Arlington looked special in a championship run, and the other notes from final day of the elite high school season. And our All-Tournament teams!
June 16, 2025 by Filip Icev and Zach Roberts in Recap
While Friday at the High School National Invite saw a number of surprises, the dust settled on Saturday and each of the pool winners took care of business against strong challengers in quarterfinals, setting up a pair of heavyweight battles in the semifinals. The Arlington High School Pumahs fought through adversity in each of their three bracket play games, but met each challenge accordingly and proved that at the end of the day they were deserving champions.
Arlington Offense Untouchable in the Final
For the senior class from Arlington, Massachusetts, this weekend capped four years of exponential growth. Four years ago, the Arlington Pumahs participated but did not win the Massachusetts Division II State Championships. Three years ago, they won that tournament. Two years ago, they moved up to Division I and won the state championship. Now they stand atop high school ultimate as the 2025 High School National Invite Champions after a 15-9 victory over Minnesota powerhouse Edina.
The Arlington offense sparkled from the first pull. Their offense opened with a clean hold and goal to Luke Hedlund, which was quickly followed by a clean Edina score. A Hedlund shot into double coverage the next point went over everyone, and Edina would punch in the break to make it 2-1. From there, the Pumah’s offense would have only one more turnover in the entire game and five total from the team. Down the stretch, their throwers were making the type of throws that only happen with the comfort of knowing that everything is working. Star junior Zach Phan, in particular, sent a couple of gorgeous blading flicks over and around defenders to hit his receivers in stride.
In a postgame interview, captain Cam Levine commented on the trust they had for one another and the buy-in and contributions from the entire roster. Junior Peter Carlson, for example, read an under cut well when Edina was down four and driving – very much still in the game – jumping the lane, getting the block, and immediately busting deep to receive the bookends from Theo Strauss. That strong defensive effort and efficient offense on the break was representative of Arlington all evening.
Edina’s struggles could be attributed to a few different things. Their depth allowed them to run away with games throughout the weekend, so Arlington may have been better prepared to deal with going down a couple of goals or being in a back and forth affair. Furthermore, when Arlington started to build a second half lead, Edina was pressing too much, trying to force throws that were not available and getting away from the efficient offense they had played in the first half. Ultimately though, very few teams would have beaten Arlington on the day given the intensity and ruthless offensive efficiency with which they played. Edina will certainly not be happy with a second consecutive runner-up finish, but they should be proud of the way they performed all weekend. Given their depth and overall program quality, they are expected to be in the mix again next year at the High School National Invite.
Stars Shine for Arlington, Depth Powers Edina in the Semifinals
The semifinal round of the High School National Invite Boys division saw the best four teams at the tournament thus far face off. These teams were a combined 14-2 on the weekend – with the two losses a meaningless loss by Edina to Jackson-Reed, and a 1-point Wissahickon loss to a quality Independence High School team. The four best teams in Allentown put on a show in the semifinals, with Arlington overcoming Open World Learning 15-13 and Edina outscoring Wissahickon 15-11.
The showcase semifinal started off dangerously for Arlington, with a dropped opening pull and Open World Learning (MA) converting with one throw. The Pumah handler’s teammates were quick to pick him up, though, and Arlington settled into their game. The teams traded to 2-2, before Arlington got their break back to go up 3-2. Arlington’s U-20 World’s player, Cam Levine, was taking on the matchup of OWL’s center handler, Arthur Madsen, while OWL’s superstar Danny Hobday was doing a great job operating in the under space. Although impossible to stop, defensive ace Theo Strauss did the best job of anyone in this tournament of slowing Hobday down.
The story of the first half for Arlington was missed opportunities. It felt like their offense was operating more cleanly than OWL’s, but they could not punch the disc in off of a turnover. To OWL’s credit, they were playing fantastic defense off the turnover to take the disc back. At multiple points, it felt like Arlington was close to blowing the game open. Coming out of half at 8-6, Arlington had the disc with a chance to break in their opponent’s red zone, but they turned it and Open World Learning scored in two throws. The next offensive possession, Luke Hobday jumped a swing pass from Cam Levine and got OWL a short field. Arthur Madsen made a great layout seconds later to even the score at 8-8.
