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The NLF Fall Invitational is always the best way to close out the November recruiting period.

That was the case yet again at Farmingdale State College on the third weekend of November. Paired with the My Lacrosse Tournaments Fall Classic, the event once again drew more than 200 college coaches to check out the best talent in the country.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the top players from the event with a heavy emphasis on the class of 2027, plus some headliners from a highly-anticipated 2026 showdown between Long Island Express Channy and Laxachusetts that featured two teams with more than 40 combined college commits. Standouts are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

John Balsamo ’26, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Channy – Virginia 

I only had the chance to watch one 2026 game in true depth, but the Express vs. Laxachusetts game lived up to the hype with more than 35 Division I commits on the field. Nobody had a better game than Balsamo, a top-25 recruit in the class of 2026 who committed to the ‘Hoos as a ’27. Coming off a superb summer where he took his game to another level, Balsamo picked up where he left off and led all scorers with four goals in the game. He did so in a bevy of ways, including an on-the-run lefty screamer that’s a new addition to his bag.

Balsamo also had a greasy goal on the ride, a blast from the wing that he’s probably scored on close to 40 times between this summer and spring, and another finish where he left a defender on the ground at GLE before tucking one in. He’s starting to add some much-needed size and it’s showing with an increased physicality. Balsamo’s also an excellent commander of the offense, routinely putting passes into his teammates’ wheelhouses.

Jonah Bell ’27, attack/midfield, La Costa Canyon (Calif.) / West Coast Starz 

Bell emerged as a big-time performer for La Costa Canyon as a freshman, providing an instant offensive boost for one of Southern California’s top programs. He’s a versatile offensive piece that can play both attack and midfield, and he’s comfortable attacking defenses from anywhere. Bell showed that he could be an effective dodger from behind the cage, on the wing or up top. A two-handed scoring threat, he provided a ton of offensive pop for the Starz.

Brian Burke ’26, LSM, St. Sebastian’s (Mass.) / Laxachusetts – Harvard

Gerry Byrne struck gold at LSM in the ’26 class with Burke and Michael Brennan (Loomis Chaffee, Conn.), and both of them were outstanding in the Laxachusetts – Express showdown. Burke stood out as a between-the-lines menace for Laxachusetts. He had an early can opener at the midline off of a faceoff that led to a goal at the other end. The 6-2 lefty has an elite handle, the pugnacious mentality that you want out of a defender and the ability to smoothly run the field. Burke had a great goose off the faceoff to an attackman that led to another goal, and he generally makes life tough for ballhandlers.

Wes Canton ’27, goalie, Moorestown (N.J.) / Big 4 HHH 

Canton was outstanding in Big 4 HHH’s comeback win over Express North in their opener. He seems to thrive off of the fact that he’s the lone goalie and it’s clear that he gets better as the game goes on when he doesn’t have to worry about coming out after a half. On pace to be a four-year starter at Moorestown, where he stopped 59 percent of shots as a freshman, Canton is an advanced communicator for his age. He showed good lower body flexibility when dropping to take away low shots and made saves look effortless throughout.

Parker Doyle ’27, attack, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Prime Time

One of the many new additions to the Prime Time ’27s, the Port Moody (B.C.) native stood out quickly on the hoof with his imposing 6-5 frame. A midfielder by trade, Doyle looked perfectly comfortable at attack for Prime Time. He had a gorgeous bardown goal on a dodge from X against Laxachusetts, shrugging off contact and snapping home a picturesque shot. Later, he showed off his vision by setting up the game-winner by dodging out of the corner and snapping a skip pass to fellow Western Canadian Lawrenceville import Malcolm Richardson, who canned a high-to-low five-hole rip for the winner. Doyle’s big body and extensive box background make him a problem with the ball in his stick.

Sam Fox ’27, midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island Machine

An absolute horse in the midfield that never seems to get tired, Fox is a big-time presence for the defending NLF national champions. The younger brother of North Carolina freshman defenseman Ben Fox, the younger Fox is as versatile as it gets as midfield. He is outstanding defensively and in transition and is a dynamic dodger that initiates well for a Machine team that starts a lot of its offense out of the midfield.

