Midfielders
Lawrence Aillet – Midfield – Riot
Lawrence is grinder! He’s a hardworking two-way midfielder who impacted every game with effort. He has an exceptional lacrosse IQ. He stood out for his play in transition, moving the ball efficiently, and making smart decisions under pressure. He brings a high motor that allows him to contribute on both the offensive and defensive ends of the field.
Scott Anderson – Midfield – Team 91 South
Scott is a dynamic midfielder who plays with confidence and energy every time he steps on the field. He has a pop to his game. He demonstrates strong field awareness, attacks opportunities in transition, and consistently makes smart plays with the ball. His play between the lines and buying in on both ends of the field was noticeable. He brought a high compete level all weekend.
Gavin Beebe – Midfield – STEPS Elite
Gavin is a well-rounded midfielder with a ton of upside as he continues to grow and develop athletically. He knows when to move the ball and when to shoot it. He’s engaged on every possession whether he is playing with the ball or without it. He made a number of high level, high IQ plays in game 3 of the weekend that caught coaches attention.
Cole Bernier – Midfield – Riot
Cole’s plays at a high pace. He competes hard for ground balls, he digs in on defense and he transitions the field well between offense and defense. Cole demonstrated great decision-making all weekend and was a guy who could always find a role within an offense.
Finnigan Cannan – Attack/Midfield – Nashville Elite
While he won the MVP for the top attackman at the event, Finn had an impact every time he stepped on the field at the Next Up Showcase. It didn’t matter what position he was playing. After standing out at last year’s event, he established himself as one of the best players in attendance this year in the first session of the day. Finn continues to develop athletically, he’s filling out his frame and he is more skilled every time you watch him play. It’s not easy to find a guy that can run in the middle of the field as a matchup problem for SSDM’s or break down close defenseman behind the cage but he showed he could do it all consistently this year.
Parker Duffin – Midfield – Mad Dog
Parker is a lot of fun to watch. He’s smaller in size but incredibly skilled with a knack for making plays. You can tell he has played a lot of lacrosse. Another guy who played attack and midfield throughout the weekend, he’ll be able to impact a college team at either position in the future. His ability to impact the game as a dodger or as a finisher opens up the offense for the rest of his team.
Colin Eidson – Midfield – Sweetlax Navy
Colin was one of the top 2032s in attendance at this year’s Next Up Showecase. His size and athleticism make him an incredibly difficult match up. Despite being on the younger side, he was one of the bigger, faster and stronger players at the event. He’s a skilled two-way midfielder who plays with poise and confidence. He demonstrates strong vision in the open field and helps maintain offensive flow through smart ball movement. Colin competes hard defensively and consistently supports transition play.
Dylan Friedman – Midfield – Team 91 Charlotte
Dylan is a throwback midfielder. He’ll take wings, play tough defense and create a ton of offense in transition. While an injury limited his weekend, he established himself as one of the better midfielders in attendance during the positional instruction period. He consistently won his matchup in 3v3 drills when he was playing either side of the ball.
Declan Greene – Midfield – Alcatraz Outlaws
Declan has a really high ceiling. He’s got a good frame, he moves well and he brings a strong combination of skill and athleticism for a younger player. He excels in transition, works hard between the lines, and consistently makes smart decisions with possession. Declan’s ability to contribute offensively while remaining engaged defensively makes him a complete player. His competitive approach stood out all weekend.
Solden Hall – Midfield – FCA
Solden is a high-energy midfielder who consistently plays with confidence and determination. He is effective in transition, moves well without the ball, and works hard to create opportunities for his teammates. Solden’s willingness to compete on both ends of the field makes him a dependable two-way option. His effort and toughness were admirable to coaches.
Asher Hamburg – Midfield – West Coast Starz
Asher is another 2-way west coast midfielder that you can tell is going to keep getting better and better. He’s skilled and has a frame that will allow him to keep getting thicker and stronger as he ages. He demonstrates strong field awareness, supported transition well, and keeps the offense moving with efficient ball movement. What was most impressive was the pace he was playing at in the 5th game of the weekend was the same as the first game of the weekend.
TJ Hammond – Midfield – Team 91 Maryland
TJ plays like a Baltimore kid. He has a ton of skill and finesse to his game. He makes great decisions with the ball and is never overwhelmed when the speed or competition picks up. He plays with confidence despite being on the smaller side. You’ll hear his name plenty over the next few years.
Graham Harris – Midfield – Team 91 Charlotte
Graham was near the top of the midfield group in terms of his overall athleticism. He glides around the field and checks the box in terms of being “bigger, faster and stronger” than most of the players he is competing against. As he continues to develop his fundamentals and IQ, he has an incredibly high ceiling and has the potential to play at a high level.
Benjamin Himel – Midfield – Express North
Ben was one of the better offensive midfielders of the weekend. The game flows to lefties and he was great at consistently putting himself in the right spot to keep the offense moving or to be in a spot to finish possessions. He’s a quarterback in the midfield that will tell players where to go and understands spacing and rotations. He will have a role in the offensive midfield for a very good college team in the future.
Matias King – Midfield – Snipers
Matias is an athletic midfielder who plays with confidence and purpose. He contributes offensively through strong ball movement and his ability to create opportunities in transition. He works hard defensively and consistently stays involved in the play. His combination of effort and versatility makes him an effective two-way midfielder.
