Maggie Bigelow shines at Elite 120
1/20/2014
Montclair Lacrosse Player, Parents and Fans - 
We are please to announce Maggie Bigelow attended the Elite 120 Tournament this past weekend at ISP. Maggie had a very successful weekend! We are so proud of her! 
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Coach Jennings
 
 
 

 

Recruiting: Notes from the Elite 120 Tournament

Danielle Bernstein - 1/20/2014
 
I had a pretty nice view of Field 2. You'll have to ignore the netting.
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The Elite 120 Tournament wrapped up Sunday at the Indoor Sports Pavilion in Randolph, N.J. This is annually one of my favorite recruiting tournaments for a couple reasons. First off, I like that the teams are made up of players from a wide range of geographic locations versus seeing the players with their club teams. I like the competitiveness of the club circuit and knowing who the top teams are and what up-and-coming programs to check out. But it’s also nice to have that broken up with something different, and it’s a nice change of pace to see players take the field with teammates they’ve never had before and see how they play together and adapt to the situation and what roles develop over the course of the day.
And, obviously since it’s January, this tournament somewhat sets things up for the rest of the year. It's also just a really well-run tournament with some exciting features for the players — Nike Sparq training, recruiting seminars and a chance to win Nike Huarache cleats being a few highlights this year.
Alright, let’s get on with it — here are a few players who stood out in Saturday’s games. Please keep in mind that I was at the tournament on Saturday and my strategy to make sure I see each team is to watch a half of a game and then switch field for the second game.
Margaret Pressler, Attack, La Salle Academy (RI), 2016
Pressler plays well around the crease. She’s a smart player with good vision and was constantly moving off ball and setting picks to open up her teammates. Pressler’s shot immediately stood out — just a really slick, efficient shooter who picked corners all day and got shots off a variety of opportunities. I also got a chance to catch up with Pressler’s coach for the tournament, Bev Altig, and she mentioned Pressler is a hard-working kid who had naturally stepped into a leadership role.
Katie Bourque, Defense, Ridgewood (N.J.), 2016
Bourque is a feisty, quick defender who scraps and gets in passing lanes. She made plays all over the field and was a valuable part of the transition game for the Eagles, using her speed to carry the ball through.
Ashlyn McGovern, Midfield, St. Paul’s (Md.), 2017
McGovern is good with both hands with a strong lefty shot. A good dodger, she showed the ability to create dodging opportunities from various parts of the field, knowing when to go hard and when to back out and either look for an open teammate or re-dodge.
Emily Wingate, Attack, Chatham (N.J.), 2016
What immediately stands out about Wingate is an explosive first step and quick feet. She had a couple standout one-on-one takes to cage, one in which she made a nice roll dodge to goal and stuck a shot in the top right corner.
Maddie McDaniel, Midfield, Severn (Md.), 2016
A tall player with a long wingspan, McDaniel is a strong two-way midfielder, who got back on defense and was a big part of the clear for her team, the Irish. Offensively, she has a good stick and set picks off-ball, getting teammates open. She has good vision and made good decisions on the fast break — including a nice play in which she had a shot on the break, but instead passed cross-crease to an open teammate who had an even better look on goal.
Maggie Bigelow, Goalie, Montclair (N.J.), 2016
Bigelow sees the ball well and was especially strong on high shots. She also stood out on the clear, making good decisions and showing patience without getting flustered in the face of pressure. Her outlet passes were on point, always finding the open player to start the clear.
Mackenzie Heldberg, Midfield, Smithtown West (N.Y.), 2016
Heldberg took draws, but stood out more for her passing ability and her hustle and anticipation on the ride. She has good vision, always looking up with her head on a swivel to locate an open teammate and make a play. She made a nice interception at the end of a game to get the ball back for her team.
Emily Kalin, Midfield, Summit (N.J.), 2016
Kalin is one of those players who does all the dirty work, the hustle plays and the little things that end up being the big things. She was all over 50/50 balls coming off the circle on the draw. She played good team defense, making good decision on when to slide to help. She played good one-on-one pressure defense and had great anticipation between the 30’s.
Gabriella Biondi (St. Mary’s, Md.) and Devon Heaney (Garden City, N.Y.), Defense, 2017
Biondi is an opportunistic defender with good footwork who kept her positioning. I didn’t see Biondi get beat once one-on-one. She was key on clears, sparking movement through the midfield. She played smart, only going for a trail check when she knew she could land it — and she usually did.
Heaney was a strong defensive presence inside the eight, coming up with ground balls and rebounds. She was also effective on the clear.
Emily Ehle, Midfield, Christian Brothers Academy (N.Y.), 2016
Ehle is a good communicator who had a strong shot from longer ranges. She also stood out for her defensive abilities. She had one impressive play in particular in a game against the Quakers — with the game tied and 30 seconds left, she landed a nice trail check to cause a turnover and give her team, the Bears, an opportunity to score and win. The play didn’t materialize on the other end, but it was a great effort by Ehle to get the team in that position. 
 

