Chesapeake Invitational Pt. 1: Home-State Talent Steals the Show

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2029s are on the clock. The first official recruiting weekend is in the books, and college coaches from across the country wasted no time filling the sidelines at some early but marquee fall events. On Saturday, <a href="https://prepgirlslacrosse.com/author/rileykennedy/" data-type="link" data-id="https://prepgirlslacrosse.com/author/rileykennedy/">Riley Kennedy</a> and I spent the day at the Copperplex in Edgewood, Maryland, scouting a highly regarded 2029 class at the Chesapeake Invitational. Here is my first group of top performers from Saturday's action, highlighted by a strong Maryland contingent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, be on the lookout for more coverage from Riley and me. There is a lot more to come from Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["74511"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6aefa380b1e81"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Talk about a player who burst onto my radar. Jordan Rasmussen, a 5'10 lefty attacker who also takes the draw for Aces Elite, was dynamite Saturday and took over the late window of games with several highlight-reel goals. She was a key reason for her team's 6-4 win over a talented Philly Blast squad. Rasmussen is a killer in the corner. In one instance, she caught it in the low right corner, absolutely shook her matchup, and drove along GLE before cutting back in front of the cage and putting one home over the top of a highly regarded 2029 goalie. Minutes later, she found herself back on the doorstep, this time using a bevy of fakes before changing levels and finishing. Rasmussen can score in bunches at will. She is a bona fide baller.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["86676"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af11bc44b9c0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It took [player_tooltip player_id='86676' first='Maura' last='Finkel'] all of 20 seconds in her first game to make me pull out my notepad. In my first in-person look at the 2029 Maryvale Prep talent, she did not disappoint. On that opening possession, she took it from near midfield all the way to the cage, driving hard and absorbing contact before finishing with authority. On the next play, she pulled out a lethal inside roll to get to the cage and score again. Finkel is a stud. On top of it all, she was one of the best teammates I saw all day. Any time a Coppermine teammate made a play, Finkel was there to hype her up or meet her with a chest bump. She is a phenomenal player and teammate. Finkel is a special talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["89372"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af11bc44b9ee"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Skywalker's [player_tooltip player_id='89372' first='Caroline' last='Campbell'] was one of my favorite players to watch at Saturday's Chesapeake Invitational. On offense, it was her work away from the ball and IQ that caught my eye. In one instance, a teammate hit a split dodge in her direction. As Campbell's defender cheated toward the slide, Campbell cut hard to the cage, caught the feed, and finished with ease. She understands how and when to exploit a defense with explosive cuts. On another possession, she set a hard pick to free up a teammate. She is just as impactful on the defensive end, where she plays with an aggressive, tenacious edge, especially in open-space 1v1s. Her energy is infectious, and you can't take your eyes off her when she's on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["74336"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af2017e83cba"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">If there was a shiftier, more explosive player than [player_tooltip player_id='74336' first='Ava' last='DeBose'] on Saturday, I didn't see her. A product of Maryland's Heros Lacrosse, she has the ability to make defenders look silly. Although DeBose is a natural righty, she was just as dangerous with her left. On one play, she got to her left and fired a heater on the run. On another, she exploded past her defender and finished through contact, the lacrosse version of an and-one. DeBose looked unguardable at times, and she is one of the more explosive players I have seen this fall. DeBose is another name you can't take your eyes off when watching Heros. If you do, you'll miss a highlight-reel play. She is the truth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["90467"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6af2f6b72b991"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another Maryland talent who stood out Saturday was M&amp;D's [player_tooltip player_id='90467' first='Scarlett' last='Burrows'], and it all starts with her playmaking ability. Burrows is explosive and elusive with the ball, and she can rip it from range with confidence and accuracy. More than once on Saturday, she won her matchup topside, freed her hands, and let it fly. On one possession up top, she used a quick change of direction to get back to her strong side and buried one from midrange. At 5'10, she also uses her height well to deliver top-down feeds to the cage, and she excels on the draw circle. There is a lot to like about Burrows' game, and she has the ability to take over when her number is called offensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->