Ryan Loebach – Midfield – Team 91 Carolina
Ryan plays with great energy and determination. He’s not going to back down from a bigger midfielder in transition or on a ground ball. He competes really hard when the ball is on the ground and gives his team an advantage in every 50/50 groundball. Ryan’s ability to make smart decisions under pressure helps his team maintain possession and momentum. His motor and toughness stood out all weekend.
Ryder Longoria – Midfield – Resolute Ohio Black
Ryder stood out in the 2nd game on Saturday with a number of great plays setting up his teammates. He’s got a really well-rounded game. His athleticism is better than his skill and with his long frame, he’s going to keep filling out. As the skill catches up over the next few years, he’s going to be really impactful. He has a high compete level and brings toughness.
Owen Macey – Midfield – Next Level
Owen was one of the more skilled offensive midfielders at the event. He’s the stereotype hot-bed kid that can play with both hands, knows what to do when the ball is in his stick and will thrive on bad approaches or sloppy defensive play. He is active off ball and can shoot or feed from a number of different release points.
Liam McBrayer – Midfield – Team 91 Virginia
Liam is a ton of fun to watch. He’s a party-starter on offense coming out of the box as a midfielder or playing at attack. He’s a smaller player but his explosive first step and impressive athleticism give him an advantage in just about any match up. He showed a willingness to take wings, play defense and push transition all weekend. His teammates loved playing with him and his energy on the field is contagious.
Jack McConnell – Midfield – Express North
Jack is a reliable midfielder who brings toughness and consistency to every possession. He moves well without the ball and knew how to find the opening in the defense. His IQ was obvious when watching him play. As he continues to grow and develop, his game will find another level since he already has the skill and IQ to play at a really high level.
Hanley McKinstry – Midfield – Team 91 Colorado
The 2026 Next Up Showcase Midfield MVP, Hanley McKinstry was smooth. He’s two handed and has a really high level of skill. He drew a slide every time he touched the ball and consistently made the right decision regardless of the situation or how the defense played him. He bounced between attack and midfield all weekend but projects as a college midfielder with his skill set. He’s best with his chest to the cage because of how quickly he can process a defense and make a play.
Sean Ryan – Midfield – Leading Edge
Sean is a high energy midfielder who brings intensity and determination to every shift. He pushes the pace in transition, moves the ball efficiently, and consistently plays with confidence. He understands defensive concepts and was very good at timing up his slides for what you would expect from a midfielder. He would slide to collide and knew how, and when, to double.
Koeller Salmon – Midfield – Resolute
Koeller is another Midwest midfielder with a really bright future. He’s an athlete first, a lacrosse player second. That’s not to take away from how good he is today. He just has as much potential as any midfielder at the event due to his natural athleticism. He contributes in transition, supports offensive possessions, and competes hard defensively. Koeller’s high motor allows him to stay involved in every phase of play. His consistency and team-first attitude make him a valuable asset to any team.
Frankie Shields – Midfield – ADVNC
Frankie was really fun to watch. He brings a physicality to the offense that few others players at the event could bring. He creates contact on every dodge and embraces physical play. Most defenseman were not ready for the violence he played with all weekend. On multiple occasions, he scored goals as he was falling to the ground, likely after splitting a double team. His effort was admirable and he’ll continue to be a match up problem for defenseman as long as he continues to play such a physical game.
Jaxon Taylor – Midfield – Crabs
Jaxon project out as more of a defensive midfielder and embraced that role throughout the weekend. He plays with a heavy cross check and does an impressive job matching feet with dodging midfielders. He understands how to force hands and angles with his approach. He closes the gap on shooters. Where he differentiated himself from other players was in his ability to pick up a tough ground ball and create transition on his own.
Campbell Toner – Midfield – Crabs
Campbell plays with a blue collar mentality. He’s will play tough on either end of the field, he never backs down from dodging midfielders and he has the IQ of a coach’s son. He consistently made the right decision with the ball, specifically in transition or after drawing a slide. He knows when to throw it forward, when to punch out and re-dodge or when to roll back. Campbell competes hard in all phases of the game and demonstrated good off-ball awareness on both ends of the field
Gus von Elten – Midfield – Team 91 Virginia
Gus is a swiss army knife midfielder. He was on a different part of the field every time you saw him playing. He would try to take the wings of every faceoff so that could continue to play regarless of if his team won or lost the draw. He plays like Brian Tevlin. There is a ton of toughness to his game and while he projects as more of a defensive midfielder in college, he will kill you in transition if you don’t respect him. His effort level and consistency helped elevate his team’s play all weekend.
Kellan Williams – Midfield – Riot North
Kellan is an athletic midfielder who brings energy and competitiveness every time he takes the field. He was great in settled 6v6 situations and levered his offensive IQ to help create quality scoring opportunities for his team. As he grows and develops physically, he will be a match up problem for defenseman.
Emmet Woods – Midfield – Mad Dog
Emmet is an exceptional two-way midfielder with an impressive toughness and motor. He contributes in transition, supports offensive possessions, and competes hard defensively. Emmet demonstrates excellent field awareness and consistently stays involved in the action. His versatility and team-first mentality were appreciated and acknowledged throughout the weekend.
