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The young stars of tomorrow were on full display recently at the NLF Fall Invitational in Baltimore. The class of 2025 took center stage at Boys’ Latin, and Gettysburg All-American goalie Scott MacMillan was on hand to take in the action as an NLFRankings.com contributor. A Big 4 HHH alumnus who shined at Conestoga (Pa.), MacMillan broke down some of the standouts from four different games.
Here’s a look at what he saw.
Shannehan’s Two Tallies Lift Eclipse
It’s crazy to think that just a couple of years ago a player like Luke Shannehan, a freshman at Fairfield Prep (Conn.). would likely already be committed to a college program.
Shannehan’s two goals helped to lift Eclipse past Leading Edge, 6-5, at the NLF Fall Invitational. His first came on a brilliant off-ball cut and finish to trim Leading Edge’s lead to two, and the next being a product from Eclipse’s unrelenting ride effort to tie the game at five with a quarter to go. Shannehan’s ability to be a threat as a dodger and a quick release shooter had defensemen searching for an answer all Sunday morning.
First Half Summary
Leading Edge started the morning off fast, tallying two quick ones to go up 2-0. They took control of the whole first half utilizing attackman Gavin Romweber’s (Delbarton, N.J.) ability to dodge from behind the cage, draw a slide, and dish to the slot. Romweber’s creativity came to light in Leading Edge’s first man-up opportunity when he orchestrated a clean hidden-ball trick to get the early lead. Leading Edge’s grit was what won them the middle of the field through successful riding and clearing efforts and winning almost every 50-50 ground ball. Two-way middie John Devir (Ridgewood, N.J.) had an impactful performance on both sides of the field. Devir was able to clamp the Eclipse midfielders and push the ball in transition which granted Leading Edge a 4-2 lead at the half.
Second Half Summary
Leading Edge continued their tenacious style of play right out of the gate with another goal from the relentless riding effort to put them up 5-2. Eclipse turned the tide by going on a 3-0 scoring fest in the third quarter, aided by efforts at the faceoff X from Keegan Nyman who got hot at the right time for Eclipse. Neither defense gave an inch during the first 9 minutes of the quarter. That was until PJ O’Hanlon (Daniel Hand, Conn.) gained top-side, streaked towards the middle of the field, and put the go-ahead, and eventual game-winning, goal for Eclipse on the board with less than two minutes remaining.
Cappadona’s Clamps Push Laxachusetts
Past West Coast Starz
When explaining these two powerhouse 2025 teams, anything short of ‘nasty’ is just wrong. Laxachusetts, ranked No. 2 in the country by NLFRankings.com, had defenseman Jack Cappadona (Tabor, Mass.) lead the charge in a 7-4 win. Cappadona’s capability of locking down a team’s first attackman, streaking upfield immediately after a save, running a fast break, and/or putting the ball in the back of the net was a major contributing factor in the Sunday morning matchup. He put two away and had multiple caused turnovers.
First Half Summary
Defense was the story of the first half for both teams. The Starz spent the majority of the time guarding their net with much success thanks to a ridiculous showing from goaltender Matthew McKane (Marin Academy, Calif.) who frustrated the Laxachusetts shooters with a seven-save, one-goal allowed first-half performance. McKane stole at least three should-be goals and was able to push transition in the clearing game. He was aided by a well-organized defense that communicated, slid, and played good on-ball D to give him savable shots. Starz short stick defensive midfielder Cole Staley (Sacred Heart Prep, Calif.) was able win 1v1 matchups behind the cage, which led to a stalled Laxachusetts offense.
