2028 Late Summer Standouts: New Balance All-America

COLUMBIA, Md. — One of the final and most prestigious events on the summer lacrosse calendar, the New Balance All-American Tournament offers a unique late look at the class of 2028 before recruiting officially opens at noon on September 1. Rather than playing with their club teams, players are hand selected to represent their region: Baltimore, CONNY, Long Island, Midwest, New England, New Jersey, Philadelphia, South, Southwest, Upstate, Washington DC, and West. And while the Baltimore girls dominated the 2028 Burn division with a 7-0 record and claimed the division's hardware, the talent on display across the board was head-turning. Here is the first group of 2028 standouts from New Balance All America, players who saw their stock rise at the summer's final recruiting event.    Madelyn "Red Panda" Farwell is one of the top players in the class of 2028, and she has gotten better with each passing event. What separates Farwell is her plethora of release points. She can get her shot off in any situation. She had a behind-the-back wormburner posted up on the left elbow that traveled no more than an inch off the ground before pinging the inside post. Not to mention the handful of other flashy finishes she had this weekend as well. She does what she wants offensively and can call her own number to put one in the back of the net when her team needs it. What she lacks in height she makes up for with her ability to draw contact, regularly ending up at the eight-meter mark as a result, an area in which she is nearly automatic. College coaches, do not waste time. Farwell will be a highly recruited prospect from the moment the window opens at noon on September 1.     Clara McCormick was everywhere this weekend, and you would be hard pressed to find a better overall athlete from the tournament. She played seven forty-minute games in a short weekend span and did not lose a step. McCormick regularly makes head-turning plays she has no business making. She had a handful of leaping interceptions and knockdowns on the long clear, and hustled and outworked opponents all weekend on ground balls. She can cover ground in a hurry with long strides to get in position to make a play on the ball, and her athleticism and agility are among her best attributes. She dodges with intent offensively and can finish in a variety of ways and from different angles and release points. She should not have to wait long come September to find a home with a high-level Division I program, and she projects as a two-way midfielder who earns meaningful minutes in the early days of her collegiate career.     This is without a doubt one of the top defenders in the entire class of 2028. Grace Harvey is a complete defender who does not shy away from contact but actively seeks it and thrives on it. She loves to body up in the transition game and work her assignment against the sideline, constantly forcing turnovers around midfield by riding her matchup out of bounds. She knows how to keep it clean while using her stick and strength to dictate the direction of her assignment, and had a handful of caused turnovers as a result this weekend. One of her main separators is her work on ground balls - she knows how to shield her body between the ball and her opponent before coming up with it cleanly. Harvey's defensive prowess was on full display in front of high-level coaching staffs in attendance.     Liz Vitale is a do-it-all attacker who flips the script of games with her relentless effort on the ride. She puts immediate pressure on the goalie after a save and has the height and reach to hover at the crease, keeping her stick up in the passing lanes. She suffocates goalies for space and regularly forces bad decisions that led to turnovers on the clear. In one instance, she checked a goalie lurching out of the crease, poked the ball free, came up with it, and hit an open teammate for the easy finish. Offensively, she is an elite dodger whose shiftiness creates opportunities as both a scorer and facilitator. She has a laser-quick release and regularly uses the hesitation move to send goalies the wrong way before laying it in for the easy goal. She will have no trouble adjusting to the collegiate game early.     The lefty attacker was a key part of Baltimore's dominance this weekend. Working from "X," she is a quarterback-esque player who creates opportunities on the offensive end whenever she has the ball. She attacks hard from behind the cage and gets her hands free as she comes above GLE. Converted the low-angle finish off her crease roll multiple times this weekend. Laser-quick shot speed and an overall crafty finisher who can score from a plethora of angles and release points. Head always up, looking for the drop-off when she draws the slide, and she sets the tone with a relentless effort on the ride.     One of the best off-ball players this entire weekend, Martha Hall has the rare ability to create opportunities away from the ball at will. She has a quick release on the cut and is already well into her shot before most defenders realize she has the ball. She backdoored her defender multiple times this weekend to get in position to finish at the crease. Her first step is explosive, and she can disguise it before burning her defender. Athleticism and versatility are Hall's separators, allowing her to affect play at every part of the field and consistently create high-percentage scoring opportunities. An all-around dominant two-way force from the West Coast who college coaches should have high on their list heading into September.

COLUMBIA, Md. — One of the final and most prestigious events on the summer lacrosse calendar, the New Balance All-American Tournament offers a unique late look at the class of 2028 before recruiting officially opens at noon on September 1. Rather than playing with their club teams, players are hand selected to represent their region: Baltimore, CONNY, Long Island, Midwest, New England, New Jersey, Philadelphia, South, Southwest, Upstate, Washington DC, and West. And while the Baltimore girls dominated the 2028 Burn division with a 7-0 record and claimed the division's hardware, the talent on display across the board was head-turning. Here is the first group of 2028 standouts from New Balance All America, players who saw their stock rise at the summer's final recruiting event.