Hey gang –

I spent most of this sun-shiny, pleasant day at Day 1 of the second annual Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight at Western Connecticut University’s West Campus in Danbury.

We will have updates throughout the week as well as video interviews and highlights. So be sure to check back for that.

The invitation-only event includes 160 of the top rising sophomores and rising juniors in the nation.

And I do mean nation. There are players competing this week from Las Vegas, Florida, Kentucky and Oregon — as well as the traditional hotbeds and the nation’s No. 1 lax hotbed — the New York/Connecticut LaxLessons.com region.

The players spent most of today checking in and getting set up with the their dorm rooms, getting their roommate assignments, etc.

After that, each team had an hour-long practice, and then games began.

There will be games all week from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

The all-star game, which attracts the most attention from college coaches, will be held on Wednesday night at 7:30.

It’s early, of course, but here are a few players to keep an eye on as the week unfolds:

• Jimmy Bitter, attack, Deerfield Academy (resident of Manhasset, rising junior)
• Case Matheis, attack, Darien (rising sophomore)
• Mike Daniello, attack, John Jay (rising junior)
• Bobby Duvnjak, defense, Manhasset (rising sophomore)
• Kieran Donohue, attack, Somers (rising junior)
• Eddie Schurr, defense, Somers (rising junior)
• Forrest Walter, midfield, John Jay (rising junior)
  • Read “Comments” portion of this thread for many other names of those participating. If you have any questions regarding who else is attending, etc., fire away and I’ll answer back.


Reach Joe Lombardi at joe@laxlessons.com.

•  Your source for the latest recruiting news

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• Joe’s MaxPreps.com column: Summer competition surging

Posted In: Recruiting Rundown

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42 Responses to “Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight updates”

  1. PurpleReigns says:

    Hey J-Lo. Who else is there from JJ??? Thanx. You continue to be the man!

  2. Joe Lombardi says:

    P–Reigns —

    There is quite a contingent from John Jay. In the lobby of the dorm at check-in, it seemed like every time I turned around, there was another John Jay kid walking in.

    In addition to Daniello and Walter, the following are also playing:

    • Jack Stewart, midfield, rising junior
    • Jimmy Morris, midfield, rising junior
    • Jake Weil, midfield, rising junior
    • Billy Pray, attack, rising junior

  3. PurpleReigns says:

    LOL. Good to see the 2010 state champs are well represented!!

  4. LAX says:

    Both Daniello and Walter have had good summers so far. From the comments that I’ve read on Insidelacrosse.com Daniello was one of the best rising juniors at the Nike Blue Chip Camp, he and other attackmen (Bitter, Stanwick, Connelly, etc…) dominated the camp.

    Also Walter lit it up at the Blue Chip 225 camp. Comments from IL’s Zack Frank:

    Forrest Walter (M/John Jay, NY) – my favorite player of the day; Good size and athleticism; Dodges down and backs into guy, switching direction, and gets good step on man towards net; Hard whip shot both ways; Has a very calm, composed demeanor when he has the ball in his stick; Extremely smart baller…when finds himself in a jam, protects his stick and pulls the ball out.

  5. Spring Lax says:

    Caviola (rising junior, defense) from Jay also at Showtime. Brendan Morris (John Jay, attack, rising junior) is playing. Jimmy Morris ( John Jay, midfield, rising junior) out with an injury.

  6. Joe Lombardi says:

    More John Jay players at Showtime keep trickling in.
    Caviola as well as Malcolm Winter, bringing our total to eight (including the injured Jimmy Morris) — which is the most of any school.

    Here’s the updated rundown:

    • Mike Daniello, attack, John Jay, rising junior
    • Forrest Walter, midfield, John Jay, rising junior
    • Jack Stewart, midfield, rising junior
    • Jake Weil, midfield, rising junior
    • Billy Pray, attack, rising junior
    • Trevor Caviola, defense, rising junior
    • Malcolm Winter, defense, rising junior
    • Jimmy Morris, midfield, rising junior, injured

    If you’re interested in who’s attending from other schools, just let me know here, and I’ll fill you in.

