Another Washington state lacrosse first happened lthis past June as the first official college lacrosse recruiting showcase took place on the Sammamish Plateau. The NW’s Best brought 100 eligible players from Washington and Oregon who scrimmaged in front of NCAA Division 1 coaches from across the country. Hosted by The Washington Lacrosse Foundation, the day featured the top 9th and 10th grade players in the northwest. Upon arrival they were split up into five teams and immediately showcased their talents under the scrutiny of coaches from the top programs in the country. “There’s never been anything like this in the state” said WLF board member, Dejon Hush, “It just shows how far our quality of play has come, that we’re able to attract top coaches to take a look at potential recruits from the Northwest.”

The format of the day was to simply strap up and play. There were two games going on at all times, and the coaches sat in between them, furiously taking notes about which players they were interested in. Play was fast-paced and of varying quality, as players focused on shining individually. While the overall talent level was impressive, several players stood out from the rest:

Attackmen:

Bryce Atwater- Eastside Catholic (10th Grade), Alex Indelicato- Mukilteo (9th Grade), Joe Bethke– Bellevue (10th Grade)

Midfielders:

Justin Angelel- Bellevue (9th Grade), Alex Blue- Woodinville (9th Grade), Garrett Lewis- Sunset OR (9th Grade), Connor Campbell- Juanita (10th grade), Jake Lindahl- Issaquah (10th grade), Briggan Weaver- Shorecrest (10th grade)

Defenders:

Jake Albrecht- Bellevue (9th Grade), Lucas Pederson- Bainbridge (9th Grade), PJ Cox- Skyline (10th grade),

Goalies:

Jordan Dondoyano – Issaquah (10th Grade), Ezra Tillinger – Mercer Island (10th Grade)

Attending Schools: (NCAA - Division 1)

St Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA)
Yale University (New Haven, CT)
University of Delaware (Newark, DE)
Rutgers University (New Jersey)
Bellarmine (Louisville, KY)
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
Mercer University (Macon, GA)
University at Albany (Albany, NY)
Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)