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Welcome to the 2014 version of the Nike Elite 120!!  Always excited to watch some of the top high school girls compete with and against each other.  New for this year–our relationship with Nike has expanded with the addition of Nike SPARQ testing.

The morning session was taken up with testing the girls in both classes.  In the class of 2016, three girls stood out in our eyes.  Katie Muldoon (Garden City-Top Guns) crushed it in all the disciplines with the top 20 time in the class.  Katie Quinn (Radnor-STEPS Philly) was another player who turned in solid times in all the disciplines.  Finally, Maddie McDaniel (Severn School-MD United)had the best power ball throw and other strong showings in the 20 and 5-10-10-5.

In the class of 2017, Alison Mastroianni (Bridgewater, NJ – STEPS) really stood out.  Tall and extremely athletic, she ran the fourth best 20 and had the strongest power ball throw.

 

Saturday 3:45 – First round of 2016 games are completed and the Hawks, coached by Mike Farrell, look like the team to beat.  Two players stood out throughout the games.  Madison Foglio (Manhasset-Liberty) was terrific in goal.  Very talkative, she led a defense that was hard to penetrate.  Annika Nissen (Moorestown-South Jersey Select) just has the look of a player.  She was strong on both ends but was particularly aggressive on defense, displaying that patented Moorestown style.

The Trojans struggled at the end but had a strong start.  Kelly Harrington (St. Paul’s – TLC)showed good field awareness and displayed midfield speed.  Goalie play is always strong here at the Elite 120 and Maggie Bigelow (Montclair, NJ – Tri-State) was certainly no exception.  As Coach Jen Munday reported, she just makes saves!

The Eagles had a nice showing–looking like they might give the Hawks a run for their money.  Emily Wingate (Chatham, NJ – STEPS) is a strong lefty finisher with a powerful shot.  She had a bunch of goals.  Another big scorer for the Eagles was Logan Brennan (Kingston, NY – Albany Elite).  She has good size and was hard to stop inside the eight and finished well.

One of the great things about the Elite 120 is watching players from outside the traditional hotbeds come and perform well.  Bodes well for the continued growth of the sport.  Jamie Trabaudo (Polytech, DE – Eastern Shore) continues that tradition.  Demonstrating great midfield speed, she also has good size.  One of the top scorers for the Lions was Jordan Rosa (St. Paul’s – TLC). We were particularly impressed with how strong she was and yet incredibly agile.

The Quakers stormed back and pulled out a tie against the Bears. Amelia Biancardi (Elwood, NY – LI Top Guns) was huge on the draw.  She showed a knack for winning the big possession that her team needed.  We also liked Nicole Ceraso (Plainledge, NY – Yellow Jackets). She has a talented stick and does a nice job of being a field general on the offensive end.

The Bears really benefited from the play of Emily Ehle (B-ville, NY – Star Riders.) She came highly recommended from upstate and we can see why. She has DI size and can run!  Loved the play ofMargaret Pressler (La Salle – Team Rev) too.  If she can free up her arms, the ball is in the back of the net with a wicked side arm shot.