One of his best plays came when he collected a ground ball off of a faceoff and set up a goal to help the Machine fend off Express North’s upset bid. An athletic middie who can play in any situation, Fox continues to regularly put on size and looks ready to potentially be a rare sophomore contributor at Chaminade.

Dylan Franzen ’27, attack, Tabor (Mass.) / Laxachusetts

The perfect foil to work off of Matty Ramos (more on him below), Franzen is a big-bodied finisher who does excellent off-ball work. The 6-2 lefty canned a couple of goals against the West Coast Starz by mirroring Ramos’ dodges and finding himself open on the crease for tap-ins. Later, he finished off a transition run by LSM Sam Weston (St. Sebastian’s, Mass.) with a low overhand finish. Franzen understands his role well, and while he’s not going to dodge often, he can excel if he continues to blossom as a finisher with good hands.

Tuck Gilbane ’26, attack, Noble & Greenough (Mass.) / Laxachusetts – Virginia

Gilbane was at the forefront of Laxachusetts’ hot start against Express before the national championship finalists came roaring back. Gilbane kickstarted an early 5-2 lead for the Boston boys with a hat trick in the first quarter, including a highlight-reel ankle-breaker at X before snapping home a high-to-high finish. The future ‘Hoo also worked well with fellow five-star Tedy Frisoli (St. Sebastian’s, Mass. / Duke), coming up the hash without the ball and finishing off a Frisoli feed. He capped off his hat trick by securing a tough ground ball between two Express defenders on a faceoff, beating them to the cage and laying in a high shot. He sure didn’t look like a guy playing his first lacrosse of the fall after helping the BC Jr. Eagles lock up a berth in the USA Hockey Nationals all fall.

David Giuriceo ’27, midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / Eclipse

Giuriceo makes up for his lack of prototypical size with elite explosiveness, change of direction and a hammer of a shot with either hand. He was almost uncoverable in Eclipse’s signature win of the day against Leading Edge, hammering home a lefty on-the-run blast and finishing off a nifty play in traffic with a righty shot. Giuriceo also showed off a quick, snappy release on another goal. He’s incredibly shifty and can make guys miss in tight quarters. It’s tough to figure out how to guard him because he can make guys miss in open space, has the shooting range to stretch out defenses and can also make so many plays in tight spaces.

Dillon Gullotta ’27, LSM, Iona Prep (N.Y.) / Express North 

It doesn’t take long to notice Gullotta when you’re watching Express North. The 6-1, 180-pound pole is omnipresent around the ball and he makes his presence felt at every turn. He has great burst and moves well laterally, vacuums up ground balls with ease and creates havoc in the middle of the field. He was the best player on the field against Big 4 HHH, including a filthy can opener at the midline to get the ball going the other way. Later, he showed that he could cover down low as well with a takeaway against Team 91 Long Island Machine against an attackman where he got under his opponent’s stick and pushed him off the ball. He also added a gorgeous over-the-head takeaway on the ride, a nod to his array of checks. Gullotta excels at making ballcarriers uncomfortable, and he’s got the burst and handle to push transition.

Dylan Harrigan ’26, midfield, St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Channy – Maryland

It’s hard to keep Harrigan in front of you. Like, really hard. The lefty is super slick and shifty, and he’s capable of scoring from different angles. He had a goal against Laxachusetts where he showed his long-range marksmanship, picking the far side on the run down the alley, before he pocketed a second by creating separation on a rollback and firing one home. Harrigan also showed his feeding ability in setting up a Cameron James (Smithtown East, N.Y. / Yale) goal. Harrigan will almost certainly find a starting job at St. Anthony’s this spring. Whether that’s at attack or midfield remains to be seen.

Henry Jeffers ’27, midfield, Darien (Conn.) / Eclipse 

Eclipse got a ton of production out of its midfield in a win over Leading Edge. Jeffers was a great Robin to David Giuriceo’s Batman to put a ton of strain on the defense. Jeffers pocketed a pair of goals in the win, starting off by burying an excellent pass from Matt Reed (New Canaan, Conn.). He then added a pretty individual effort where he beat his man down the alley, then switched from left to right just above GLE for a nifty finish. Blessed with good explosiveness, Jeffers can stress a defense off the dodge to go along with the pure goal-scoring ability that he showed off with those two tallies.

