Players Open Youth Recap: Curriculum, Players that Impressed, & Award Winners Presented by Gait Lacrosse

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Players Open was a standout weekend of lacrosse talent and competition, bringing together some of the best youth players from across the nation. This past Saturday featured over 150 middle school girls who showcased their skills and passion for the game under the guidance of some of the game’s top former collegiate athletes and pros. This elite group of players included Kylie Ohlmiller, Madison Doucette, Maddie Burns, Ellie Masera, Kendall Halpern, and Erin Coykendall. The LILJ was on site for it all, brining live updates, video highlights and action photos as well as evaluating talent. Recapping this year’s Players Open let’s take a look at the curriculum, players that impressed, and award winners!

Curriculum

Player Development

The morning sessions gave players a rare opportunity to learn directly from elite pros by position. These focused environments allowed athletes to absorb new techniques, experience different coaching styles, and reinforce core principles of play.

Following positional training, players competed in live drills run by the professional staff. Attackers and defenders battled in even and odd-man scenarios, midfielders went head-to-head, and goalies got live cage reps — all in realistic game settings.

After training, players gathered for an interactive “Game & Life Talk” session with Kylie Ohlmiller and Kristen Carr. While one group played a full-length game, the other joined Ohlmiller for a discussion about lacrosse, mindset, and personal growth — offering players and parents valuable lessons on development both on and off the field.

Full-Field Play

The full-field games showcased each athlete’s ability to compete at game speed — pushing transition, winning draws, defending in unsettled situations, and executing in 7v7 play. The skills emphasized in positional sessions translated seamlessly, resulting in fast-paced, disciplined, and competitive lacrosse.

Afternoon Competitions

In the afternoon, players were divided into eight teams for three small-sided games, each with unique scoring rules designed to highlight teamwork and game IQ:

1. The ball had to travel through X before scoring.

2. Assisted goals counted for two points.

3. Goals had to be created through shared opportunities, requiring teamwork and off-ball movement.

These creative constraints encouraged problem-solving, ball movement, spacing, communication, and defensive support — all key to modern lacrosse success. They also gave evaluators valuable insight into which players were most coachable, adaptable, and team-oriented.

Closing Thoughts

The 2025 Players Open was a true showcase of skill, effort, and growth. Thank you to all players, parents, and coaches who made this event possible and continue to support the development of the next generation of lacrosse talent.

Below is a list of players that impressed from the event.

⭐️ 2030-2032 Players that Impressed ⭐️

Evelyn Avery- 2030, Attack, Yellow Jackets Julia Babst- 2030, Attack, Yellow Jackets Maggie Beach- 2030, Defense, Yellow Jackets Claire Coelen- 2031, Midfield, Tradition Ella Boice- 2030, Attack, Predators Lorelei Brush- 2031, Defense, FLG Victoria Buxton- 2031, Midfield, LA Select Emily Campaigne- 2031 Midfield, North Coast Storm Addison Chartrand- 2030, Attack, Yellow Jackets Frankie Clark- 2030, Midfield, Heros Mariana Cohen- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Dylan Conners- 2030, Attack, Predators Kaitlyn Cruikshank- 2030, Defense, CT Grizzlies Anna Crump- 2030, Goalie, Yellow Jackets Daniela D’Alessandro- 2030, Midfield, Igloo Leah D’Ambrosio- 2031, Attack, FLG Isabella Davila- 2030, Defense, Predators Mila Diamond- 2030, Attack, CT Grizzlies Gia Disanto- 2030, Attack, Salt City Snipers Ella Dolezal- 2030, Attack, Yellow Jackets Brielle Ensel- 2031, Attack, Yellow Jackets Cameron Falkman- 2031, Attack, Yellow Jackets Aida Farooq- 2030, Midfield, Steps Isabella Ferraresi- 2032, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Erin Flaherty- 2031, Defense, FLG Maeve Fraser- 2031, Attack, Team 91 Elle Giannopoulos- 2030, Defense, Yellow Jackets Khloe Glassner- 2031, Midfield, Jesters Lilly Glick- 2031, Defense, Yellow Jackets Brianna Grever- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Jordan Hamill- 2030, Midfield, Legacy Kinsley Hamill- 2032, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Tierney Hsu- 2030, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Hadley Isaksson- 2031, Attack, Jesters Mia Julio- 2030, Midfield, All Lax Morgan Kashetta- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Charlotte Kindlemann- 2030, Defense, Igloo  Mackenzie Klammer- 2030, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Zoe Korn- 2030, Midfield, HHH Philly Carrie Kornegay- 2030, Goalie, YJ Mid Atlantic Sienna Krawczyk- 2030, Attack, Team 91 Madelyn Kreszswick- 2030, Attack, Philly Blast Leah Lauer- 2030, Defense, Shore 2 Shore Adrienne Lemus- 2031, Midfield, Mad Dog West Elite Abby Luzim- 2031, Attack, Top Guns Addison Lynn- 2030, Defense, Eagle Stix Natalię Markiewicz- 2030, Midfield, All Lax Select Claire McClanahan- 2032, Attack, Sound Lacrosse Brae McDonough- 2031, Midfield, Tradition Quinn McKinley- 2031, Attack, FLG Brooke Meacham- 2032, Attack, NXT Adrianna Meltz- 2030, Defense, Prime Time Olivia Mercurio- 2032, Defense, Jesters Cora Montpetit- 2032, Midfield, Legacy Mae Moody- 2031, Midfield, Prime Time Georgia Moore- 2030, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Christina Morrone- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Tenley Muscarella- 2030, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Torianne Napolitano- 2030, Defense, Yellow Jackets Francesca Orlando- 2031, Goalie, Top Guns Amelia Parciak- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Anna Perrota- 2031, Attack, Yellow Jackets Cleary Phillips- 2032, Midfield, CT Grizzlies Jillian Powers- 2031, Midfield, FLG Dani Raupp- 2030, Attack, Legacy Harper Rogler- 2031, Attack, Team 91 Hailey Rosati- 2030, Attack, Yellow Jackets Emma Ross- 2030, Attack, YJ DMV Charley Roth- 2030, Defense, Yellow Jackets Maggie Ryan- 2030, Defense, Prime Time Emmeline Schlitt- 2032, Midfield, Jesters Delainey Sefton- 2030, Goalie, Yellow Jackets Charlotte Snow- 2031, Midfield, Laxachusetts Anna Thompson- 2030, Midfield, Lax on Elite Piper Van Derhoof- 2030, Attack, Orange Crush Katerina Venetoklis- 2030, Goalie, Top Guns Zoey Verderosa- 2031, Midfield, Yellow Jackets Phoebe Von Zuben- 2030, Midfield, Sound Lacrosse Maeve Walicki- 2030, Midfield, Predators Reese Walter- 2031, Midfield, Mad Dog West Elite Hannah Warshaw- 2030, Defense, Yellow Jackets Birdie Wilson- 2031, Goalie, Eagle Stix Avery Zummo- 2032, Attack, Legacy Kaylee Zummo- 2030, Attack, Legacy Denotes award winners 

---

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]

Award Winners

Claire Coelen (Party Starter) Claire Coelen brought energy and excitement every time she stepped on the field. Her explosive speed and aggressive play set the tone early, sparking momentum for her team with big plays across the board. Whether it was off the draw or creating offensive chances, Claire’s spark and confidence fueled her team’s success. Mila Diamond (Young Gun Grit Queen Award) Diamond displayed pure grit after experiences some adversity early in positional training. Diamond quickly bounced back into the drills and continued to persevere throughout the event showcasing hustle, grit and toughness. Mackenzie Klammer (MVP Award) Klammer put on a dominant performance with her polished two-way play and field awareness. As a midfielder, she controlled the tempo on both ends — winning draws, pushing transition, and finishing with precision. With her combination of hustle, leadership, and ability to impact every possession, Klammer certainly distinguished herself as one of the standout performers. Brae McDonough (Swiss Army Knife Award) McDonough proved to be the ultimate Swiss Army knife contributing in every way imaginable. Whether locking down on defense, pushing transition, or creating offense, she consistently found ways to impact the game. Her versatility, athleticism, and ability to adapt to any role made her an invaluable asset. Reese Walter (Dawg Award) Walter was a crowd favorite amongst the pros because of her effort, energy and relentless play. Walter was all over the field, including being an elite defender and two-way midfielder. As Walter develops her skill and offensive savy, she will be an elite midfielder in her class. Kaylee Zummo (Jaxon Dart Award) Zummo was a quarterback from the right side all day. She possesses that rare combination of dodge, score and pass that any coach wants in an attacker. Zummo was a coachable and skilled attacker from the island and proved she can run with the best girls in her class nationally.