75 Shore high school boys lacrosse Players to Watch in 2024
Spring is here, which means the lacrosse sticks and triangular nets have been dragged out.
The high school boys lacrosse season has an interesting look in the Shore Conference. Aside from the new four divisions splitting up the teams in flight levels, no team should be slept on. With state champs such as Rumson-Fair Haven being favorites, there's also the likes of Manasquan, Red Bank Regional, Manalpan, Christian Brothers Academy and more lurking for the top honors.
It's important to know who's who in the Shore Conference and the top dogs on teams. So here's a list of players to watch out for this 2023-24 lax season.
More: Jersey Shore boys, girls lacrosse: What to know for the opening day of 2024 season
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Luke Tortorici - Middie - Barnegat - Jr.
The York College commit had the best all-around stats for Barnegat last season when he led the team in points with 85 total (30 goals, 55 assists) and ground balls with 97.
Jacob Jason - Attack - Barnegat - Jr.
He finished second on the team in goals with 31 total last year and third with total points (44). Now heading into his junior season, Jason will have more looks going his way on the offensive side.
Jack Deufemia - Middie - Brick Memorial - So.
As a freshman, he led the team in scoring and finished the season with 30 goals, five assists, plus 50 ground balls. He also went off for five goals in a win over Edison back in May.
Matt Hillin - Goalkeeper - Brick Memorial - Jr.
He made 231 saves last year averaging 12.8 through 18 games. He also finished with 13 ground balls and will likely have improved numbers this season.
Zach Wagner - Attack - Brick Township - Sr.
Wagner led the team in goals as a junior with 14 to go with six assists. His role will only get bigger this spring.
Ethan Galvan - Middie - Brick Township - Jr.
The Bryn Athyn College commit is coming off a season where he had four goals and six assists as a sophomore. With a lot more lax to play before his high school career is over, Galvan could be a problem for a lot of opposing teams.
Jake Agugliaro - Attack - Central Regional - So.
The attackman was second on the team in scoring with 19 goals last year. He also got eight assists for the Golden Eagles as a freshman.
Brady Etzkorn - Goalkeeper - Central Regional - Jr.
Only played in six games for the Golden Eagles last year, but made the most of it with 99 saves.
Davis Campbell - Middie - Christian Brothers Academy - Jr.
The six-foot-one Holy Cross player from Manasquan is a high level talent that had 18 goals last year and 28 goals collectively in the past two seasons.
Ryan Martin - Attack - Christian Brothers Academy - Sr.
The Villanova commit and Wall resident was injured last year so his season was short, but still managed to tally 16 goals and nine assists. With Martin back, CBA may have something to say about being one of the top teams.
Jackson Gervais - Longstick Middie - Christian Brothers Academy - Jr.
The Wall resident and Air Force commit from Little Silver is one of their best defenders and will likely continue to build up his profile through the season.
Carter McGuire - Attack - Christian Brothers Academy - Jr.
With 22 goals on the season as a sophomore and a seven-goal game in a win over Marlboro, expect McGuire's numbers to boost up this year.
Quinn Kelly - Defenseman - Christian Brothers Academy - Jr.
Starter since freshman year; committed to Harvard.
Luke Krebs - Defenseman - Christian Brothers Academy - Jr.
Starter since freshman year; committed to Bryant.
Brandon DeSena - Goalie - Christian Brothers Academy - Sr.
Three-year starter with 7.65 GAA against tough 2023 competition; committed to Stockton.
Padraig Quinn - Defenseman - Christian Brothers Academy - Sr.
2nd team Coaches' All-Division in 2023.
Luke Ferraro - Middie - Colts Neck -Sr.
He led the team in assists as a junior last year with 19 to go along with 13 goals. He also got 29 ground balls, it'll be interesting to see how much he developed during the offseason.
Aaron Nasimov - Goalkeeper - Colts Neck - Sr.
Nasimov made 79 saves in the eight games he played for the Cougars last season.
Junior Alvarado - Goalkeeper - Freehold Township - Jr.
Last season he made 189 saves in 17 games for his team. Also, he held Marlboro scoreless last season with seven saves in that game.
Nick Carnevale - Middie - Freehold Township - Sr.
He finished his junior campaign with 28 goals and 11 assists. He also went off for a season-high five goals against Donovan Catholic last season.
Will Gilfillan - Middie - Holmdel - Sr.
The senior is on pace to break schools records this season as he'll most likely reach 100 goals and assists in his career. Last season he had 47 goals and 52 assists and finished with the most points for the Hornets (99).
Finnegan Buchan - Attack - Holmdel - So.
Even as a freshman, Buchan was one of the best attacks on the team. Last year he led the team in goals with 56 in total.
Gary Collyer - Middie - Holmdel - Sr.
Going into his senior year, Collyer tallied 50 career goals and 28 assists for the Hornets. He also got 77 career ground balls as well.
Ian McDow - Middie - Howell - Sr.
A great passer that specializes in assisting his teammates, last season he had 25 assists. Last year he also finished with 11 goals.