  7. Westechester_In_the_House says:

    Westrock represents with a solid contingent:

    Keiran Donahue Somers A Nifty skills, good size, good head, one to watch

    Mike Zavarella Ossining D Good skills, fast; outruns middies, another one to watch

    Connor Ferguson Mamaroneck D Skilled and nimble, 15 yrs, could/should play up, Class of 2012

    Mike Morley Irvington D Aggressive, bruiser, learning team D and improving quickly

    ??George Lodge Fox Lane A???

    U18 coach Brian Smith is in camp.

  8. Lax Novice says:

    Are there separate 2011 and 2012 groups, or are they all mixed in?

  9. Rock_the_Whatever says:

    Darwinian, survival of the fittest, all mixed in.

  10. Joe Lombardi says:

    It’s mixed with a combination of rising sophomores and rising juniors. (Remember, there are no rising seniors at this event.)

    There are eight teams — one more than last year — with 20 players per team. The breakdown is five attackmen, eight middies, five d-men and two goalies. Paul Carcaterra, co-director of the camp along with Joe Ceglia and Mike Springer, said he thinks it’s the perfect roster breakdown to allow for plenty of playing time for everyone.

    Also, FYI – James Bitter, who I noted in the main body of this thread, is the younger brother of UNC star Billy Bitter.

  11. towny says:

    who is there from town…anybody??

  12. freelaxer says:

    Joe, don’t forget about Brendan Morris, you have his brother listed (out with injury) but not Brendan. Makes the total 9 players from JJ?! Thats pretty crazy. Love to have highlights from you throughout the week, thanks.

  13. Town22 says:

    Joe, of the names you had on your watch list, I am least familiar with Darien’s Case Matheis. Do you have any details on him? Saw a lot of talk about him on the Blue Chip blog

  14. Old Rugger says:

    Joe, besides the 2 Somers players you mentioned above were there others or is there someplace on-line that has the list? Tks

  15. Joe Lombardi says:

    Towny –
    Interestingly enough, just one player from Yorktown. That’s Tyler Fahey, a rising junior defenseman. This is the same event that Kevin Interlicchio performed well enough last year at to lock up a scholarship offer from Johns Hopkins.

    Freelaxer –
    I suspect by the end of the week there will be 15 John Jay players. Just kidding. (I think.)

    Town 22 –
    Case Matheis started at attack as a freshman for five-time state champion Darien this year. Enough said. He has the potential to be one of the best offensive players to come out of Jeff Brameier’s Blue Wave program in years. He is a small, quick and agile player. I’ll have more on him in the coming days. He’s joined by the following Darien players:

    • Tony Britton, defense, rising sophomore.
    • Jonathan Magnusson, attack, rising sophomore.

    Old Rugger –

    Anthony Lombardo, a rising junior midfielder from Somers, is also at Showtime.

    Here is the link to the Showtime Web site:

    http://showtimelax.com

    There is no listing of players participating there or anywhere else online, however. But again, I do have the rosters, so if anyone has any questions as to who is participating and from what schools, etc., just fire away.

    Finally, here’s the latest updated listing of John Jay players at Showtime. Stay tuned for further additions.

    Here’s the updated rundown:

    • Mike Daniello, attack, John Jay, rising junior
    • Forrest Walter, midfield, John Jay, rising junior
    • Jack Stewart, midfield, rising junior
    • Jake Weil, midfield, rising junior
    • Billy Pray, attack, rising junior
    • Trevor Caviola, defense, rising junior
    • Malcolm Winter, defense, rising junior
    • Brendan Morris, attack, rising junior
    • Jimmy Morris, midfield, rising junior, injured

  16. Westechester_In_the_House says:

    Anthony Lombardo is the other Westrock player, not George Lodge…although Lodge should probably be there too! Good eye Joe.

  17. Salem Shores says:

    Regarding the JJ contingent, not sure if there are any other juniors at showtime – but I believe that Alex Lanza and Mike Lupinacci are up at Peak 200 this week up in Mass.

