The fifth-annual Maverik Showtime National Recruiting Spotlight took place from Monday, July 8 through Thursday, July 11 at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.
One of the preeminent stops on the summer recruiting circuit, Showtime featured over 300 players representing a diverse geographical area from the 2015 and 2016 classes, breaking down to roughly 160 per grade.
Some of the nations top college programs were on hand to take in the action, including defending National Champion Duke, Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Ohio State and many, many more.
Here are five players that stood out and some others who made an impression from the 2016 class.
MAVERIK SHOWTIME NATIONAL RECRUITING SPOTLIGHT: FEATURED FIVE (2016):
Note: Click here for our Featured Five from the Class of 2015.
1. JOHN THOMAS GILES-HARRIS
Position: D
Class: 2016
High School: St. Josephs Regional (NJ)
Overall: Giles-Harris a tremendous athlete who impressed throughout the day. On ball, he plays with good positioning and an active stick to disrupt ball carriers. Off-ball, he kept his stick up, knocking down passes and keeping his stick in passing lanes. The most impressive area of his game, though, was his tenacity on ground balls. He worked very hard to get inside position on opposing players, and used his stick to get the ball to areas where he could pick it up.
From the Notebook: Athleteic. Great stick. Hard worker. Tenacious on loose balls. Good footwork. Solid stick.
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2. GERARD ARCERI
Position: Midfield/Face-Off
Class: 2016
High School: Smithtown East (NY)
Overall: Arceri is a dominant faceoff man who controlled games by winning draws in bunches. He seemed to prefer pushing the ball forward to himself, but utilized a few other moves as well. He has very quick hands and timed the whistles well. He had no problems handling the ball after faceoffs, ensuring possessions for his team. Arceri was excellent in the 2016 All-Star game, controlling the faceoff dot for stretches at a time.
From the Notebook: Asset. Quick hands. Pushes forward. Not a liability with the ball. Gets wing players involved.
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3. RYAN TIERNEY
Position: Attack
Class: 2016
High School: Massapequa (NY)
Overall: Tierney is a small, shifty attackman with outstanding vision. He dodges very well from X, able to get a step on defenders consistently with a solid burst. He sees the field very well and is able to thread passes through tight areas to open cutters on the move. Tierney plays with an edge, battling for loose balls and attacking the cage in a North/South fashion. While his passing ability is noteworthy, he also got into the scoring act on multiple occasions.
From the Notebook: Shifty. Smaller. Great passer. Good first step from X. Tenacious. Plays hard.
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4. MATT STAGNITA
Position: Midfield
Class: 2016
High School: Montgomery (NJ)
Overall: We were impressed with Stagnita at Jake Reeds Nike Blue Chip a few weeks back, and he continued his solid play at Showtime. He is a big, athletic midfielder who has a good blend of skill and size. Stagnita showed good dodging ability from up top, using a quick and effective first step. He is able get his hips and body downhill while dodging, not wasting motion toward the sidelines. What stood out most for us about Stagnita was how he was always involved in the action, not taking any plays off.
From the Notebook: Big athlete. Ideal size. Good dodger from up top. Goes North/South. Good stick. Solid shooter and passer.
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5. JARRETT JONES
Position: Defense
Class: 2016
High School: Palos Verdes (CA)
Overall: Jones a big and physical player who plays outstanding position defense. He keeps his stick active on ball carriers, disrupting their timing, but does not throw checks at the expense of sound footwork. Most impressively, he had multiple knockdowns and interceptions, displaying outstanding hand-eye coordination. Having a stick in passing lane necessitates being in good help position off-ball, which Jones consistently was.
From the Notebook: Athletic. Plays position. Multiple INTs and knockdowns. Keeps stick in lanes. Good feet.
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Others who made an impression:
Colin Minicus A 2016 Darien (CT): Minicus is a productive attackman with a very high lacrosse IQ. He rides very well with good effort, and hustles for ground balls. In the 2016 All-Star game, he made an outstanding pass from the near wing to the far post after picking up a ground ball, displaying his outstanding vision and ability to thread a tough pass.
Jack Rusbuldt G 2016 Collegiate School (VA): Rusbuldt is an active, athletic goalie who impressed throughout the day. He locks in on shooters from outside and sees the ball well. He was very sound in the clearing game as well, throwing precise, quick outlet passes.
Nigel Andrews M 2016 Deerfield (MA): An explosive athlete, Andrews rarely fails to get a first step when dodging. He had a highlight-reel goal in the 2016 All-Star game, inverting and beating his man from X before unleashing a low-to-high shot on the move.
Matt Gavin A 2016 Manhasset (NY): Gavin is a smooth attackman with an absolute cannon. He can shoot from anywhere on the field, and has a knack for getting himself open. He had two consecutive goals to begin the 2016 All-Star game, including a blazing shot on a fast break.
Andrew Packer A 2016 Benjamin School (FL): Packer made his presence felt in the 2016 All-Star game, notching 5 points on four goals and one assist. He is a good finisher, and while not flashy, is an effective attackman with good upside.