Colin Finnegan - Defenseman - Howell - Jr.
102 groundballs over his freshman and sophomore years.
Nicholas Turturro - Middie - Howell - Jr.
Turturro plays well on both sides of the field as a midfielder. He finished his sophomore year with 25 ground balls, 17 goals, and 18 assists for the Rebels.
Paul Capozzi - Middie - Jackson Liberty - Sr.
The Chestnut Hill College commit was the offensive stat leader for Jackson Liberty last year with 64 goals and 39 assists. Last year he went off for 11 goals in a win over St. John Vianney.
Jeff White - Attack - Jackson Liberty - So.
A top three scorer as a freshman with 20 goals, 22 assists, and 42 total points. He had 22 ground balls and has the potential to be an all-shore player by the end of his high school career.
Drew Barocas - Attack - Jackson Memorial - Sr.
The University of Alabama Huntsville commit finished last season with 65 goals, 32 assists, and 31 ground balls as a junior. He's likely to break all of Jackson Memorial's points and goals record.
Elias Craig - Attack - Jackson Memorial - Sr.
For his junior year, he finished with 38 goals, 19 assists, and 19 ground balls on the season. The five-foot-four midfielder was a key part of the team last year.
Corey Smith - Attack - Lacey - Jr.
Was the top scorer with 60 goals last year, his season-high was 10 against Marlboro. He's on track to hit 200 total career points this season if he played anything like his sophomore year.
Braedyn Gialanella - Attack - Lacey - So.
The sophomore came off a impressive freshman campaign in which he finished with 46 goals and 42 assists. Already 12 points away from hitting the 100 career mark, he's expected to do big numbers this year.
Luis Rojas - Goalkeeper - Long Branch - Sr.
As a junior, Rojas finished the season with 149 saves and 14 ground balls.
Justin Miller - Defenseman - Sr. - Manalapan
57 career GB.
Connor Doel - Goalie - So. - Manalapan
A top returning saves leader in the state, Doel is 5-11, 180 who's also a football lineman and long snapper.
Christian Zdziarski - Attack - Manalapan - Sr.
43 goals with 80 points over the last two years.
Connor Doel - Goalkeeper - Manalapan - So.
Doel played a big role for Manalapan in his freshman year as he played 17 games and finished with 149 saves. His high school career is already off to a good start, expect to see his name more often this season.
Marc Stefanelli - Middie - Manalapan - Sr.
He finished with the most goals (35) and total points (49) on the team last season as a junior. With 14 assists and 30 ground balls last year, it's clear that Stefanelli can do multiple things for his team in order to win.
Anthony Macchio - Attack - Manalapan - Sr.
The attackman finished last season with the most assists on the team (21) and top five in total points (44). As the years progressed, he's turned himself into a player that can get his teammates involved in scoring with accurate passing.
Nick Bounassi - Goalkeeper - Manasquan - Sr.
The High Point commit saved 175 shots on net last season in a breakout junior year. For his career, he has 224 total saves.
Parker Harms - Longstick Middie - Manasquan - Jr.
A Villanova commit that may not put the most points on the board this season but will definitely dominate with his defense. The Warriors have a star-studded defense that he adds to.
Kyle Capodanno - Longstick Middie - Manasquan - Sr.
The Bryant University commit is another top-level defender for the Warriors that will always be making an impact on the game without scoring.
Brody Muly - Middie - Manasquan - Sr.
Can play the attack just as well at midfielder due to his athleticism on the field. Last year he tallied 24 goals and 12 assists for the Warriors.
Brandon Kunz - Attack - Manasquan - Jr.
An even-balanced player on offense who's just as much of a facilitator as he is a scorer. He finished his sophomore year with 36 goals and 35 assists for the Warriors.
Andrew Silvia - Middie - Marlboro - Jr.
Silvia did it all last year and had times where he was efficient. He won the faceoffs 44% of the time, plus he finished last season with nine goals and 98 ground balls.
Hayden Mattos - Middie - Middletown North - Sr.
After finishing the season 9-7, Mottos will play a larger role as a scorer in order for the Lions to keep building. As a junior he had 12 goals and nine assists.
Logan Bailin - Attack - Middletown South - Sr.
An attack that had 23 goals last year and will play a bigger role for the Eagles. Expect his numbers to go up and score more this spring.
Owen Richter - Defenseman - Middletown South - Sr.
A six-foot-one Brown University commit with 55 career ground balls.
Andrew Reynolds - Middie - Neptune - Sr.
Last year he finished the season with four goals, two assists and 29 ground balls for the Scarlet Fliers.
Mickey McGovern - Middie - Ocean Township - So.
As a freshman he led the team in ground balls with 104, he also had seven goals and two assists.
Ben Girard - Middie - Ocean Township - Sr.
He led the team in goals last year with 17 to go along with his seven assists and 38 ground balls. He also played some goalkeeper last year and made four saves.
Brady Kirk - Attack - Point Pleasant Boro - Jr.