  18. Joe Lombardi says:

    Interesting note from Showtime today, gang.

    Mike Daniello, rising junior from John Jay, had two goals and three assists as his team pulled out an 8-7 win over the team coached by his brother, Syracuse standout Chris Daniello.

    We will have a video interview with the Daniellos we did this afternoon coming up here shortly.

    Also check back for interviews we conducted with James Bitter, (attack, Deerfield Academy, rising junior and a native of Manhasset) and Case Matheis (attack, Darien, rising sophomore).

  19. Amy Smith says:

    I heard there were some Florida players there. Can you please name them and their school? Thanks!

  20. Joe Lombardi says:

    Hi Amy –

    One of the things I’ve been most impressed with this week is not only how athletic players are from the non-tradition hotbeds but how fluid they are as well.

    Quite a few of them have been playing the sport longer than you would expect.

    Michael Nugent, a rising junior goaltender from Alpharetta, Ga., has been playing lax for six years.

    Now, to the info on the players from Florida you requested. They are:

    • Dave Moore, goal, Longwood/Lake Mary HS, rising sophomore
    • Dominic Moriarty, goal, Fort Myers/Riverdale HS, rising junior
    • Chris Lewis, attack/midfield, Jacksonville/Boiles School, rising junior
    • Wilson Clayton, midfield, Orlanndo/Lake High Prep, rising sophomore
    • Davis Anderson, midfield, Winter Park/Lake High Prep, rising sophomore
    • Austin Tamayo, attack/midfield, Ovideo/Lake High Prep, rising sophomore
    • Cody Prizer, defense, Maitland/Lake Highhland Prep, rising sophomore

  21. Joe Lombardi says:

    Among the college coaches on hand today at the Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight were head coach Scott Marr (Albany) and assistant coaches Pat Myers (North Carolina) and Frank Vitolo (C.W. Post).

    There should be a large contingent of college coaches Wednesday at 7:30 for the all-star game at 7:30 p.m.

  22. laxfan says:

    Will you be able to post the all-star roster?

  23. PurpleReigns says:

    They should just have the JJ kids play an all star team tonight for the all star game lol.

  24. Lions Den says:

    Joe – Great job covering this event. Who is there from WI or other top LI programs?

  25. fD1Laxer says:

    Joe – keep the updates coming! What’s happened today? Any chance you could post the entire invitation list or a link to it somewhere?

  26. Joe Lombardi says:

    Thanks, guys. I will be heading up there for the all-star game tonight. The rosters have not yet been selected. I will have plenty of info on the game and who was impressive, etc. We will also have video interviews and video highlights.

  27. Joe Lombardi says:

    Lions Den –

    No one from West Islip. Here’s a sampling of some LI kids at Showtime that I haven’t mentioned yet in this thread:

    • Jake Gambitsky, goal, Wantagh, rising junior
    • Brian Coyne Jr., goal, St. Anthony’s, rising junior
    • Anthony Lomangino, goal, Hicksville, rising junior
    • Luke Spitzer, midfield, Lynbvrook, rising sophomore
    • Steven Marrandino, midfield, Lynbrook, rising junior
    • Ryan Matthews, midfield, Manhasset, rising sophomore
    • Jeremy Morgan, midfield, Longwood, rising junior
    • Jonathan Morgan, midfield, Longwood, rising junior
    • Matthew Clarkstown, attack, Chaminade, rising junior
    • Matt Kavanagh, attack/midfield, Chaminade, rising junior
    • Roger Coleman, defense, Manhattan, rising sophomore

  28. fD1Laxer says:

    OK, Joe – Could we get a list of Section 1 invitees?