Emily Mathewson (Garnet Valley – Brandywine Majors) is ambidextrous and it shows.  A tough attacker to defend, she also showed flashes of midfield speed.  The Pennsylvania connection was strong with Brianna Cirino (Spring-Ford – Phantastix) also contributing.  Loved her hustle all over the field!

Finally, we were also impressed with the play of Micheline Dinardo (Rye – CT Grizzlies.) An active and athletic goalie, she was a part of the Irish turnaround after that first game.

9:00 pm – Class of 2017 games have wrapped up now.  These games are always so much to watch and the girls get a chance to compete against top competition.  We were particularly struck by the high level of the goalie play.

The Blue Devils finished the day undefeated and looked really strong.  In addition to Mastroianni, Ali Baiocco (Oak Knoll, NJ – STEPS) showed tremendous finishing ability.  She has really good hands and great body control.

The Knights also finished the day undefeated.  Jamie Ortega (Middle Country, NY – Yellow Jackets) was fantastic.  Definitely at top DI player. Quinn Nicolai (Moorestown – South Jersey)showed great footwork and body control.  Really liked the way she played one on one defense.

The Greyhounds were led in scoring by Ava Barry (St. Anthony’s – Yellow Jackets). She was strong in traffic and, in Long Island tradition, a great finisher. We also liked Cassidy Orban (West Morris, NJ – T3 North). Raw in lacrosse skills, she nevertheless made an impact with her speed, strength and toughness.

Lefty goalies usually throw shooters for a loop as was certainly the case with Devon Fleischmann (Perkiomen, PA – Dynamite). She kept the Hoyas competitive all day with quick hands and an ability to see the ball in close.

Katie Railey (Notre Dame Prep – TLC) is top midfielder who plays both ends of the field. She showed a really good stick and was very good on ground balls.  The Tigers had a number of players who really got at it.  Logan Book (Darien, CT – CT Grizzlies) was a good motor kid who just played hard.

The Tar Heels were led by Sophia Triandafils (Shoreham Wading River, NY – Yellow Jackets).She showed a great little hesitation move and a sweet finish.  A great all around player for sure.

Always hard to stand out as a defender but Devon Heaney (Garden City – Yellow Jackets)certainly found a way.  A top defender, she showed tremendous poise in transitioning the ball.

Catie May (McDonogh – Skywalkers) looked like she should catch anything thrown her way.  An excellent stick, she was a leader on the field for the Wildcats. She might need to work a little on her stick but Sammy Helgeson (Hempfield, PA – X-Treme) showed unbelievable speed.  The kind of speed that will always find a home on the lacrosse field.

Sunday-Class of 2016-Final games and playoffs:

The Eagles proved to be the team to beat, earning a 12-6 victory over the Hawks in the final.  Having watched these games for four years now, it always the team that gels the fastest that comes away with championship.  Fascinating to watch that process as top athletes from all the top club programs are forced a little out of their comfort zone and tested to perform at a higher level!

The Trojans certainly saw their fair share of struggles over the course of two days.  Barrett Carlson (Saint Louis, MO – EagleStix) helped keep them competitive with her size and speed.  Coach Munday found her highly coachable.  Emily Kalin (Summit, NJ – STEPS) was another player who really stood out this weekend.  Hard-working on both ends of the field, she will no doubt be playing at the next level.

Coach Kathy Black’s Lions also struggled to find the win column.  Nevertheless, they received outstanding play from Liza Barr (Shawnee, NJ – South Jersey Select).  Her speed was a disruptive element on the field.  We received a glowing recommendation on behalf of Liza Diamond (Delray Beach, FL – Lady Swashbucklers) and now we can see why.  She was very solid in goal–great news for the continued growth of the sport outside of the Northeast.

Another player from outside the Northeast who shined on day two was Emily Velez (Milton, GA – Eaglestix). Given the strength of her high school program and club program, it is no surprise however.  The Elite 120 has really benefited from the Peach state the last two years.  She’s a definite crease monkey with a variety of shots.

The Bears had a strong day two.  We really liked Kara Nakrasius (Garnet Valley – Brandywine Majors). She’s a high energy player who goes hard–you can tell she comes from a strong high school program and is familiar with playing at that next level.

