Introducing the inaugural American Family Insurance ALL-USA Preseason Boys Lacrosse Team provided by 3d Rising.
MORE: Preseason Super 25 Boys Lacrosse Rankings
Selections were based on on-field accomplishments during the high school season, statistics and level of competition. Player comments by Casey Vock.
FIRST TEAM
Attack
Dan Bucaro from Ward Melville (Photo: Steven Ryan, Newsday)
Dan Bucaro, Ward Melville (East Setauket, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Georgetown
Bucaro blew up as a sophomore with 87 points on the way to the 2013 New York State Class A title. But an ankle injury cut short his 2014 season. He’s widely considered Long Island’s top player, incredibly difficult to stop with his size and athleticism. Bucaro will look to lead a powerful Ward Melville team to a better season after the Patriots fell to West Islip in the Section A playoffs last year.
Timmy Kelly (Photo credit: Doug Kapustin, Baltimore Sun)
Timmy Kelly, Calvert Hall (Baltimore)
Year: Senior
College: North Carolina
Kelly, a member of a lacrosse family dynasty, is the premier attackman in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Kelly is a prototypical facilitating attackman with great vision and stick skills and the ability to breakdown defenders and score on his own. He notched 51 goals and 42 assists last season. He’ll follow numerous family members to North Carolina.
Brian Willetts (Photo credit: Paul Alesse)
Brian Willetts, Smithtown East (St. James, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Notre Dame
Willetts is a 6-foot-3-inch righty with a monster shot who put up 52 goals and 11 assists as a junior. Willetts has progressed from an outstanding stationary wing shooter to being able to create his own shots. He’ll lead the way for Smithtown East as the Bulls look to battle for the Suffolk County Class A title.
Andy Matthews (Photo courtesy of bosleyjarrettphotography)
Andy Matthews, Gilman (Baltimore)
Year: Senior
College: North Carolina
A skilled dodger and intelligent player, Matthews — who is coached by his uncle, Brooks — is quick and evasive. He’s small but athletic. He has good hands and can also feed with accuracy. Gilman could be a sleeper pick in the MIAA, and an experienced and productive player such as Matthews could lead the charge. He returns after notching more than 60 points as a junior.
MIDFIELD
Ryan Conrad (Photo courtesy of Loyola Blakefield)
Ryan Conrad, Loyola Blakefield (Towson, Md.)
Year: Senior
College: Virginia
Conrad is widely considered the top midfield prospect in the Class of 2015. He is a triple threat in the midfield: he plays good defense, takes face-offs if needed and is nearly unstoppable on the offensive end. His lacrosse IQ, shooting ability and athleticism have made him one of the very best players not only in the talented MIAA conference but nationwide.
Drew Supinski, The Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.)
Year: Senior
College: Johns Hopkins
The Johns Hopkins-bound Supinski leads the way for what could be one of John Nostrant’s best teams ever. Supinski is a slippery righty with a hard, accurate shot. While Haverford is loaded with talent, many believe Supinski will lead the way. He will play both sides of the ball, but should be even more impactful on the offensive end after registering 30 goals and 25 assists in 2014.
Sam Romano (Photo courtesy of Ben Weaver / GameAction Photography)
Sam Romano, Episcopal School of Dallas (Dallas)
Year: Senior
College: Syracuse
Romano, considered to be the top player in the state of Texas, will leave the Lone Star State for upstate New York when he enrolls at Syracuse next fall. The athletic Romano is a rare blend of slickness and toughness and has proved himself against teams from lacrosse hotbeds. He is poised to have a huge senior season for Episcopal School of Dallas.
Reilly Walsh, Brunswick (Conn.)
Year: Junior
College: Duke
Walsh was highly regarded even before he transferred to Brunswick, having helped lead Bronxville to a New York State Class C finals appearance as a freshman. Walsh is a smooth and explosive athlete with a great burst and finishing ability. Putting up 40 goals and 10 assists in 2014, he headlines a loaded Brunswick roster. The talent surrounding Walsh should allow him to make even more of an impact by demanding defenses’ attention and opening up opportunities for his teammates.
FO/MIDFIELD
Alex Woodall (Photo courtesy of Glenn Giles)
Alex Woodall, St. Mary’s (Annapolis, Md.)
Year: Senior
College: High Point
A load to deal with on face-offs, Woodall is widely considered the toughest face-off specialist in the country. His athleticism and stick skills make him a threat to create offense off of his draw wins. He proved himself last season in shining against some of Maryland’s top face-off recruits. Woodall will ensure St. Mary’s has ample possession time this spring.
