"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Rawson had two goals in the first quarter for the Big Red. While he didn't the back of the net the rest of the day, his presence was felt on every possession. Playing against a zone, Rawson got to show off some of the box background that makes him such a difficult cover. Inside, he'd flash to the smallest bit of open area and get a feed he could handle for a shot. He'd push the ball into areas that would force a rotation or collapse the Deerfield zone, opening up space for teammates. He scored on a nice feed inside that he caught with no almost no angle, but snapped off a shot behind his back that perfectly hit the low far corner. Off the ball, Rawson was simply open all the time, even if players were nearby. If his hands were free, he was open.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["14911"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Lawrenceville really didn't dodge much in this game. It may seem counterintuitive to say “the team that didn't dodge scored 19 goals”, but the gameplan was to let the ball do the work, and the Big Red executed it. Gately understood it as well as anyone. He'd carry the ball to space between defenders and step in for shots, forcing a defender to commit earlier than they wanted to. If nobody stepped to him, he'd let the shot go. If someone did, it was a pass ahead or a skip through the zone for a shot for someone else. He and Matia applied constant pressure as ball handlers, constantly forcing Deerfield defenders into choosing between holding in their zone and rotating against an offense that spins the ball as well as anyone in the nation.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["28690"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"When good things happened for Deerfield defensively or in loose ball situations, it usually centered around Wright. He was outstanding on faceoff wings, beating all other players to the faceoff spot and running through ground balls. He's very offensive-minded, turning GBs upfield as soon as possible and looking to create transition. He had an excellent opportunity in the first half that forced a very difficult save from Tim Piancentini, and then he scored on a similar opportunity in the second half. Even in scenarios where Wright was outnumbered on ground balls, he'd at a minimum make the fight last long enough for help to arrive.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["28692"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The RIT-bound middie made a few spark plays for Deerfield in different situations. The Ontario native has that skillset that makes ground balls look like a magic trick. One second the ball is on the ground, the next it's in his stick, and you never really seem to see the moment he actually picks it up because it's such a smooth effort as he runs by. Early in the game, Bullock won a ball this way, and soaked checks from multiple Lawrenceville poles as he carried down the alley toward GLE. While many players tend to panic in this situation, Bullock was poised, not forcing a pass or any action just because of the situation he had just been in. As he got to space he gathered himself, dodged his man, and threw a nice feed inside for a shot on goal. He'd finish with two goals on the day, getting to his strong hand from the wing, cutting across to the middle of the field and shooting low.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6648c89cd8c65"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the second game, host Brunswick took on Salisbury. For the first half, the game was tight. In a season where Salisbury dealt with injuries, illnesses, and bounces just not going their way, the thought was that Brunswick would run away with this game. But the Crimson Knights played fast, loose, and like they had nothing to lose. Early on, they were first to every ground ball, pushed the game to a breakneck pace, and took Brunswick out of their comfort zone. The Bruins played a little too much hero ball in the first half and Salisbury netminder Dashiell Lamitie ate up their shots, turning them into transition the other way. The score was 5-4 Brunswick at halftime, but the way the game was being played, it felt like Salisbury was on top. In the second half, Brunswick settled in. They shared the ball more on the offensive end, finding holes in the Salisbury zone or attacking the backside with secondary dodgers when Salisbury was man-to-man. It translated to a 5-0 third quarter, and Brunswick firmly took control from there. Brunswick booked the rematch with Lawrenceville on Sunday via a 12-6 victory. Here's more on some of the standouts:<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["16409"],"_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_0_evaluation":"Colella was all over the field. Typically, when a player is described as being good in transition, our mind immediately understands that to mean he is good going from defense to offense. And rest assured, Colella is plenty good in those moments. But he also had an impact going in the other direction. As Salisbury would try to start transition off saves or ground balls, Colella ran the play down multiple times. Also a wide receiver, his speed was on full display. Even with a 5-10 yard head start, Colella ran down clearing players who looked to be on their way to a fast break situation, killing the break opportunity himself by beating the Salisbury player to the spot. He also had two goals on the night off the dodge, using that same speed to run by his man and score on sweeps from the midfield.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["14867"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Plath has been a game-wrecker of late. He's been exceptional all season, but his play towards the end of the year has reached new heights. His matchup in this game was, as is the case for everyone on the Brunswick schedule, a five-star caliber player. He was side by side with Salisbury's [player_tooltip player_id='14529' first='Cam' last='Kelley'] all night. Kelley finished with one goal (he scored in transition), and Plath locked him up the rest of the night. Brunswick is comfortable leaving Plath on an island, no slide support needed, with Kelley and trusting him to handle the matchup. And that's exactly what he did. Plath was opportunistic, finding spots where he knew he'd have an advantage physically and with leverage to try and push his man out of bounds, off the spot, and even cause turnovers.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["14836"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The Bruins' netminder was critical in this game. When Salisbury threatened to not just close the gap but take the lead in the first half, Williams came up with big stops. In the second half, as Salisbury threatened to start a run, Williams made saves on a sequence of possessions that stifled the Crimson Knights offense and kept them from gaining any momentum. Williams, particularly in the first half, played his angles very well. Salisbury was able to attack with numbers in transition and would look for time and room shots. Williams stepped out to shooters, cutting angles and how much net they could see, while positioning himself to make a save. Any shot from more than 10 yards that he cleanly saw and was ready for, he saved. In the second half, the defense gave him shots he wanted, and he made the stops. It was an efficient, impressive game from the netminder, and the timeliness of some of his best saves is what makes him a stan out.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["14514"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Brunswick got out to a 3-0 start very quickly in this game and looked like they might run away with it. Alexis put a stop to that. With an explosive right-to-right hitch and go from top center, Alexis blew by his man, moving downhill fast enough to make the slide ineffective, and stung the top corner with a high bouncer. The move electrified the Salisbury team and sparked a first half that saw them play aggressive, inspired lacrosse. Alexis was able to get the better of his man multiple times as a dodger on the night and showed off the full bag of tricks. He sent feeds through the defense for time and room shot opportunities. He dodged out of the invert both to get his own shot and to feed. He dodges with intent, like he has planned out every step in advance and knows exactly where he wants to go and what to do when he gets there. His speed his is best asset, and he uses it extremely well.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["28694"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Like Alexis, when Salisbury needed a spark Kittlelberger provided it. All the gritty plays between the lines in the first half belonged to Kittelberger. If Brunswick's [player_tooltip player_id='14521' first='Aidan' last='Diaz-Matos'] won a faceoff, Kittelberger would be there to fight for the ground ball. He was excellent in the clearing game and going defense to offense. He subs on as part of the ride, jumping the ball carrier if an opportunity to double presents itself. He's a converted offensive midfielder to SSDM, so he has the stick skills to be a threat in transition and scored a very nice goal in this game in that situation. For a convert to the position, he has taken to it extremely well. His speed and lateral quickness make it very hard to run by him, even for the shifty and speedy dodgers of Brunswick.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-664a06eed0a22"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ja</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->