Nick Daniello‘s been doing this for a while.
Daniello, the founder and director of Prime Time, has had a wealth of incredibly talented players come through his program since its inception in 2009. On average, the program produces more than 20 Division I commits a year, including the likes of JT Giles-Harris, Will Perry, Arden Cohen, Charlie Johnson, Payton Anderson and a lot more.
So when Daniello puts one of his players in a stratosphere of his own for that player’s specific position, it’s probably pretty smart to pay attention to him. That’s the case with Moe Sobel, the NLF’s No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2027.
“In all of my years, I’ve never seen a goalie like him,” Daniello said. “He earned the right to be the No. 1 player in the class. Moe is a complete game-changer at the goalie position. He absolutely takes over and dominates games, and there’s nobody quite like him.”
Syracuse Goes Big-Game Hunting
Syracuse fans will be ecstatic to hear that. Pegged as the favorite for Sobel’s services prior to Sept. 1, the Orange closed out the 6-5, 190-pound stopper from IMG Academy (Fla.) earlier this week to kick off their class. It’s the first time that ‘Cuse has landed the No. 1 overall prospect since 2022, when the Orange secured the services of All-American attackman Joey Spallina (Team 91 Long Island).
“The biggest thing for me was how nice everyone was and how easy everyone is to talk to at Syracuse,” Sobel said. “They really made me feel like I was part of the team. I was definitely excited to see if it lived up to the hype and if it was a place where I could see myself, and it was. I just really love how creative the team is allowed to be, and it lets them play free and fast.”
Sobel is arguably the top goalie prospect in quite some time – ever? – because of his combination of size, athleticism, clearing ability and knack for coming up with huge saves at the right time. As a sophomore, he stopped 68 percent of shots to earn an All-America nod at Springside Chestnut Hill (Pa.) under the tutelage of Hall of Fame goalie Brian Dougherty. He was outstanding this summer for Prime Time, which reached the semifinals at the NLF National Championships before falling in overtime to the eventual champion West Coast Starz.
Sobel Sets Himself Apart
Despite the loss, Sobel called that his favorite game of the summer after he was out of this world in the second half. There’s so much to like about his game. In 2027, he’s likely to walk into a fairly open Syracuse goalie depth chart. It’s a heck of a combination for the South Jersey native.
“I think something that sets me apart is my ability to make a clean save and get it up and out,” Sobel said. “Making a clean save is pretty difficult. I’ve always had a stick in my hand and it’s helped me develop better stick skills and catch those fast shots.”
It helps to be 6-5, of course. Despite that, that’s a relatively new addition to his game. It’s one that helped turn him from a very good goalie to the top prospect in the class.
“I went from, like, 5-6 or 5-7 to 6-2 in my eighth grade year,” Sobel said. “Then I grew three more inches after that. After I got my height, I definitely used it to my advantage. I’m able to play a wide base and cover all corners.”
Prime Time in the Dome
Sobel made the move to Prime Time for his recruiting year and loved everything that came with it. The team played at the country’s top events, and Sobel was always right there alongside four-star goalie Luke Valenti to give Prime Time a chance to win every game because of its goaltending.
“I love every single person at Prime Time, especially our defense, Valenti and the offense for putting the ball in the back of the net,” Sobel said. “The coaches are absolutely amazing and I couldn’t be happier about it.”
Daniello expects to see his star stopper make a monumental impact at Syracuse, too.
“I couldn’t be more excited for him,” Daniello said. “The Dome is a perfect place for a player with his talent to shine. I think he’s going to be an All-American and wouldn’t be surprised to see the Orange win a national championship with him. Moe is that good.”