That’s when Luke Hedlund took over. He scored to settle Arlington down and go up 9-8. From there, he would score all but one of Arlington’s goals, plus a potential goal-saving block as Open World Learning was marching at 10-10, and a layout block at 14-13 to earn his team the disc and a chance to break to win. Hedlund finished the game with nine goals, and in a game when star Cam Levine was guarded well and Arlington’s handlers at times struggled, Hedlund took over and sent his team to the final.
Over on Field 7, a heavyweight semifinal clash unfolded between two of last year’s final four: Edina and Wissahickon (PA). The result, while maybe the scoreboard did not indicate it, was one of the most thrilling games of the weekend. Edina came out swinging, with Cameron Mitchell making his presence felt early—racking up a block and a goal in the first three points. But after a shaky opening stretch, Wissahickon found its rhythm. Their offense began clicking behind a stellar cast: Nolin McClintic opened the field with his deep shots and athleticism, Jonah Grossberg was a rock-solid handler, slippery, mistake-free, and always open. Ryan Dowdy played like a machine, grinding through every point, while William Fath and Jackson Horvat served as the connective tissue, steadying the team through chaos.
Still, Edina refused to back down. Their offense was relentless and versatile, powered by Walter Hipps, Eddie Johnson, and Tyler King. The pace and athleticism of the Edina core were simply too much for Wissahickon’s defenders. Johnson and Hipps consistently torched matchups for 20+ yardage gains.
Defensively, Edina brought the heat. Their depth showed in waves of athletic defenders who forced Wissahickon into tight windows and high-stall resets. Smart poaching from players like Hipps and Lance Einhorn added an extra layer of pressure that forced Wissahickon into uncomfortable situations. Even so, Wissahickon’s stars weathered the storm well enough to keep the game on serve at half, 8–7 in Edina’s favor. But the second half told a different story. Edina opened with a couple breaks and never looked back. Their defensive intensity, combined with fresh legs and contributions from the entire roster, overwhelmed Wissahickon. This game made one thing clear: Edina’s depth and cohesion were on another level. Fueled by heart, grit, and relentless energy, the perennial powerhouse punched their ticket to the final in dominant fashion.
Notes from Around the Complex
- Washington state champions Garfield saw their Nationals run end in a lopsided loss to Wissahickon, as a torrential downpour helped dig them into a 10-3 hole they couldn’t climb out of. But make no mistake—this was still one of the most talented teams in the field. Seniors Aage Bonnell and Jude Small were electric all weekend. Bonnell anchored the offense with relentless cutting and pinpoint throws, while the crafty lefty Small lit up defenses, including a ridiculous 7-goal, 2-assist stat line against Arlington in pool play. They weren’t alone—Garfield got standout contributions from Denny Beaumont (quick-trigger handler movement), Kenji Lorenz (booming backhands that flipped the field), and Bison McCotter-Hulett (tenacious, high-motor defense). Though their tournament ended earlier than hoped, Garfield’s top-end talent and signature grit left a lasting impression on the weekend.
- The best game of the weekend not captured on film may have been the prequarter matchup between Garfield and Rivers Edge Christian Academy (TN). RECA came out on fire, taking leads at 5-2 and 7-4. The play of the game was a deep shot to Bison McCotter-Hulett which bounced off his hands at first, but he followed and snagged while toeing the back line of the end zone to make it 5-3. At 7-4, RECA had the disc in the Garfield red zone but could not punch it in to take half. Garfield walked it down to score and then their intense pressure finally began to get to RECA and they broke twice to get to 7s. Garfield kept up the pressure in the second half and McCotter-Hulett and Aage Bonnell both scored breaks, before Jude Small finished it with a massive sky. You have to think that the game goes differently if RECA is able to score to take half at 8-4, but both teams should be proud to have played such a competitive, spirited and high-level game.
- Lakeside (GA) looked clearly like the fifth-best team in the country, with losses coming to Arlington and Wissahickon, and later Strath Haven in consolation play. They played a distinct and memorable style of ultimate—extremely top-heavy, with juniors Sam Shapiro, Pearce Becker, and Sawyer Morgan carrying the load. To keep their stars fresh, Lakeside set a zone on every single point after every single turnover with those three playing the wing and deep positions.Ironically, the key to beating Lakeside seemed to lie in zone as well. In the quarterfinal against Arlington, the teams traded until Arlington adjusted with a brilliant tactical move: a modified “and-one” version of their 3-3-1 zone. Star defender Cam Levine matched up one-on-one with Sam Shapiro, while the rest of the team maintained their zone structure, morphing into a 3-2-1. The shift led to a pair of consecutive breaks that sealed the game—arguably the sharpest strategic adjustment of the weekend.