LSM/DEFENSE
Tommy Wright (Photo courtesy of Steve Finnell)
Tommy Wright, Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Penn State
An impact player since his freshman season, Wright has been at the core of Garden City’s success in recent seasons as a constant presence in the middle of the field. He’s a groundball collector and is dangerous in leading transition with his speed. Following his success as a freshman, he quickly became a highly touted prospect and has since come into his own as the nation’s most polished long-stick midfielder.
DEFENSE
Nick Mellen, shown on left. (Photo courtesy of syracuse.com)
Nick Mellen, West Genesee (Camillus, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Syracuse
Melen has drawn high praise from legendary head coach Mike Messere since he became one of only a handful of players to make an impact as a freshman at West Genesee. He’s the best defender in upstate New York — maybe the whole country — and has a unique combination of toughness, athleticism and game sense.
Cade van Raaphorst (Photo: Askia Stewart, skisnaps.org)
Cade van Raaphorst, Desert Vista (Phoenix)
Year: Senior
College: Duke
An elite athlete, the 6-foot-2-inch van Raaphorst is one of the most intriguing defensive prospects to come out of the west. A linebacker and quarterback for his varsity football team, Van Raaphorst helped the Thunder lacrosse squad to a 19-0 record in 2014, covering the opposition’s best offensive player along the way.
Eddie Bouhall, Lynbrook (Lynbrook, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Lehigh
Considered the best cover man on Long Island, Bouhall led Lynbrook to its first Nassau County/Section VIII title in more than a decade with his relentless style of play last season. The 6-foot-1-inch Bouhall helped Lynbrook hold all but one opponent to less than 10 goals in 2014.
Jack Rowlett (Photo: Yvonne Landis)
Jack Rowlett, Robinson (Fairfax, Va.)
Year: Senior
College: North Carolina
An aggressive, agile and tall defender, Rowlett is able to overwhelm most attackman with his speed and onslaught of sticks checks. With the ball in his stick, he’s nearly automatic on the clear, can press transition and is a threat to score with the long pole.
GOALIE
A.J. Barretto (Photo courtesy of Chuck Connolly)
A.J. Barretto, St. Paul’s (Brooklandville, Md.)
Year: Senior
College: Army
A consistent, cool presence in the cage, Barretto has improved over the course of the last few years to become arguably the best starting goalie in the MIAA this season. He frustrates shooters with his casual yet stifling play. Barretto, combined with a defense made up of Division I recruits, should help make St. Paul’s one of the toughest teams to beat in 2015.
SECOND TEAM
ATTACK
Joe Manown, La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.)
Year: Senior
College: Duke
Manown is next in an incredible line of stocky, skilled lefties playing for Duke. He embodies a promising combination speed and power that Duke great Max Quinzani brought to the table with the skill and finishing ability of Josh Dionne. Rhode Island lacrosse shouldn’t pose much of a challenge for Manown, and he’ll likely put up monster numbers.
Ryder Garnsey, Phillips Academy Andover (Andover, Mass.)
Year: Senior
College: Notre Dame
Garnsey is an incredibly slick and inventive player who shattered the career scoring record at Brewster Academy, previously held by Syracuse star Stephen Keogh. Garnsey will spend a postgraduate year and likely star on a very deep and experienced Phillips Andover team before heading to Notre Dame.
Curtis Zappala, Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, Pa.)
Year: Senior
College: Maryland
Zappala has been a starter at the Episcopal Academy since his freshman season, and he’s gotten better each year. He can shoot and feed off the dodge and shows range and a quick release on his shots. He’s also an excellent off-ball player. The righty finished 2014 with almost 70 points and proved to be a tough out for the most skilled of Inter-Ac defenders.
Tehoka Nanticoke, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Year: Junior
College: Uncommitted
Stout, strong and incredibly skilled, Nanticoke might be the best Native American prospect since Albany superstar Lyle Thompson came out of high school. Nanticoke’s nonchalant creativity jumps off the page. He’s a talented power player with enough finesse and touch to beat defenses in a myriad of ways. Uncommitted at this time, Nanticoke will have plenty of suitors in the coming months.
MIDFIELD
Timmy Phillips, Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.)