  29. Joe Lombardi says:

    Sure. Here are players not yet mentioned in the main thread or the comments portion of this thread from Section 1 and private schools in that area:

    • Conor Fraylick, goal, Pleasantville, rising junior
    • Christian Bonaventure, midfield, Rye, rising junior
    • Jack Near, attack/midfield, Bronxville, rising junior
    • Ricky Marrano, midfield, Iona Prep, rising junior
    • Charlie Shugrue, midfield, Harrison, rising junior
    • Charlie McCormick, midfield, Bronxville, rising junior
    • Spencer Repp, midfield, Scarsdale, rising sophomore
    • Nicholas Grasso, midfield, Fox Lane, rising sophomore
    • Anthony Grasso, defense, Fox Lane, rising sophomore
    • Timothy Curran, midfield, North Salem, rising junior
    • Brandon Bonistall, attack, Harrison, rising junior
    • Frank von Megren, defense, Bronxville, rising junior
    • Luke Dutton, defense, Bronxville, rising junior
    • Michael Zavarella, defense, Ossining, rising junior
    • Michael Morley, defense, Irvington, rising junior
    • Connor Ferguson, defense, Mamaroneck, rising junior
    • Darien Bica, defense, Dobbs Ferry, rising sophomore

  30. BlueWhite says:

    And CT?

  31. Not_Jo_Jo says:

    Section 1:

    Connor Ferguson, D, Mamaroneck, rising Soph

    🙂

  32. Joe Lombardi says:

    From Connecticut, these are players not mentioned already in the main body of this post or in previous comments:

    • Will Driscoll, goal, Brunswick, rising sophomore
    • Colin Fortuner, midfielder, Litchfield (Masters School), rising junior
    • Daniel Grenier, midfielder, Danbury, rising junior
    • Eric Uhl, midfield, Simsbury (Masters School), rising junior
    • Ryan Cholnoky, attack/midfield, Greenwich (Westminster), rising junior
    • Chad Crisco, attaxck/midfield, Daniel Hand, rising junior
    • Jonathan Magnusson, attack, Darien, rising sophomore
    • Ian Ardrey, attack, Greenwich (Deerfield Academy), rising sophomore
    • Tony Britton, defense, Darien, rising sophomore
    • Kip McMahon, defense, Weston, rising sophomore
    • Matthew Shannon, defense, Ridgefield, rising junior

  33. Charlotte says:

    Malcolm Winter, John Jay D. played with a broken wrist. Ended up playing with a cast under his glove.

  34. roLAX says:

    I saw Malcolm play, he still had great stick skills

  35. hv fan says:

    Just to set the record straight, Connor Ferguson is a rising Jr. Only 15 which might be the cause for the confusion. Great stick and a vacuum on groundballs. Went with the HV team to NY shootout.

  36. roLAX says:

    Congrats to Prime Time’s Merlino. He played like an all-star and deserved it

    Hotbeds should apologize to Charlie and Forrest Walter and list them as having been chosen as all-stars on their website. It is the proper and fair thing to do.

    and how about that Prime Time defense?! they were tough, they were everywhere, and there was great communication between them all.

    The games Weds. had no meaning or purpose. They were a waste of time and money without having a proper playoff system. People could have gone home the day before. Why have the teams play a meaningless game?

  37. everywhere_man says:

    I agree roLAX… I guess they want people leaving feeling like they got their money’s worth, but a consolation round or something is in order. Or just include everyone in the playoffs.

    I think the problem they have though is that most of the coaches and scouts blow out of town after the all star game. But if they hold the all star game for last then they have grumpy coaches and scouts to deal with.

    It’s a quandry.

  38. laxman89383 says:

    Joe-
    Out of the 3 Darien Players, 2 were all stars. What makes Case Matheis and Tony Britton all stars at this camp

  39. laxman89383 says:

    Where is the talent in Darien Besides Case Matheis. Rising Sophmore wise.

  40. roLAX says:

    At HotBeds PrimeTime had 4 guys selected as all-stars the team was the walking wounded. Everyone picked it up. The defense was incredible! 5 guys, 3 down low, LSM no subs. The goalies were great. The last day everyone was fed up so they messed around with positions and still won. 1 loss Without a playoff it’s a kissoff. Hotbeds to Primetime “Thanks you for coming”

  41. tower lax says:

    Interesting reading this from the summer to see how the kids are doing now.

  42. Zach says:

    Greg Stern- Rye High School- rising junior attack.

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