Geographic diversity will be a big buzzword this weekend, as the U.S. men’s national teams visit San Antonio for the Spring Premiere.

Not only is it Team USA’s first time competing in Texas, but also the 2020 U19 training roster includes several players who developed their skills far away from the sport’s traditional environs. Among the 26 players are natives of Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina and Georgia.

“I can assure you we’re not making decisions based on where you grew up. We’re making decisions to put together a team that can help us compete for a world championship,” coach Nick Myers said. “But it’s an incredibly positive thing for the future of our sport and really speaks to the growth. There are young men from all over the United States playing this amazing game and playing it at a high level. It’s amazing that the national team can be a billboard for that.”

Graham Bundy Jr.
St. Louis

The only player in Missouri high school lacrosse history to eclipse 400 career points, Bundy cut his teeth at MICDS en route to becoming the nation’s No. 1-ranked midfielder in his recruiting class, per Inside Lacrosse. He’s a freshman at Georgetown.

Jake Caputo
Holly Springs, N.C.

The son of Duke assistant coach Ron Caputo starred at Middle Creek (N.C.), scoring 46 goals to go along with 25 assists and 62 ground balls as a high school senior. Myers likened Caputo to 2016 U.S. U19 product Ryan Conrad in terms of his playmaking ability all over the field. He’s a freshman at Duke.

Connor and Grant Mitchell
Buford, Ga.

Though they’re frequently lumped together, each of the Mitchell twins is outstanding in his own right. Connor is a lefty; Grant is a righty. They’re both 6-foot-1, 215 pounds and can play both ways. Myers, who recruited the brothers to Ohio State, marveled at their consistency. The Mitchell family moved from Atlanta to Baltimore in 2017 to give them the opportunity to play lacrosse at the highest level at nationally ranked Calvert Hall (Md.).

Quentin Matsui​
Eden Prairie, Minn.

In the mix to start at Virginia as a freshman defenseman, Matsui only started playing lacrosse five years ago as an eighth-grader. He got up to speed competing with Team Minnesota and Project Midwest. “I definitely don’t take it for granted,” he said in November after the U.S. U19 training weekend in Columbus. “I love to represent Minnesota.”

Alex Slusher​
Portland, Ore.

Slusher has emerged as a glue guy on a star-studded and multifaceted U.S. attack unit. The 5-foot-9 Oregon Episcopal (Ore.) product and Princeton freshman might not have the size of a Brennan O’Neill or the pizzazz of a Pat Kavanagh, but he’s well-rounded and smart with the ball.

Alec Stathakis
Northville, Mich.

Cut from the Northville city baseball team as a youngster, Stathakis found a haven in lacrosse and emerged as a faceoff specialist with Team Michigan. He followed his older brother to Culver Academy in Indiana, enjoyed a breakthrough season as a junior for the nationally ranked lacrosse program and capped off his high school career with an 85-percent showing as a senior. Built like a linebacker, Stathakis has instant-impact potential as a freshman at Denver and will be suiting up for the U.S. U19 team for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery over the summer.

Lance Tillman
Highlands Ranch, Colo.

The John Grant Jr. protégé out of Valor Christian (Colo.) can turn the corner with authority and put the ball in the back of the goal with regularity. But he can also distribute, evidenced by a high school career in which he had nearly as many assists (106) as goals (114). He’s a freshman at North Carolina.