The five-foot-seven Marist commit led the team last year on offense with 50 goals, 37 assists, and 87 total points. Against Jackson Liberty he went off for five goals and nine assists last April.
Colin Cole - Goalkeeper - Point Pleasant Boro - Sr.
As a junior he finished the season with 176 saves and left Marlboro scoreless during the regular season back in last April.
Peter Villare - Attack - Red Bank Catholic - Sr.
The DeSales University commit had 47 goals, 20 assists last year and was the second top scorer for the Caseys in his junior year.
Connor Harms - Defenseman - Red Bank Catholic - Sr.
He had 102 ground balls last year and one of the best defenders for the Caseys. He's a disturbance to other teams' offensive gameplan.
Andrew Pape - Middie - Red Bank Regional - Sr.
A well balanced player that can do a lot as a scorer with 100 career goals, and has also tallied 70 ground balls.
Gabe Pape - Attack - Red Bank Regional - So.
As a freshman he tallied 21 goals, 13 assists, and 15 ground balls for the Bucs.
Andy Croddick - Middie - Rumson-Fair Haven - Sr.
After having their leading scorer leave, Croddick will step into a bigger role after tallying 40 goals and eight assists last year.
Luke Lydon - Attack - Rumson-Fair Haven - So.
As a freshman he was the second top scorer for the Bulldogs with 45 total points (34 goals, 11 assists) on what was the top team at the Shore last year. Expect Lydon to carry a bigger role and have impressive numbers.
Grayson Goldin - Middie - Rumson-Fair Haven - Jr.
Last year as a sophomore, Goldin finished top five on the team in points with 35 total (24 goals, 11 assists). Now with their leading scorer from last year gone, he'll play a bigger role as a scorer.
Frank Argilagos - Defenseman - Rumson-Fair Haven - Jr.
A six-foot-two long stick defenseman that may not always pop up on the stat sheet but his physical presence is felt on the field.
Leo Passalaqua - Middie - Rumson-Fair Haven - Sr.
The five-foot-10 midfielder scored 19 goals and had eight assists for the Bulldogs last season. Now in his senior year, his numbers should continue to rise.
Konnor Forlai - Attack - Southern - Sr.
In his junior season Forlai amped up his stats finishing with 35 goals and 13 assists. If he continues along this trajectory, the attackman may be able to reach 100 career goals before he graduates.
Liam Griffin - Middie - Southern - Jr.
The Saint Joseph's commit has been playing better with each year as a scorer. Last season he finished the year with 35 goals and 11 assists.
Braden Miller - Middie - Shore - Jr.
As a sophomore, he finished the season with 11 goals, four assists, and eight ground balls.
Noah Karaban - Goalkeeper - Shore - Sr.
The senior goalkeeper made 86 saves last year in 14 games played, he's made 100 saves for his entire career going into this spring.
Carson Spallone - Attack - Shore - Sr.
The Ithaca College commit put up 46 goals and 23 assists last season for the Blue Devils. Solid stick skills with a knack for scoring and limiting turnovers.
William Keegan - Attack - St. John Vianney - Sr.
He finished his junior year in the top three in scoring for the Lancers with 36 goals and 25 assists. The Eastern Connecticut State commit is a consistent scorer that will have a bigger role this season.
Max Menkowitz - Middie - St. John Vianney - So.
As a freshman, he won 77% of the 367 faceoffs he was in for the Lancers. He also managed to score five goals and have four assists too.
Noah Arena - Goalkeeper - St. Rose - Jr.
In the 11 games played last year he made 100 saves for Purple Roses.
Nicholas Caruso - Middie - Toms River East - So.
Was among the top scorers on the team as a freshman with 31 goals and 22 assists. And with TRE having some returners coming back, keep an eye out for this underclassman.
Nate Cummings - Middie - Toms River East - Jr.
A scorer and good passer for TRE that has been improving his numbers ever since being a freshman. Last season he finished with 31 goals and 22 assists.
Ben Misa - Middie - Toms River North - Jr.
As a sophomore, Misa finished the season with five goals and seven assists to go with 32 ground balls.
Brady Derome - Middie - Toms River South - Sr.
He led the team offensively with 30 goals and was second in assists with nine. Now into his senior year, Derome will be the leader for his team.
Shea Brennan - Middie - Wall - Sr.
Last season he tallied 54 goals, 31 assists, 85 points and 24 ground balls for the Crimson Knights. He's on pace to hit his 100th career goal this season.
Lucas Seelinger - Goalkeeper - Wall - Sr.
The senior had 182 saves last season in the 23 games played last year. He also had 202 career saves for Wall in the two seasons played.
Michael Hoarle - Middie - Wall - Jr.
He won 66% of his faceoffs last year to go with 18 goals and 23 assists for Wall.
William Madden - Middie - Wall - Sr.
Each year Madden's numbers have increased so expect his senior season to do the same. As a junior he tallied 28 goals and 17 assists for his team.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Shore NJ boys lacrosse 75 Players to Watch in 2024