Second Half Summary
The overwhelming Laxachusetts offense was finally able to figure out McKane and the Starz defense in the second half. The tandem of Gus Beaudry (Thayer, Mass.) and Preston Evans (Belmont Hill, Mass.) cracked the code with a combination of quick ball movement and excellent transition offense are what allowed the goals to start pouring in for Laxachusetts. Teddy Lalley (Thayer, Mass.) had the play of the game when he came to GLE and threw a fake that had everyone looking for where the ball was. Lalley then walked in on the goalie and put it in the back of the net. Not to mention, faceoff middife David Hahm (St. Sebastian’s, Mass.) essentially had the Laxachusetts offense playing make it, take it, and added a goal in transition right off the X. A total of three second-half transition goals was the difference maker that allowed Laxachusetts to obtain and hold onto a three-goal lead for most of the 4th quarter.
Leading Edge v. Big 4 HHH
Over the years these two clubs, at any age level, have played at least a combined 100 games against each other and it would not be surprising if the record was 50-50. The two are neck-and-neck, and we got another taste of it at the NLF Fall Invitation with a 6-5 thriller.
First Half Summary
Big 4 HHH knew what they were in for when playing a loaded Leading Edge. Big 4 came out of the gate firing – scoring two first-quarter goals and peppering goaltender Tanner Shimko (Delbarton, N.J.) who held his own to keep the score close. The Leading Edge defensive effort was directed by Thomas Keating (Eastern Regional, N.J.), whose aggressive style of play had the Big 4 offense looking for other matchups. After the first quarter, Leading Edge seemed to settle down and get back to the style of lacrosse they played earlier against Eclipse. A style that included rapid ball movement to open up shooters and pushing the issue in transition allowed Leading Edge to go on a 5-0 scoring spree to put them up 6-3 through the end of the third quarter – an effort spearheaded by Cole Hayden (Immaculata, N.J.) who had an assist and two righty roll back snipes from PLL 2-point range.
Second Half Summary
Big 4 relied heavily on their defense throughout the second half which pitched a shutout in the 4th quarter through excellent on-ball defense from Jack Carroll (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and the defensive midfield unit. Carroll’s combination of fundamentals and quick feet let him dominate and shut down an entire side of the field. The Big 4 offense tried to claw back the entire 4th quarter – an effort led by Matthew Swartz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) whose hat trick put them within a one-goal striking distance with 45 seconds to go. Leading Edge was able to hold on to the lead by slowing down offensive possessions and winning faceoffs towards crunch time to avoid going 0-2 on the day.
Giordano’s Tallies Pace Prime Time
Of all the 2025 games played at the NLF Fall Invitational, this was the hardest fought by both teams for sure. Guys were diving for ground balls, laying the lumber, and throwing bodies the whole game.
The hard-fought effort was led by Starz LSM Matthew Scheible (Groton, Mass.) who makes up for his size with a non-stop motor that took over the middle of the field and caused multiple highlight-worthy turnovers. Scheible terrorized midfielders twice his size by being a mosquito: small, annoying, and quick.
First Half Summary
The Starz’s rapid ball movement allowed for skip lanes to open in the Primetime defense which let them capitalize four times in the first half. The Starz offense was quarterbacked by Camp Lacorazza (Calvert Hall, Md.) and Matthew Higgins (St. Ignatius Prep, Calif.). Lacorazza showed a high level of lacrosse IQ by dictating the pace of play and demanding the ball when a matchup showed itself. Higgins ruled his 1v1 matchups with his shiftiness and willingness to embrace contact which allowed for multiple draw and dish opportunities. If it weren’t for a compact, well-organized Prime Time defense, the first half story would’ve been much different.
Second Half Summary
The script flipped in the second half with Prime Time playing its best lacrosse of the day on both sides of the ball. Prime Time went on a 6-0 run led by Rick Giordano (Darien, Conn.) who knotted the game up at four and another to put them up 6-4. Giordano’s display of college-level dodging allowed him to get his hands free and unleash his rocket of a shot. Once Prime Time gained the lead at the end of the third quarter, there was no looking back. The Prime Time second-half shutout was conducted by LSM John Buttafuoco (Brunswick, Conn.) who was efficient off the ground and dominant on the faceoff wings to keep the ball out of the net.