The Blue Jays benefited from some excellent defense on day two.  Teia Ross (Summit, NJ – STEPS) demonstrated a calm poise with the ball in transition that allowed her to weave through the often bigger midfielders.  Claire D’Antonio (Moorestown – South Jersey Select) showed great speed and awareness.

The Hawks rode improved teamwork to the final on Sunday afternoon.  Defense and goal tending were key for them but Kelly Aneser (Garden City – FLG) provided the finish on the offensive end.  She showed that Long Island ability to finish in traffic.

Alicia Cristoforo (Garden City – Liberty) means that the pipeline at that famous high school is secure.  She was a top defender at the event who communicated well and showed smarts on the help slides.

When you win the thing, there are many players you could mention.  Two really bear mention given how this team was able to dominate the play.  Katie Bourque (Ridgewood, NJ – STEPS) was an aggressive defender who really dictated the action.  Her speed was also an asset in the transition game.  If we had to pick an MVP, we would all vote for Morgan Hendry (West Windsor-Plainsboro, NJ – South Jersey Select). A quick first step, she dominated the draw throughout the championship game.  Every groundball and every fifty-fifty ball seemed to be hers.  She was worth additional possessions every game.  Loved her.

Sunday Afternoon – Class of 2017 final games and playoffs: What we had to say about teamwork for the class of 2016 holds true here as well.  Although, it should be noted that Coach Kait Gentry was talking smack from the first few minutes of watching her Knights play–she prefers swag, I’m told.  Whatever it is, they backed it up with their play, culminating in a 14-7 win over the comeback Hoyas in the final.

The Tar Heels saw some fine play on day two with Kate Kotowski (Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Team Elevate) showing a great all around game.  I was particularly struck by her stick work which allowed her to get out of jams on the defensive end and contribute on the offensive side.  If anyone was worried, no need to be so about the goalie position at Moorestown because Jessica Goralski (South Jersey Select) would seem to have that position locked up for a few years.  She’ll be worth the price of admission.

Another player highly recommended from outside the Northeast who did not disappoint was Anna Santulli (Hinsdale, IL – Wildcat Elite). She is clearly well coached and showed a great motor.

Another high-powered high school program that looks to be set for awhile is Milton, GA.  The Gators improved tremendously on day two and Sophie Baez (EagleStix) was a major reason why.  A little lefty, she was crafty around the goal and finished a number of times.

The college coaches are always looking for that player who is a glue kid, willing to do anything to help their team win.  Keegan Barger (Notre Dame Prep, MD – Skywalkers) was just that player.  She seemed to do everything for the Wildcats and showed no concern for her physical well being in a desire to win games.

The Blue Devils were the hard luck team of the tournament–eight pipes in the semis!!  Small but tough, Courtney Renehan (Glenelg, MD – Heros) was a quick possession kid for the team.

Special mention needs to be made about Hannah van Middelem (Mount Sinai – Yellow Jackets).Not only did she play great between the pipes for the Tigers, but she also stepped up for the Knights when their goalie went down with a broken finger.  We were particularly impressed with her clears and stick skills.  She showed tremendous poise for someone her age.

No team improved more on the second day than the Hoyas.  Madison Dunk (Durham, NC – Carolina Fever) was representative of that improved play.  We like to think that the Elite 120 helps these girls step up their play to a level that they might not consistently see outside of the hotbed areas.  Dunk finished well, especially in the semi-final game.

I could talk about the Knights all day.  It certainly didn’t hurt to have Jamie Ortega on the team butGrace Griffin (Liberty, MD – M&D) was an important element in the team’s dominance.  If you like size, speed, field awareness and great defense then this Griffin is your kind of player.  Ann Maloney (River Hill, MD – Heros) was awesome in goal.  Fundamentally sound, she made save after big save.  Heal that finger quickly!  And finally, we liked the heady play of Jordan Lappin (Morrisville, NC – Carolina Fever). The tar heel state was well represented for sure by her quick feet.

Thanks to all the players who made the event another rousing success!  And special thanks to Nike for their growing support as well.  We are looking forward to next year’s event already!!

 
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