National Recognition

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Juan Diego Gonzalez has some idea who he’s going up against.

The Cardinal Mooney High freshman and Monsters Lacrosse Academy U15 midfielder competed this past weekend at the 2nd annual Saratoga Springs Lacrosse Shootout, in Saratoga, N.Y., as a member of the Florida All-Star team.

The team finished third overall but, more importantly, Gonzalez enjoyed a firsthand look at some of the top high school lacrosse players in the nation and how the sport is played in one of the traditional lacrosse hotbeds.

“We played teams from Philadelphia and New York, which was a great experience,” Gonzalez says. “It’s very relieving to know that you can play with those kids in that tournament.”

Gonzalez is hoping to use his recent experience to guide him when he takes the field again next week as a member of the LB3 Lacrosse 2018 National Team.

The LB3 Lacrosse National Teams comprise the best players from the full LB3 family of club teams across the nation, of which the Monsters Lacrosse Academy is a part, ranging from U11 to high school.

“I was very excited and happy,” Gonzalez says of making the team. “I knew if I put in the time and effort then I should be able to make it, and I guessed it all worked out. I’m just ecstatic.”

Gonzalez was one of 19 Monsters Lacrosse Academy players, including three from Cardinal Mooney, selected for one of the national teams. Those players who were selected were placed onto one of seven national teams based on their graduation year.

Roughly four Monsters Lacrosse Academy players were chosen for about 17 spots at each level; a total of more than 2,500 kids at each level competed for those spots.

“As far as level of play is concerned, we most certainly have kids who have put in the work that will allow them to excel playing against kids from the traditional hotbeds in the country,” Monsters Lacrosse Academy Vice President and Director of Coaching Chris Markowski says. “Our teams and many of our players have done very well over the past couple years in proving they belong. These kids deserve this fantastic opportunity because of their work, time and effort.”

Gonzalez, along with U15 teammates Jack Koscho, Colin Prince and Matt McDonnell, will compete in the FLG in 3D Summer Shootout July 18 through July 20, in Bel Air, Md. The U11 and U13 teams (2017 through 2021) also will compete the same weekend. The 2016 team competed in the Inside Lacrosse Recruiting Invitational June 15 through June 18, in Baltimore.

National team players will spend a day practicing with their new team before competing in a series of tournament games against the top elite club teams in the nation. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of five games over the course of the tournament; the top teams advance to championship rounds.

“Team chemistry is important,” Gonzalez says. “Not knowing (everyone) can affect that. But I’m excited to meet new people and play the sport we all love, and hopefully we’ll do very well.”

Gonzalez and his teammates have been practicing three days a week since the selections were announced in preparation for their upcoming tournaments.

In addition to competing in the tournament, Gonzalez, who will be coached by legendary lacrosse player Liam Banks, plans to use the experience to gain exposure and improve his skills on the field.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how it is up there and seeing what it’s like,” Gonzalez says. “I’m a little nervous because I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m trying to prepare myself the best I can.

“I’m really excited because (Liam Banks) is very good,” Gonzalez says. “It’s exciting and I’m just going to make the most out of the opportunity to have him be my coach. I just can’t wait.”

Two players who know what Gonzalez can expect next week are Cardinal Mooney juniors Christian and Zach Berendes. The twins, who both play midfield for the Cougars, competed with the LB3 Lacrosse 2016 National Team last month.

The Berendes brothers helped lead the LB3 Lacrosse national team to a second-place finish, combining for two goals and three assists in the four-day tournament.

“It gave us a chance to see how much better they are (up North) and meet people from other states,” Christian Berendes says. “We were able to see how we stack up against everyone else. It taught us to be confident in your skills. Even though were are from Florida, we can still hang with them.”

Zach Berendes agrees.

“It was good to see how good everyone else was,” Zach Berendes says. “It was really exciting and fun.”
The two began playing lacrosse in seventh grade after they stopped playing football and baseball. The twins have spent ample time working together to perfect their skills. But even with the hard work they’ve put in, they still find it somewhat surreal to see how far they’ve come on a national level.

“It was hard when we first started because we were so far behind all of the kids,” Christian Berendes says. “Most of these kids have been playing since they were born. They’ve had a whole lifetime and we’ve only had four years, so it’s a little weird to see where we are now.”

For more information on LB3 Lacrosse and its national teams, visit lb3lacrosse.com.

+ LB3 National Team Selections
Zachary Berendes, midfield, 2016
Christian Berendes, midfield, 2016
George Prince, midfield, 2017
Jack Koscho, attack, 2018
Matthew McDonnell, defense, 2018
Juan Gonzalez, midfield, 2018
Colin Prince, midfield, 2018
Ryan Katchen, attack, 2019
Alec Frank, attack, 2019
Ethan Ingham, midfield, 2019
Hunter Coakley, midfield, 2019
Cody Gross, defense, 2020
Luca Dominguez, midfield, 2020
Owen Ingham, midfield, 2020
Nate Ashley, midfield, 2020
Ryan Sforzo, attack, 2021
Stephen Markowski, attack, 2021
Hayden Coakley, attack, 2021
Connor Rice, midfield, 2021

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].