Inaugural Philly Classic: 2028 Standouts

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — The inaugural Philly Classic, created by Shannon Smith and Colleen Magarity, was held on June 21 at The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Over 70 college programs were in attendance, many of them top Division I teams, getting a firsthand look at the class of 2028, often regarded as one of the deepest recruiting classes in the sport's history. With all eyes on them, the rising juniors shined.   Justin Staggers was on site all day. Here is the first batch of standout performers from the Philly Classic's debut.    [player_tooltip player_id='74123' first='Tess' last='Andrews'] is quietly becoming one of, if not the best, defenders in the loaded class of 2028, and it was on full display Sunday in front of big-time programs. Andrews is sneaky strong. Taller, longer attackers try to establish position on her at the top of the arc to initiate their dodge, and are often surprised to find Andrews with her feet planted, driving them away from the eight-meter and out of the play with ease. She can match up anywhere on the field and has the footwork to stay with smaller, quicker attackers as well. She does an excellent job of baiting shooters into contested looks from the eight-meter arc or twelve-meter fan, backing off just enough before reengaging the moment she reads the hands begin to move. She took a lot of pressure off her goalie on Sunday.     While the play of the tournament belongs to Darby O'Connell — a streaking behind-the-back goal in transition — the way she got herself into position for the shot was equally impressive. With the ball pushing upfield on the right side in transition, O'Connell, trailing down the middle of the field, turned on the jets, blowing past her defender and leaving her in the dust as she broke uncontested toward the crease. Her teammate found her in stride, and the instant she caught it, she whipped it behind her back for the finish. O'Connell is a next-level playmaker, whether the ball is in her stick or not. She wins her matchups consistently and gets herself and her teammates into scoring position seemingly at will.     A shutdown defender who can lock up anyone, anywhere, Leila Ramasarran had an excellent set of games in front of big-name programs. She was especially impressive against "X" attackers, essentially eliminating them from scoring or facilitating. Ramasarran has the speed and physicality to hover at the GLE while her assignment works behind the cage, keeping her stick up to take away passing lanes. She has the quick change of speed to beat an "X" attacker to the spot on wraparounds, and does a great job with body defense around the crease.     There were few, if any, who displayed better footwork on Sunday than [player_tooltip player_id='71809' first='Callie' last='Murray']. A twitchy, deceptive dodger, Murray is a matchup nightmare and next to impossible to stay with in the 1v1 game. Her ability to consistently exploit her matchup on Sunday, creating opportunities for not only herself but also her teammates, was a key part of her club's (Philly Blast) success. In one instance, she beat her defender up top — unsurprisingly — drawing a foul from the slide defender in the process. Murray converted moments later on the free-position attempt that followed. She is a dynamic playmaker, one who opens up the offense at will.     Collette Inglis has one of the more complete offensive games in the class of 2028. A high-level, high-energy player, Inglis does it all on the offensive end. She can crash the crease, pull from distance, or take over a game with her feeding, which is exactly what she did on Sunday. She wins 1v1 matchups with ease and commands at least one, sometimes two, defenders on the slide. Her ability to dominate and dictate matchups at the point of attack creates opportunities for herself and her teammates. She does an excellent job finding the open player when that slide comes, and can deliver her passes through contact like few others can.     Ellie Tyrell is a shutdown defender who can all but eliminate her matchup from a game. She did an excellent job locking down the “X” attacker on Sunday, causing a handful of key turnovers in the process. She plays with an active stick on the defensive end, always looking to jar the ball loose, and wins the 50/50 ground ball battles at a rate closer to 80/20. Her speed in transition is excellent as well — on one occasion, her caused turnover and subsequent push upfield led directly to a quick end-to-end goal for her team. Tyrell's defense creates offense, and she does an excellent job pushing the ball in transition the moment she comes up with it.     [player_tooltip player_id='71832' first='Sailor' last='Campbell'] is a versatile attacker who can also take draws, and she had a strong showing on Sunday that should mean a rising stock ahead of September. Her height is the first thing you notice, but it is how effectively she uses it that makes Campbell so dangerous. She keeps her release point high and her arms extended through contact, which lets her get shots off from distances and angles most defenders cannot reach. She does an excellent job cutting off the ball, exploding away from her defender, and putting herself in position for high-percentage looks at the cage, where she can once again use her height to drop shots over goalies at the crease.

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — The inaugural Philly Classic, created by Shannon Smith and Colleen Magarity, was held on June 21 at The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Over 70 college programs were in attendance, many of them top Division I teams, getting a firsthand look at the class of 2028, often regarded as one of the deepest recruiting classes in the sport's history. With all eyes on them, the rising juniors shined.