Early 2028 Service Academy Commitments: Army

While typical college programs must wait until noon on September 1 to formally recruit, the service academies have been able to recruit since July 1. Schools like Army and Navy have been quietly building momentum as they assemble their future rosters from the Class of 2028. Army has already secured verbal commitments from five players in the class, and the Black Knights, who reached as high as No. 13 in the national rankings last season, look poised to continue their upward climb after landing some of the top 2028 talent in the country. Here is a look at those early West Point commits:    The first 2028 recruit off the board, Olivia Creighton, announced her verbal commitment to Army just hours after the window opened for the service academies on July 1. A three-sport athlete from Hanover, Maryland, Army once again tapped into the M&D pipeline with Creighton. In 2024, the Black Knights secured commitments from 2026 graduates Mallie Herb, Ella Jane Ostrowski, and Antonia Huber, all of whom will join the program this upcoming season. With Creighton, West Point is getting a versatile attacker. A heads-up dodger who racks up assists with her style of play, she came off a 54-goal sophomore spring at River Hill and had an equally impressive summer with M&D. Explosive in her dodges and able to get to the cage at will, Creighton is a high-IQ player who should fit in well from day one.     Taylor Woodcock is another 2028 who made her decision early, verbally committing to Army on July 8, just a week after the recruiting window officially opened for the service academies. The North Carolina product is a high-upside player, and Army is getting a gem of a two-way midfielder in a deep class at the position. Woodcock is extremely athletic, possessing a laser sidearm rip out of her dodge after getting topside, but she can just as easily win her matchup north-south and attack the cage downhill. She has the frame and skill to immediately challenge college players and fight for meaningful minutes from day one. The ceiling is extremely high, and Woodcock looks every bit like a home run commitment for the Black Knights.     [player_tooltip player_id='76080' first='Abigail' last='Licht'] is the most recent Army commit, announcing her decision just days ago on August 19. Licht, who opted to reclass into the Class of 2028, will join older brother Dillon, who plays on the men's lacrosse team at Army. A Syracuse, New York product who attends Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and plays club ball with the Salt City Snipers, Licht is an offensive spark plug. She plays with a ton of energy and has shown the ability to pick apart defenses, working well off the ball and finishing with deception at the cage. At 5'7" with elite athleticism and a strong frame, Licht projects as a player who will have a really solid career at West Point.     Army left no stone unturned in the class, securing a commitment from as far as Missouri with Madelyn Lary on July 11. A Kansas City product who represents Mad Dog West Elite and Kansas City Lacrosse Club in the summer, Lary excels on the defensive end and in transition. She is unquestionably one of the physically strongest players in the class. A scrapper on ground balls whose physicality more than makes up for any doubts about her height, she can lock up anyone she is asked to mark. She has elite speed between the 30s, outruns defenses, and turns defensive stops into fast-break opportunities. With her tenacity, Lary projects as another player who will fight for meaningful minutes early at West Point.     Just two days after future teammate Madelyn Lary announced her commitment, Emily Crowley followed suit on July 13, giving Army their first pure defender in the 2028 recruiting class. Army once again tapped into the greater Boston region with Crowley, following in the footsteps of midfielder Gabrielle Mirak, who graduated from college in 2025 and hailed from a similar area. Crowley plays high school lacrosse at Thayer Academy in Braintree, Massachusetts, and represents Laxachusetts on the club circuit. In Crowley, West Point is getting a strong clearing defender who sets up the offense in transition. Tall and physically strong, she uses her height and strength to cause turnovers and push the pace. She is fundamentally sound on the defensive and is a constant communicator who helps anchor the defense during extended offensive sets.

While typical college programs must wait until noon on September 1 to formally recruit, the service academies have been able to recruit since July 1. Schools like Army and Navy have been quietly building momentum as they assemble their future rosters from the Class of 2028. Army has already secured verbal commitments from five players in the class, and the Black Knights, who reached as high as No. 13 in the national rankings last season, look poised to continue their upward climb after landing some of the top 2028 talent in the country. Here is a look at those early West Point commits: