FRISCO, Texas — Axel Greve (Denver) scored with 33 seconds remaining to cap a frantic finish to give the South squad a 10-9 victory over the North in the 13th-annual Adrenaline All-American boys’ lacrosse showcase Sunday evening in the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Baden Brown (Brown) had given the North a 9-8 lead, its first of the game, knocking in a ricochet shot with 1:34 left in the contest.
The South's Luke Macaluso (North Carolina) tied the score with 51 seconds left. Regaining possession, Greve maneuvered for his game-winning shot and the South held on and celebrated as the whistle sounded.
"Just excited," Greve said. "Trying to make a play. Such a hectic finish. So glad we were able to come back in the end."
Macaluso, named the game's MVP, was ecstatic with the win.
"Wow. Great game," he said. "So competitive. We had the lead, they came back, and then we pulled it out. So thrilled to be a part of it."
The South held the upper hand for most of the spirited contest. Brooks Rodger (North Carolina) and Macaluso scored early first-quarter goals for a 2-0 South advantage. Michael Moynihan (Boston University) and Sean Butler (Jacksonville) tallied North goals sandwiched around a South's Matthew Mannarino (Rutgers) score for a 3-2 opening frame.
The second quarter belonged to the goalies. The South's Andrew Cook (Johns Hopkins) held the North scoreless in the quarter while the North's Buck Cunningham (Duke) surrendered just one goal — a Xavier Monteiro (Westminster) score at the 10:21 mark to give the South a 4-2 lead at halftime.
Cook and Cunningham were in goal, for the South and North, respectively, during the first half, while the South's Colton Silverstein (Delaware) and the North's Tyler Coryea (Maryland) handled net duties in the final two periods.
A Graham Kaestner (Johns Hopkins) score less than four minutes into the third stanza pulled the North within 4-3. Austin Hicks (Duke) scored a pair of South goals less than 90 seconds apart, then Macaluso added another for a 7-3 South cushion.
"It was great to get those two goals," Hicks said. "We had some momentum there. But talented players can score in a hurry. Give credit to the other team for coming back."
With 2:27 left in the third quarter, Moynihan notched his second goal of the game, and Christian Buck (Yale) scored with 0:29 on the clock, as the North narrowed the gap to 7-5 heading to the decisive fourth period.
Butler added his second score just over two minutes into the final quarter, and Nate Felsenthal (Williams) tied the game at 7 with a goal at the 10:14 mark.
Rodger put the South back on top 8-7 with 5:31 remaining.
“It was good to get that goal there," he said. "Such a back-and-forth fourth quarter."
The North's Bradford Tudor (Middlebury) evened the score with 3:53 left, setting up the frenetic finish, with the two teams trading goals, before Greve nailed the game-winner.
The Adrenaline All-American Games began in 2011 to celebrate and recognize the many talented players from western states often overlooked by East Coast all-star events. Thus, Adrenaline created its own summer event.
Thirteen years later, the teams — initially comprised primarily of players from western states — have since expanded geographically while maintaining the event’s "under-appreciated players from non-traditional areas" feel.
The extravaganza is now a two-day showcase for the sport which culminated Sunday in two games (a girls’ showcase was added in 2018) televised nationally on ESPN3.
This year, 68 boys and 50 girls comprised the squads, representing 15 different states.
A busy Saturday kicked off the weekend for the players, including a two-hour media session and a tour of the The Star, home of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility. A banquet and awards ceremonies highlighted the evening festivities.
Adrenaline CEO Alex Cade, who co-founded the company in 2001, says it is exciting to see how the event has grown and strives to get better each year.
"It is amazing to see the progression from year to year," Cade said. "To see so many of these players go on and excel at the next level is so rewarding."
Cade said Adrenaline has a goal of making the two-day gathering "fun-filled and exciting for the participants.”
That goal was certainly met.
“I really enjoyed it. Everything. Took it all in,” said Austin Hicks, a Duke-bound attackman from St. Margaret’s (Calif.). “Media day was fun.”
“Awesome,” said Zoe Martin, a Michigan-bound attacker from Colorado Academy (Colo.). “I had a great time sharing this with some of my high school teammates and meeting new people.”
Among the many standouts in this year's games, Silverstein out of Kincaid (Texas) is a three-time USA Lacrosse All-American.
A Delaware signee, Silverstein was a two-time team captain at Kinkaid and became the 21st goalie ever to surpass 1,000 career saves. With a 4.1 GPA, Silverstein will pursue a business degree in college. With his passion for lacrosse, coaching could be in his future.
“I love coaching,” Silverstein said. “I coached a Little League team this year. My cousin was on that team and that is how I began getting involved in coaching the team. We won a city championship. That was the most fun I have ever had on the field."
Twin sisters Alex May and Skylar May were key contributors to the North's 20-12 win over the South in this year's girls’ contest. They were part of a quartet of Colorado Academy players. The twins are headed to USC.
“We have always had each other's back,” Skylar May said. “We enjoy being around each other.”
Alex May said they both decided they wanted to attend the same university. “We are each other's best friend,” Alex May said. “And we can't wait for our next chapter at USC.”