Carson Meredith ’27, goalie, Hill School (Pa.) / Leading Edge

Meredith is half of one of the best goalie tandems – along with Will Hayes (Hun, N.J.) – in the country. Thrust into action as a freshman at Hill after an injury to Hill’s starter, he made 14 starts and stopped 55 percent of shots sent his way. The 6-3 stopper has excellent size, but his agility and ability to navigate his crease with ease really stand out. He tracks high shots very well, cleanly punching up to smoothly erase those offerings. Meredith isn’t shy about communicating with his defense and also showed throughout the weekend that he could come up with big saves in tight.

Barrett Mullahy ’27, midfield, Fairfield Prep (Conn.) / Prime Time 

Seeing a great passing midfielder in action is always fun to watch. Mullahy was just that for Prime Time, operating as the team’s top initiator out of the midfield. His game is different than that of his older brother and 2025 four-star Notre Dame commit Brendan Mullahy. The younger Mullahy is a good athlete, but not quite at the same level as his older brother. On the flip side, he’s more skilled at the same age and more comfortable in 6v6 offense. Mullahy had a couple of superb assists against Laxachusetts to Conor Vickers (Ridgefield, Conn.), including a gorgeous lever pass on the man-up. In an earlier game against Express, he drew all of the attention to himself on a dodge up top before throwing the ball back to Malcolm Richardson for a stepdown goal. He’s definitely one to watch as one of the better feeding middies in the class.

Matty Ramos ’27, attack, Milton (Mass.) / Laxachusetts

Ramos had a terrific freshman campaign for Milton, racking up 25 goals and distributing 11 assists. Interestingly enough, he looked more impressive as a feeder at the NLF Fall Invitational, consistently dodging with his head up and firing off some nifty passes to his teammates. Ramos had a pair of assists against the West Coast Starz in a battle of two of the country’s top teams. On one, he dodged out of the corner to get to the wing, rolled back down to GLE, drew a slide and snapped off a perfect pass to the crease for a dunk. He had almost a mirror image of that play on the other side later on. Ramos isn’t big, but he’s not afraid to take contact and draw those slides to open things up on the back side. He also had a particularly impressive caused turnover on the ride at the midline, then fought off a double team to ensure possession.

Will Schwarz ’27, attack, West Islip (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Wieczorek

A slick lefty attackman, Schwarz was at the forefront of the Express offense against Prime Time. He got his team on the board early with a picturesque high-to-low rip through the five-hole on the EMO. Schwarz followed it up with a backside dunk in transition off of a great skip pass from Gavin Snyder (St. Anthony’s, N.Y.). Schwarz had a couple of impressive moments to generate more scoring chances like a terrific off-ball cut and a dodge where he created good separation but couldn’t quite cash in on either. Still, his slickness and ability to make plays as both a dodger and a shooter helped him set the offensive tone for Express.

Brendan Sim ’27, attack/midfield, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Wieczorek

Sim’s got a great frame that projects well once he puts on some size. Already north of six feet, he’s able to create separation off the dodge with his first step, as well as his size. His best play against Prime Time came when he swept across the top and uncorked a laser into the corner pocket from about 12 yards out. Sim also had a handful of other really smart plays, including a terrific feed inside after drawing a double team. He’s comfortable as a dodger from X, on the wings and up top, and while I think he projects as a college middie, his versatility is sure to make him an appealing prospect.

Moe Sobel ’27, goalie, Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) / Prime Time 

Sobel is as close to the total package as it gets as a goalie prospect. He has elite size at 6-4, 190 pounds, and he moves like a 5-9, 160-pounder. Blessed with tremendous athleticism, lightning-quick reflexes and excellent hands, Sobel definitely makes shooters think before let it fly. He’s always in the right position, finds a way to get a piece of everything and is elite in the clearing game. He came through with an electric second half to help Prime Time close out its 3-0 day with a win over Laxachusetts. Sobel made close to double-digit saves, perhaps none finer than a high stop that he deflected away with time winding down. He will be a contender for the No. 1 overall spot in the first NLF rankings.

