Top Threat Championship: Class of 2028 MVPs

The Top Threat Championship, held in Basking Ridge, NJ, and hosted by Matt Snyder and Top Threat Tournaments, is one of the premier summer events on the lacrosse calendar. Late in the club season, just before teams begin to wind down, this event gives college programs one of the final tournament-style looks at the class of 2028 before August prospect days begin, and is perhaps one of the last times coaches will see these players in a true game setting ahead of September 1. And once again, Basking Ridge was packed with college coaches. Many of the top programs in NCAA women's lacrosse were in attendance on Saturday, keeping a close eye on the games in which these players appeared.   On-site from start to finish this weekend, here are my overall 2028 top performers from the Top Threat Championship:    If there was an overall tournament MVP award from this weekend, it would certainly belong to Luca Diehl. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone as dominant on the club circuit this summer. Carving through defenses and doing what she wants when she wants, Diehl was simply a step above anyone matched up against her this weekend. Had a goal called back on a questionable dangerous follow-through call, served her time in the penalty box, and came out two minutes later to put it right back on the board. If you need a goal, get the ball in her stick and give her a runway to work. Her height and strength make her look like a college player out there against high schoolers, and she projects as a future Big Ten or ACC player who will make an immediate impact.     Sadie Manger was one of the best playmakers on the field this weekend, and more than once did she make a jaw-dropping play that had multiple coaches reaching for their iPads to take notes. Such was the case when she was driving in from the left wing, had the ball stripped, and with it sitting just outside the crease, Manger flipped her stick and swatted it in like a field hockey shot off the ground. But it was also her dodges and ability to create space that stood out. Manger is a crafty, bouncy dodger with a deep bag, doing an excellent job of dragging her toe and separating from her defender to get topside or drive downhill. Her split dodge and face dodge are well-timed and precisely executed, and she knows how to pick her spots accordingly.     Do not let the height fool you — Zoe Nolan is a dangerous lefty attacker who scores at will against bigger defenders. An extremely twitchy dodger, she has the footwork to consistently beat her matchup from the X. And when she gets by, which happens often, she is a crafty finisher at the crease. She has a shot fake off the crease roll that forces goalies to commit early, and she picks apart even high-level goalies with the move. In one instance, she drew the slide on a crease roll, got her hands free despite the contact, and ripped a sidearm runner going left past the defender and into the cage.     Perhaps one of the more underrated goalies in a loaded class, Lily Sergeant had a strong weekend in New Jersey. A Crush MD and John Carroll product, Sergeant is a confident goalie who is not afraid to step out and dig out ground balls to secure possession near the crease. At 5'8", she takes up a lot of the cage with her height alone, but it is paired with elite agility that makes her so effective. She displayed the ability to drop to a knee and get low to stop bouncers and shots coming in low. When her team was not on the field this weekend, she was getting extra reps in with a coach nearby - which tells you everything you need to know about her mentality. All weekend, she was a name that stood out on a club that had ACC, Big Ten, and Ivy League coaches hovering nearby.     Compass stayed in every game they were in this weekend, including their bracket championship against Eagle Stix, where they narrowly fell 3-2, and it was largely due to the play of Riley McCaffrey between the pipes. McCaffrey is one of those goalies you can count on when your offense is not having its best performance. She keeps her team in any game. Stick saves, kick saves, point-blank saves, dropping to a knee to get low- McCaffrey was doing it all at a high level. She stays with long offensive sets exceptionally well, and more than once made multiple saves in the same extended possession. Not the biggest goalie between the pipes, but she has the quick reactions and agility to stop whatever comes her way.     One of the best defenders this weekend, Kamille Ehmann displayed a brand of physical defense that her matchups had trouble beating. You will not see many defenders better at keeping the stick horizontal and driving players away from the eight-meter arc. It is the kind of defense that drives opposing attackers and coaches crazy. She understands body and stick positioning well enough to keep it clean while working players out of the offensive set entirely. During long offensive sets, her stick is always active, and she comes up with a handful of knockdown-caused turnovers — taking the ball the other way with the speed and IQ to be an offensive starter in transition.     Another Peach State standout from this weekend, Nora Boardman hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and represents Freestyle Lacrosse. One of the best feeders on the field this weekend, she handles pressure exceptionally well. Working from "X," she was harassed by her defender and managed to keep her composure, refusing to force the look and waiting until an open cutter broke free before hitting a teammate cutting left to right for the goal. Boardman is one of those players you can trust with the ball in her stick in high-leverage situations. But it was also her ability to create her own opportunities that stood out. She has an explosive first step out of the crease roll, and more than once showed the wheels and hustle to beat defenders to an out-of-bounds ball and secure possession.

The Top Threat Championship, held in Basking Ridge, NJ, and hosted by Matt Snyder and Top Threat Tournaments, is one of the premier summer events on the lacrosse calendar. Late in the club season, just before teams begin to wind down, this event gives college programs one of the final tournament-style looks at the class of 2028 before August prospect days begin, and is perhaps one of the last times coaches will see these players in a true game setting ahead of September 1. And once again, Basking Ridge was packed with college coaches. Many of the top programs in NCAA women's lacrosse were in attendance on Saturday, keeping a close eye on the games in which these players appeared.