Follow the NLF on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. We are previewing 2022 AA and 2023 AA teams playing in this weekend’s NLF National Championships.
Top 2022 Commits
NLF No. 25 Tayden Bultman, midfield, Torrey Pines (Calif.) / North Carolina
NLF No. 37 Hugh Conrad, goalie, De La Salle (Calif.) / Yale
Logan Ip, midfield, Corona Del Mar (Calif.) / Notre Dame
Max Sloat, attack, Sacred Heart Prep (Calif.) / Duke
Wilson Van Buren, faceoff midfield, Blessed Trinity (Ga.) / Dartmouth
Top 2022 Uncommitted Players
2022 Gold
Brycen Monzajeb, LSM, Torrey Pines (Calif.)
Monzajeb was trending in the direction of being one of the most sought-after LSMs in the country until he tore his ACL. He came back to the field for Torrey Pines nine months after his surgery and looked like his old self.
“He showed us a lot of toughness,” West Coast Starz director and Torrey Pines head coach Jono Zissi said. “Brycen looked great and helped us win with his play.”
Peyton Longnecker, attack, Palo Verde (Calif.)
A scrappy, do-it-all utility guy for the Starz, Longnecker offers versatility, too, with his ability to play attack and midfield. He brings toughness and a ton of heart to go along with that versatility.
Samari Staten, midfield, Mater Dei (Calif.)
Staten looks the part with a cut 6-2 frame and had a breakout weekend at short-stick defensive midfield at the Nike National All-Star Games. He opened a ton of eyes and he’ll slot in nicely for the Starz as a guy who doesn’t need much defensive help to wipe out his man 1v1. Also a standout football player at one of the best programs in the country, Staten could be a multi-sport athlete in college.
2022 Navy
Luke Dermon, attack, De La Salle (Calif.)
The starting quarterback at one of the most storied football programs in the country, Dermon brings that multi-sport IQ over to the lacrosse field to his spot at X. He dodges hard and aggressively and brings an element of physicality to the position.
Luke Sillstrop, attack, La Costa Canyon (Calif.)
The younger brother of Denver standout JJ Sillstrop, Sillstrop is a crease attackman with soft hands and the ability to operate in traffic to put the ball in the back of the net.
Jack Booth, midfield, Niwot (Colo.)
Booth, who will take a post-graduate year at Western Reserve under former Cleveland State head coach Dylan Sheridan, brings some offensive firepower to the table with his slickness and shooting ability.
Top 2023 Players
NLF No. 22 Ben Beacham, midfield, La Costa Canyon (Calif.)
An ambidextrous force who makes everything look very easy, Beacham is the midfielder that requires a pole on every possession. He’s also an underappreciated passer and his elite skill level will make him a priority recruit on 9.1.
NLF No. 24 Ty Banks, defense/LSM, Western Reserve (Ohio)
Banks might emerge from the summer as the No. 1 defenseman on many schools’ boards. The Canadian earned first-team All-MSCLA honors this spring, and he’s a tenacious, tough and aggressive defender. He also has an excellent handle, due in large part to his box background.
Henry Brayer, faceoff, Torrey Pines (Calif.)
Brayer was absolutely dominant for Torrey Pines this spring, ringing wins at the X at a ridiculous 87 percent clip. He also has a very good stick, so much so that if needed, he could have been a first-line midfielder. Expect him to own the X all weekend long.