Jett Stake ’27, goalie, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Team 91 Long Island Machine 

One of the premier stoppers in the class, Stake is a high-energy goalie that never stops talking to his team or the opponents. When he makes a save – and it happens a lot – he’s bound to let the shooter know about it. Perhaps no goalie in the class has a flair for the dramatic save quite like Stake does. Always in control, Stake used his quick hands and excellent tracking ability to take away a ton of shots. It usually takes a perfectly-placed shot to beat him and he doesn’t give up anything cheap.

His footwork is excellent, and he’s so quick on his feet that he gets from post-to-post with ease to take away lateral plays. It looks like the Massapequa (N.Y.) native has the inside track on the starting job as an of-age sophomore in the Big Red cage as Lawrenceville seeks its third straight high school national title.

Tate Starr ’27, midfield, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / West Coast Starz 

The NorCal native sure looked like a star at Farmingdale. The lefty isn’t shy – at all, even a little bit – about shooting, but he’s the guy you want firing away. Starr, who transferred to Lawrenceville from Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.), racked up a hat trick in a showdown with Laxachusetts. Giving him time and room for a stepdown is a dubious strategy, one that he will happily accept. Starr had a great rollback early where he created a ton of separation before snapping home a shot. He buried a low shot in transition, then pocketed another low shot on a throwback from OJ Ika (Loomis Chaffee, Conn.). Starr seems ticketed for a SSDM spot for Lawrenceville as a sophomore, but with his shooting ability, he’s also going to be an asset in transition.

House Young ’27, attack, Malvern Prep (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH

Young took advantage of his opportunities in the win over Express North. He cashed in on a pair of snipes from the same spot on the right wing, going high-to-high on the first one. Young followed it up with a high-to-low finish. He did a really good job of working off-ball to find space. When he got the ball, he was able to quickly get it out and into the net. He has shortened his release some since the last time I watched him. Also a varsity hockey player for one of Pennsylvania’s top programs, the multi-sport standout has the hands to become a top-end finisher.

Jagger Zemachson ’27, defense / LSM, Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) / Leading Edge 

It doesn’t matter where Zemachson lines up. He’s going to do damage one way or another. Zemachson capped a monster fall with a superb performance all weekend long. At 6-2, 190 pounds and the versatility to seamlessly switch between pole and close, Zemachson already has a lot of college coaches’ attention for next September. He’s very aggressive up top, throwing – and usually landing – checks and easily snatching up ground balls. He’s definitely more patient when covering down low, but he’ll get right up on his opponent to make life uncomfortable. When Zemachson gets the ball in his stick, he’s going to the cage to score. Zemachson, who transferred to Seton Hall Prep after starting as a freshman at Millburn (N.J.), is one of the elite defensive players in the class.

Honorable Mention

Sawyer Bligh ’28, attack, Brunswick (Conn.) / West Coast Starz
Michael Brennan ’26, LSM, Loomis Chaffee (Conn.) / Long Island Express Channy / Harvard
Jack Donovan ’27, goalie, St. George’s (R.I.) / Eclipse
Hunter Hanford ’28, attack, Brunswick (Conn.) / Eclipse
Cameron James ’26, attack, Smithtown East (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Channy / Yale
Marco Petruccelli ’27, midfield, Manhasset (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island Machine
Alex Piasecki ’27, defense, Haverford School (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH
Finn Pizzo ’27, attack, Chaminade (N.Y.) / Long Island Express Channy
Malcolm Richardson ’27, attack/midfield, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / Prime Time
Cooper Schreiner ’27, defense, Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) / Big 4 HHH
Rocco Spallina ’27, attack, Massapequa (N.Y.) / Team 91 Long Island Machine
Zack Tabacco ’27, attack, Brookfield (Conn.) / Express North
Harrison Tyler ’28, attack, Lawrenceville (N.J.) / West Coast Starz
Sam Weston ’27, LSM, St. Sebastian’s (Mass.) / Laxachusetts
Jonah Ziv ’27, attack, Pingry (N.J.) / Leading Edge