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Apex Lax Events opened the 2021 Summer Tournament/Showcase season with the First Look event.

On June 6 at the Cedar Lane Regional Park in Bel – Air, Md. a number of the nations top high school lacrosse recruits played in several games.

Earlier in the month (June 1) the year and a half long dead period for Division 1 schools to recruit players in-person was lifted. So at First Look you saw a number of the D1 programs coaching staffs at this event to get a look at what these players had to offer.

Apex has a number of events this summer and they are one of the premier lacrosse event runners in the game.

Our very own Tom Peace evaluated and watched the players play at First Look and came away impressed with the talent on hand.

Peace will travel a ton of events this summer to watch the top recruits from around the country to help compile his end of Summer Top 50 List.

Here’s the the Top 10 Players who Stood out from First Look

Nate Hoover – 2022 – Midfield – Thomas Worthington (OH) – Club: 10-29

Hoover moves well with the ball and dodges well. During the game we saw Nate play in he took the ball from top of the restraining line and dodged his way around a group of defensemen towards cage with and scored. Impressive.

John Basile – 2022 – Goalie – West Islip (NY) – Club: Team United Long Island

Basile stands his ground and welcomes all shots. John shows hand- ball instincts. Made some big stops on some very hard shots. We loved his confidence in goal.

Julian Jenkins – 2022 – Defense – Los Alamitos (Ca.) – Club: MadDog National

Jenkins is a ground ball machine. Very alert and sees the field well. Isn’t afraid to get into a scrum to fight for the ball and use his body. Julian should have a good summer playing on the recruiting circuit.

Evan Spillane – 2023 – Faceoff – Wilbraham Monson Academy (Mass.)

Spillane has a good stance and dominated the draws from the games we saw. Very good mechanics and has a nose for the ground balls. We will keep an eye on Evan this summer.

Joshua Kubala – 2022 – Defense – Cicero – North Syracuse (NY) – Club: Orange Crush

Josh demonstrated good footwork and did a nice job taking the ball on the clear. Seems coachable and has good leadership qualities. Kubala has good size and strength.

Chad Bulera – 2022 – Attack – Katy (TX) Club: Texas Legacy Lacrosse

Bulera has quick hands and delivers a fast shot on cage. Loved the way Chad played off ball. The Lax IQ was solid.

Ben Iannantuono – 2023 – Midfield – Calvert Hall (MD) – Club: FCA

We saw Ben play during last years tournament season and we’re impressed then. And after a high school season the Calvert Hall middie played well at First Look. Iannantuono made the All Star game. Excellent footwork and Ben shows good fundamentals.

Gabe Roman – 2023 – Attack – Maloney HS (CT) – Club: Team Connecticut

We loved the way Roman played during the entire day. Didn’t seem bothered by the heat. Gabe hustles on the ride. And is unselfish when he has the ball. Does a great job creating scoring opportunities:

Liam Schwartz – 2023 – Midfield – Christian Brothers Academy – Club: Blue Star Lacrosse

Liam is a strong kid with a good work ethic. Sees the field well and hustles on every play. This event was good for him to get some looks from college coaches.

Tristan Lenard – 2022 – Goalie – Patriot HS (Va.) – Club: Madlax Capital

Lenard made some big stops and was selected to the First Look All Star Game. We liked how Tristan showed poise in cage and protected his crease well. Lenard also did a nice job moving the ball on the clears.