Up and Comers: 2029 Sunshine Belt Names to Know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third stop in my regional 2029 scouting series brings us south, where the weather is warmer, and the quality of lacrosse is steadily improving. Today we are looking at states like Florida, which dominates the Division II landscape while quietly producing Division I talent that finds its way onto rosters at the highest level. And there is perhaps no story as fascinating in girls lacrosse as what is happening in Georgia. Despite the state's marquee university, UGA, not fielding a varsity program, a small pocket of the northern Atlanta suburbs no more than a 20-mile radius has become one of the top producers and exporters of girls lacrosse talent in the country. Perhaps the biggest winner in the South is North Carolina, where the rise of UNC Chapel Hill is starting to pull the entire state's lacrosse scene along with it. The South's future in lacrosse looks not just cemented but on the rise, and the Sunshine Belt's class of 2029 looks to be the latest proof. Top talent from the region is on the verge of becoming household names in recruiting circles far and wide. Here are some names to invest in now before the recruiting world catches up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["71968"],"_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-6abef6b6216d0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A South Carolina product who will be joining Eagle Stix for the upcoming club season, Reagan Bowers is a player whose game I really like. She is reminiscent of another successful Southeast product who also came through Eagle Stix: Luca Diehl. Tall and athletic, Bowers can take the draw and quick-start the offense seconds later. She has great footwork as an initiator up top and can knife through defenses to get to the cage. Her strength and size allow her to fight through contact for looks, and she generates a lot of power on her shot. She has great situational awareness offensively, setting hard picks in the two-woman game and cutting to the cage with authority. She dominated as a freshman at Oceanside Collegiate Academy, compiling 63 goals and 23 assists while earning First Team All-Lower State and First Team All-District honors. Bowers is a big-time breakout candidate as she joins one of the nation's top clubs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["87835"],"_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-6ac25f852bb5a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the aforementioned pocket of northern Atlanta suburbs that continues to produce top talent, Eleanor Taglienti looks to be next in line. A member of the 2025 USA U15 National Team and the only selection from Georgia or the South, Taglienti is a two-way, draw-taking midfielder with a non-stop motor. She likes to win it forward on the draw, often to herself, where she becomes a mesmerizing player to watch in open space. She is a shapeshifter, incredibly difficult to contain and mark up. She carries with that one-handed cradle often seen in the men's game, and is a confident and trusted ball carrier who possesses a sixth-sense awareness of closing defenders. She can get downhill off the draw or win topside in settled play with a ton of release points at her disposal, one of the more unpredictable and crafty finishers I have seen. The only freshman on Milton's varsity team last season, Taglienti put up 14 goals, 14 assists, 18 draw controls, and seven caused turnovers in an injury-shortened season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["87847"],"_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-6ac27bb3ac122"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">An athletic southpaw from Coconut Creek, Florida, [player_tooltip player_id='87847' first='Ivy' last='Bostley'] is one of the South's best goalkeepers. One of the more athletic goalies I have seen in the 2029 class, there is no save Bostley cannot make. She has elite low-ball ability, able to routinely drop to a knee without losing her stick position. She plays big when she needs to on charging shooters and takes away a lot of would-be goals on the doorstep with exceptional ball tracking. She absorbs power well on step-downs and free position rips, her stick always in the right position to make the clean save rather than relying on her body. A high-energy keeper, Bostley earned varsity minutes as a freshman last season, stopping 23 of 31 shots for a video game-like 74% save percentage. She will likely find herself among Florida's most prized prospects when 2029 recruiting gets underway next September.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["87853"],"_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-6ac27bb3ac122"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A teammate of the previously mentioned goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='87847' first='Ivy' last='Bostley'] at both American Heritage Delray and Florida Select, [player_tooltip player_id='87853' first='Ava' last='Fortnam'] is a certified playmaker. A truly positionless offensive weapon who can take the draw as a midfielder or dominate as an attacker, Fortnam is a true matchup problem poised for a big-time breakout her sophomore season. She has a nice stutter-step hesitation up top, faking left and shifting the defender over before getting topside to her strong hand. Her release is wickedly quick, the kind that overpowers goalkeepers before they can react. But she plays with just as much finesse at the cage, with a ton of release points and angles she can rip from. An elusive off-ball weapon as well, she cuts with intention to get free inside the eight-meter arc to unleash her shot. Put her anywhere on the offensive end and watch her take over. A plug-and-play option with elite athleticism who can do it all offensively, Fortnam's ceiling is undeniably high. Coaching staffs are going to like what they see from the Florida native.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["87856"],"_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-6ac2c5f717a31"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A Chapel Hill, North Carolina product who plays her club ball with the Long Island Yellow Jackets, [player_tooltip player_id='87856' first='Ally' last='Lamb'] is one of the most truly positionless players I have come across in the class of 2029. A physically strong defender with excellent footwork and a strength advantage over most, she can match up on a driving player up top or lock down a team's "X" attacker on the goalie's hip with equal effectiveness. An accomplished hurdler and three-time school record holder in the relay events, the track crossover is evident in her game. She is a dangerous player in open space with the kind of speed that creates problems for opposing defenses in transition. She thrives on the offensive end as well, possessing a lethal sidearm rip after getting topside and a knack for dominating the two-woman game with hard picks and rolls to the cage. As a freshman at Durham Academy, Lamb led her team in goals and assists while earning All-Conference and All-State honors and was one of only two North Carolina players selected in the NILLY. A true baller in every sense of the word, the Tar Heels may want to keep a close eye on what is developing right in their own backyard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->