- Strath Haven (PA) also made waves with perhaps the most fascinating tactical wrinkle: their dominator offense set. On multiple points, especially in their game against Edina, they positioned their horizontal stack 15 yards outside the end zone and ran the disc through a rotating trio of handlers, always including senior Colin Jarvis. With elite break throws and near-total disregard for their cutters, Jarvis and company ran the dominator for the full 70 with only the handlers touching the disc.
- Albany (CA) had a strong bracket showing, comfortably dispatching East Chapel Hill and putting up a solid fight against Edina. But the real story with this squad is the future: Muhammad Awais, Hugo Tsai, Nicolad Rusa, and Jasper Graf are all returning. With that core intact, Albany is poised for a deep run at next year’s HSNI.
- Roosevelt’s (WA) run ended earlier than hoped, falling to Lakeside in prequarters, but the Seattle Invite champs still left their mark. Seniors Lucas Terzick, Manny Bearson, and Harrison Schaw formed a dynamic trio that lit up the field all weekend, headlined by a massive upset over no.1 seed Jackson-Reed. Their story, however, is far from over—the Three Musketeers will keep rocking green and yellow as they take their talents to the University of Oregon next fall.
All-Tournament Lines
First Team
Sam Shapiro (Lakeside) – No player meant more to their team this weekend than Shapiro. As a steady center handler and rangy deep-deep, he was clinical in execution on both sides of the disc. But what stood out even more was his vocal leadership and unwavering support for his teammates.
Andrew Mennig (Strath Haven) – Mennig was one of the most fun players to watch on the weekend after coming in as a relative unknown. His offensive skill was unmatched, consistently opening up the field with creative throws and massive hucks. He had nine assists in the showcase prequarterfinal against Independence High School, the first of which was a no-look scoober over the entire stack.
Cam Levine (Arlington) – Levine was the rock for this year’s champions. He didn’t dominate statistically in pool play because he didn’t need to. But he bided his time and was Arlington’s best player throughout the bracket, stepping into whatever role the team needed from him to earn the championship.
Danny Hobday (OWL) – As the offensive engine for Open World Learning, Hobday routinely drew top defenders and routinely torched them. With surgical downfield cutting and pinpoint hucks, he made tough matchups look effortless and fully delivered on the pre-tournament hype.
Walter Hipps (Edina) – The Edina captain and standout brought a rare blend of maturity and explosive athleticism that consistently opened up the field. With laser-sharp focus, powerful cutting, and game-breaking plays on both sides of the disc, Hipps set the tone every time he stepped on. Simply put: Hipps hooped.
Luke Hedlund (Arlington) – Luke Hedlund was steady all weekend but truly earned this spot with a breakout, nine goal performance against Open World Learning. He also had two crucial blocks in the closing moments of what was Arlington’s toughest game on the weekend.
Ezra Beidler-Shenk (Masterman) – Masterman disappointed this weekend; Beilder-Shenk did not. The senior was a dynamic force, combining elite throwing vision with unmatched finishing ability to leave his mark on every game.
Second Team
Jude Small (Garfield)
Nolan McClintic (Wissahickon)
Eddie Johnson (Edina)
Colin Jarvis (Strath Haven)
Luke Hobday (OWL)
Jonah Grossberg (Wissahickon)
Ryan Dowdy (Wissahickon)
Third Team
Lucas Terzic (Roosevelt)
Isaac Taylor (Independence)
Theo Strauss (Arlington)
Nicolas Rusa (Albany)
Knox Plewniak (RECA)
Blake Holt (Green Canyon)
Aage Bonnell (Garfield)
Final Tournament Standings (Full Results)
1. Arlington (MA)
2. Edina (MN)
T-3. Wissahickon (PA)
T-3. Open World Learning (MN)
5. Strath Haven (PA)
6. Garfield (WA)
7. Lakeside (GA)
8. Albany (CA)
9. RECA (TN)
10. Roosevelt (WA)
11. Independence (TN)
12. East Chapel Hill (NC)
13. Jackson-Reed (DC)
14. Green Canyon (UT)
15. Washburn (MN)
16. JR Masterman (PA)
