Penn State made sure to triumphantly announce its arrival to the class of 2027 five-star party.
The Nittany Lions secured their ninth NLF top-100 commit in style when No. 9 Ayden Matthews opted to follow his brother, Liam, to Happy Valley. The Lawrenceville (N.J.) standout and Ontario native came on strong at the end of the season for the Big Red, helping the team secure its third straight Prep Nationals championship with a pair of hat tricks in the tournament.
Carolina, My Goodness
Matthews’ verbal marked the final of the 22 five-star commitments this fall. North Carolina has put together a class for the ages. The Tar Heels have SEVEN top-22 recruits, including three in the top 10 and one in the top five. Team 91 Long Island goalie Jett Stake, the No. 14 recruit in the class, got the party started on Sept. 1. Leading Edge defenseman and Stake’s Lawrenceville running mate Luke St. Pierre wasn’t far behind. Both started as sophomores for the Big Red and shined for their respective clubs this summer. Stake makes up for his lack of size with a ton of energy, ball-stopping ability and poise in the cage. St. Pierre is quietly effective as a cover man who made great strides in his off-ball game this year.
Eclipse lefty attackman Chris Colsey (Ridgefield, Conn.) gives UNC a lefty slasher who was as productive as anyone this summer after a 67-point season for the Tigers. West Coast Starz attackman/midfielder Tripp King had a monster year for Loyola (Calif.), earning CIF-SS Player of the Year honors after a school-record 115 points, and he had a major hand in leading the Starz to the NLF National Championship.
NLF No. 3 James Holbrough (Berkshire, Mass.), No. 8 Anthony Asaro (Garden City, N.Y.) and No. 16 Cole Stankavage (Ardrey Kell, N.C.) will add a ton of firepower to the Carolina offense. Holbrough is a balanced and flashy attackman who can beat defenses in a variety of ways. Asaro is a prototypical ACC midfielder with size and athleticism to beat the best LSMs in the country. Stankavage is an elite athlete and the lefty can play both attack and midfield, though he’ll likely begin his college career as a middie. He’s not a five-star, but the Heels also kept the top faceoff man in the country home as No. 40 James Hedley (Charlotte Catholic, N.C. / Team 91 Charlotte) committed. This Carolina class is stacked with high-end power, balanced across the board at every position and should be absolutely formidable on the field.
Tigers Roar with Five 5-Stars
Princeton didn’t move quite as quickly as the Tar Heels did, but once the Tigers got going, look out. The Laxachusetts tandem of No. 12 Jack Czepiel (Tabor, Mass.) and No. 16 Fin Kilbourne (St. Paul’s, N.H.) highlight a group of five five-stars. Czepiel is the premier lefty defender in the class. He’s an absolute pitbull on-ball and has the footwork to run with anyone. He dominated most of his matchups against highly-touted attackmen this summer after being an honorable mention All-ISL pick as a sophomore. Kilbourne is a horse in the midfield and is especially a problem for defenses once he gets going downhill.
Eclipse goalie Jackson Crowell (New Canaan, Conn.) gave the Tigers their man in the cage. An All-FCIAC selection this spring for New Canaan after stopping 62 percent of shots, Crowell is one of the best athletes in a loaded goalie class. He also has excellent reaction speed and anticipates shooters very well.
Princeton landed the top lefty goal scorer in the class in Culver (Ind.) attackman Riley Woods. The Canadian and No. 4 prospect racked up 56 goals for the Eagles this spring. He’s got a snappy release and an elite handle and barely needs the ball in his stick before it’s in the back of the net. The Tigers also bolstered their offense with No. 20 John Lynch (Belmont Hill, Mass.), a lefty middie who’s an excellent feeder and initiator. Lynch put up 72 points on 38 goals and 34 assists to help the Sextants repeat as ISL champions.