Year: Senior
College: Notre Dame
Phillips is able to get separation off the dodge against or outright run by many defenders at the high school level, consistently forcing opposing defenses to slide to him. He’ll have his work cut out for him as Episcopal’s most seasoned and skilled offensive player, but the Notre Dame-bound midfielder is in position to have his most productive season yet. The 6-foot-2-inch, 180-pound Phillips will be a go-to presence on both ends of the field for Episcopal.
Joey Froccaro, Schreiber High School (Port Washington, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Princeton
Fraccaro is a gritty, wildly talented midfielder who can do anything that is asked of him: he can face off, he can dodge, he can feed the ball and he can make plays on defense and in the middle of the field. The hard-nosed, intelligent Froccaro will become the third brother from his family to attend and play at Princeton. Like his brothers, he is physically gifted and understands the game.
Jack Olson, Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Md.)
Year: Senior
College: Johns Hopkins
A dynamic, well-rounded midfielder, Olson is one of the D.C. area’s best players. Able to win face-offs, he will be used more on offense this season as the Hoyas look to keep him fresh to help drive the team’s goal scoring. Last season, Olson put up 31 goals and won a majority of his face-offs in helping lead Georgetown Prep to the Interstate Athletic Conference title.
Dox Aitken, The Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.)
Year: Junior
College: Virginia
With size, speed, excellent hands and high-end playmaking abilities, Aitken possess an attackman’s skill set with a midfielder’s athleticism, making him a dynamic threat who is dangerous when dodging from up top or initiating or finishing closer to the cage. With the Fords’ loaded roster, Aitken and his teammates will force the opposition into matchup challenges throughout the spring.
FO/MIDFIELD
James Sullivan, Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Harvard
One of the hottest recruiting targets on Long Island in his first couple of seasons, Sullivan has been instrumental in the Trojans’ success in his time on varsity, including back-to-back New York State Class B titles in 2012 and 2013. More than just a face-off talent, Sullivan is an athletic midfield presence who can create offense and make plays in the middle of the field, in addition to being an important leader for the team.
LSM/DEFENSE
Ryan McNulty, Bishop Shanahan (Downingtown, Pa.)
Year: Junior
College: Loyola (Md.)
A big, strong and athletic long-stick midfielder standing 6-foot-2, McNulty is an enormous presence in the middle of the field, able to outrun and outreach opponents to groundballs and make his way up the field with his large frame. His physical attributes equip him as a skilled defender and helped him shine as a sophomore last season, putting up 18 points along the way.
DEFENSE
Andrew Helmer, Summit (Summit, N.J.)
Year: Senior
College: Syracuse
Regarded as the best defender in New Jersey — an elite defensemen factory in recent seasons — Helmer helped lead Summit to a 23-2 record and a state runner-up finish in 2014. His footwork, size and confidence as a lockdown defender will help Summit look to repeat the success of 2014. Helmer will continue the stream of standout New Jersey defenders heading to Syracuse.
John Railey, Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Md.)
Year: Junior
College: Loyola (Md.)
A 6-foot-5-inch force on the back line, Georgetown Prep coaches refer to Railey as “a game changer” and expect him to help the Hoyas again limit opposing offenses. No team scored more than eight goals on the Hoyas last year and the rangy, swift Railey was a big part of that effort.
Tyson Bomberry, Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.)
Year: Senior
College: Syracuse
Hailing from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, Bomberry’s an accomplished lacrosse player — and student — and part of a decorated lacrosse family. A multi-sport athlete, Bomberry is a tenacious and skilled defender who helped the Six Nations Arrows win the coveted Minto Cup Junior A national box lacrosse championship in Canada last summer. He will mark the opposition’s top threat in each game this spring.
Thomas Reilly, Ward Melville (East Setauket, N.Y.)
Year: Senior
College: Cornell
Reilly is a smart and aggressive defender who can press attackmen and not get beat thanks to his quick feet and awareness. He’s now a veteran and has seen a long list of some of the best attackmen from Suffolk County in recent seasons. He will be one of several Patriots to head to Cornell in recent seasons.
GOALIE
Jack Corbett, Hotchkiss (Lakeville, Conn.)
Year: Senior
College: Harvard
Corbett is smaller goalie but lightning quick with a hyper-competitive streak that belies his stature. He steps to shooters and is quick on his toes, sacrificing his body to make the electrifying save. His energy is unmatched and it could help his Hotchkiss squad make some noise in the Founders League.
