USA Select Boys
John Balsamo, A, U16
The younger brother of former USA midfielder Charles Balsamo had two goals and two assists in an 11-2 win over Ontario in the Brogden Cup opener. He likes to quarterback the offense from the wing, where a burly attacker can feed or shoot through contact with defenders. Balsamo, ranked as a top 100 prospect in the 2026 class by Inside Lacrosse, committed to Virginia in September, three months after his brother transferred there from Duke.
Caleb Caldwell, FO, U18
The Brogden Cup MVP was a mainstay all weekend, hitting 50 of 58 (86%) and scoring two goals in four games. He’s a big guy (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) for a faceoff specialist, and his terrible handshake is ample evidence of his wrist strength. The Dallas Jesuit (Texas) standout and US Lacrosse All-American has put up impressive numbers (248 of 317, 78 percent) as a high school senior this year and is committed to VMI. I’m here.
Aleksandr (Zandr) Gozilevskiy, M, U18
His father is a cybersecurity advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and a ranked athlete in the CrossFit Games. He is a wrestler as well as a lacrosse player at Calvert Hall (Maryland). Godzilevsky’s game is tough and impregnable, much like what you would expect from someone with such a background. He primarily played dimidi and regularly blunted big downhill dodgers like Team Ontario’s John Logue, despite giving up 3 inches and 30 pounds in matchups. A diamond in the rough may have been discovered on Mount St. Mary’s.
Jake Ivancevic, D/LSM, U16
Benjamin School, a long-stick midfielder from Florida State and Team 91 Long Island, was the MVP of the NLF National Championship in July and was just as intimidating with the Sparks. The highlight was his clear pass interception on a pick-six before the game. House scores against Ontario. Ivancevic announced his decision the week before the Brogden Cup, becoming the fifth top 100 player in the Class of 2026 to sign with Brown (and new Bears coach John Torpey).
Jayden James, D, U16
It’s easy to see why Inside Lacrosse has James as the No. 1 defenseman in the class of 2026. He was the mainstay of the defense, conceding just nine goals in four games (2.25 goals per game). His communication is spot on and he is a rare defenseman who combines sound fundamentals with opportunistic points. With Haudenosaunee within one goal and in danger of tying the game in the third quarter on Friday, James broke the tide with an overhead strip at midfield. He also committed three turnovers in a 10-0 shutout win against Ontario.
Riker Kemp, D, U18
Imagine what it would be like to be 6-foot-6, 240 pounds as part of a Division I lacrosse strength and conditioning program. That’s what Utah is getting from Kemp, the Ponte Vedra (Fla.) defenseman who looked like a man’s man this weekend. Do you prefer an aggressive brand of defense? Check out this forced fumble from a Ponte Vedra football game earlier this season.
PJ Kennedy, A, U16
Kennedy, the youngest player to advance to the NTDP Combine, finished the weekend with five goals and two assists, ranking second on the U.S. U16 team’s scoring list. He just turned 15 in May. The 2028 Project Midwest star from Tennessee was already making headlines after finishing second in score at The Circuit, a AAA-level tournament for middle school clubs.
Luke Mizro, Male, U18
The Army midfielder from Auburn, New York, has never taken a shot he didn’t like. The ball shoots out like a cannon blast. A former Auburn High School coach told the Daily Orange his first impressions of Mizro: “He’s big, he’s got a big shot and he’s not afraid to use it,” the Army All-American midfielder said. Mizro, Jacob Morin’s younger brother, played both hockey and lacrosse for Skaneateles, scoring 31 goals in the spring. He scored a hat trick against Ontario, showing both his downhill evasive ability and deadly rollbacks.
Coleman Obey, M, U16
If there’s one play that sums up a player’s potential, it was making up for Obie’s mistake in the 10-0 shutout against Ontario. Obey stole the ball on a trail check while dodging an alleyway, then gathered himself and sprinted back to the defensive end, causing a turnover and scoring all the way down the field. Obie, a bridge lacrosse graduate who played for former U.S. Men’s National Team coach Mike Pressler during the summer with the Texas Nationals, has rare game-changing raw ability and will continue to do so at the next level. It will continue to grow. He was also committed to Utah State.
Ethan Sands, Male, U18
The only uncommitted player on this list, Sands has a three-star rating in inside lacrosse, with toughness and escape skills on the faceoff wing, ability to pressure the defense in transition, and Great defensive approach in 6-on-6 sets.
— Matt DaSilva