Here Come the Irish
Notre Dame made its usual splash in the top 10 by landing the top attackman, top defenseman and No. 3 lefty attackman in the class. No. 7 Leif Anderson (Deerfield, Mass.) of Eclipse was a huge get for the Irish as one of the few elite defensemen in the class. The 6-2, 190-pounder was excellent this summer, particularly as the most dominant player at the NLF Elite 120. Anderson, a transfer from Brunswick (Conn.), plays a physical style but also has the athleticism to cover No. 1s at the next level.
Notre Dame was considered the favorite for No. 2 JT Cross (Valor Christian, Colo.) and the Irish landed his commitment after fending off, well, just about everyone. An athletic 6-3 X attackman, Cross had 85 points for a Valor team that reached the Colorado state final before falling to undefeated Cherry Creek. He’ll be joined on the Irish attack line by lefty Conor Morsell (Haverford School, Pa.). Morsell put up 39-31-70 to lead Haverford to its first postseason championship since 2015. An incredibly cerebral player, he will be able to fit multiple roles for the Irish.
Duke Loads Up on Defense
Duke rounds out the teams that landed multiple five-stars. The Blue Devils put a heavy emphasis on defense in this class and landed the top two LSMs and the No. 1 lefty goalie. No. 5 Jagger Zemachson (Seton Hall Prep, N.J. / Leading Edge) is the headliner. The 6-2, 190-pounder was an electric factory for Leading Edge this summer, routinely taking over games by making a million plays. He had seven points and 52 ground balls for the Pirates as they won their first Kirst Cup.
No. 11 Ben Waechter is the No. 2 LSM, giving the Blue Devils a devastating combo in the middle of the field. Waechter burst onto the national scene when he scored the overtime game-winning goal to give Brother Rice (Mich.) the state title. He is elite between the lines and is deadly in transition. No. 13 Bodhi Harmon is a big-time get in the cage for Duke. The lefty will be a three-year starter for Culver (Ind.). A terrific athlete outside of the cage, Harmon is a big-game goalie and has exceptionally quick hands.
‘Cuse, Harvard, Hopkins and Penn State Round it Out
Syracuse, Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Penn State all have one five-star. The Orange landed the No. 1 overall player in the class in Prime Time stopper Moe Sobel (IMG Academy, Fla.). Sobel was an All-American as a sophomore at Philly’s Springside Chestnut Hill after stopping 68 percent of shots. Blessed with a massive frame, quick hands and plus athleticism for his size, Sobel is as good a goalie prospect as there’s been in a long time. CLICK HERE to read more about his commitment.
The Crimson wasted no time in securing their goalie as No. 6 Teddy Oh (Taft, Conn.) verballed almost immediately. Oh stopped 62 percent of shots this spring for Taft before taking his game to another level this summer for ADVNC and the West Coast Starz. He backstopped ADVNC to a CrabFeast title and the Starz to an NLF national championship. A 6-2, 185-pounder, Oh is a gamechanger in the cage. CLICK HERE to read more about him.
Matthews highlights a PSU class that includes three top-40 Canadian lefties. He’s joined in those ranks by No. 34 Malcolm Richardson (Lawrenceville, N.J. / Prime Time) and No. 35 Kellen Bladon (Western Reserve, Ohio). Matthews is an elite goal scorer who can take over a game and had an elite box summer with Orangeville.
The Blue Jays got in on the five-star market with No. 15 Brandon Fodor (Delbarton, N.J.). A two-way midfielder, the 6-1, 180-pounder put forth a 23-goal, 15-assist season for the Green Wave. Between him and No. 13 ’26 Jake Johnston (St. Anthony’s, N.Y. / Long Island Express), the Blue Jays have a pair of up-and-down middies who will thrive in the shot clock era.
NLF Class of 2027 Five-Stars By the Numbers
North Carolina (7)– one top 5, three top 10, four top 15, six top 20
Princeton (5) – one top 5, one top 15, four top 20
Notre Dame (3) – one top 5, one top 10, one top 20
Duke (3) – one top 5, two top 15
Syracuse (1) – one top 5
Harvard (1) – one top 10
Penn State (1) – one top 10
Johns Hopkins (1) – one top 15