THIRD TEAM
Attack
Henry Grass, Bronxville High School (Bronxville, N.Y.), Senior
Bradley Voigt, Salisbury School, (Salisbury, Conn.), Senior
Timmy Monahan, Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.), Senior
Dawson McKenzie, Culver Academy (Culver, Ind.), Senior
Midfield
Alex McGovern, St. Paul’s School (Brooklandville, Md.), Senior
Drew Schantz, Malvern Preparatory School (Malvern, Pa.), Senior
Ryan Tierney, Massapequa High School (Massapequa, N.Y.), Junior
Mitch Gordon, St. Paul’s School (Brooklandville, Md.), Junior
FO/Midfield
Austin Henningsen, Northport High School (Northport, N.Y.), Senior
LSM/Defense
Zach Ambrosino, The Taft School, (Watertown, Conn.), Senior
Defense
Theo Dol, Avon Old Farms School (Avon, Conn.), Senior
Michael Borda, Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.), Senior
Charlie Tarry, Bronxville High School (Bronxville, N.Y.), Senior
Mark Evanchick, Darien High School (Darien, Conn.), Junior
Goalie
Hunter Sells, Landon School (Bethesda, Md.), Junior
Honorable Mention
Attack
Carter Flaig, St. Paul’s School (Brooklandville, Md.), Senior
Patrick Spencer, The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland (Baltimore, Md.), Senior
Grant Ament, The Haverford School, (Haverford, Pa.), Senior
Joey Sessa, Minisink Valley High School (Slate Hill, N.Y.), Senior
Jared Bernhardt, Lake Brantley High School (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), Junior
Simon Mathias, Ridgefield High School (Ridgefield, Conn.), Senior
Ethan Walker, Culver Academy (Culver, Ind.), Junior
Foster Cuomo, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Senior
Nate Marano, Foothill High School (Santa Ana, Calif.), Senior
Louis Dubick, Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Md.), Senior
Brad Smith, Mountain Lakes High School (Mountain Lakes, N.J.), Senior
Colton Rupp, Landon School (Bethesda, Md.), Senior
Midfield
Tyler Dunn, Manhasset High School (Manhasset, N.Y.), Senior
Robby Black, McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.), Senior
Tyler Kellogg, Trinity-Pawling School (Pawling, N.Y.), Senior
Decker Curran, Greenwich High School (Greenwich, Conn.), Senior
Aidan O’Brien, Niskayuna High School (Niskayuna, N.Y.), Senior
Sean Eccles, Corcoran High School (Syracuse, N.Y.), Senior
Brian Smyth, Westminster School (Simsbury, Conn.), Junior
KevinQuigley, Ridge High School (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Junior
Nick Yevoli, Massapequa High School (Massapequa, N.Y.), Senior
Terry Lindsay, Georgetown Preparatory School (North Bethesda, Md.), Junior
Sean Lowrie, The Roxbury Latin School, (Boston), Senior
Joe Licciardi, St. Anthony’s High School (Huntington Station, N.Y.), Senior
FO/Midfield
Gerard Arceri, Smithtown High School East (St. James, N.Y.), Junior
Charlie Kelly, Malvern Preparatory School (Malvern, Pa.), Senior
David Procopio, West Genesee High School (Camillus, N.Y.), Senior
LSM/Defense
Beau Botkiss, Torrey Pines High School (San Diego, Calif.), Junior
Jack Fowler, Chaminade High School (Mineola, N.Y.), Senior
Jack Halpert, Gilman School (Baltimore, Md.), Senior
Cam Hyde, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (Sudbury, Mass.), Senior
Marc-Antoine Pion, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Senior
Defense
Jared Conners, Pittsford Mendon High School (Pittsford, N.Y.), Junior
Noah Lejman, The Haverford School (Haverford, Pa.), Senior
Austin Meacham, Brunswick School (Greenwich, Conn.), Senior
Erik Dluhy, Somerville High School (Somerville, N.J.), Senior
Arman Medghalchi, McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.), Junior
Jarrett Jones, Palos Verdes High School (Palos Verdes Estates,Calif.), Junior
Matt Borges, Garden City High School (Garden City, N.Y.), Senior
Nick DiPietro, Half Hollow Hills East (Dix Hills, N.Y.), Senior
Goalie
Willie Klan, Webster Schroeder High School (Webster, N.Y.), Senior
Jacob Giacalone, Sachem High School North (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y.), Junior
Colin Reder, The Episcopal Academy (Newtown Square, Pa.), Senior