To make the preseason list of top boys lacrosse players in Livingston County requires some degree of all-state credentials.
All five players on the Livingston Daily’s 2026 preseason list made first-, second- or third-team all-state last season. They aren’t necessarily ranked by which all-state team they made, because it can be harder making the first team at some positions than at others in a given year.
Hartland has four of the five players on the preseason list, in part because Brighton lost so many top players to graduation.
1. Clayton Penzien
► School: Hartland
► Class: Senior
► Position: Attack/midfielder
► Accomplishments: The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Penzien is a well-rounded athlete with the skill to lead the county in scoring last season on the lacrosse field while being a disruptive force as a defensive lineman for Hartland’s football team. He scored 50 goals and 43 assists last season to earn second-team all-state honors. Penzien, who will move back and forth between attack and midfield, has 71 goals and 49 assists in two seasons.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “He’s always been that long stride taller kid, but this year you see him and he’s physically imposing. He’s got exceptional stick skills and so much lacrosse experience to go with it. He’s a heavy dodger and is really creative with his hands. He’s the guy who is going to put out a highlight goal every couple of games, that sort of mind-boggling stuff special players put out.”
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2. Joey Skoczylas
► School: Brighton
► Class: Junior
► Position: Attack
► Accomplishments: Skoczylas scored four goals during a 9-7 victory that snapped Brighton’s nine-game losing streak in its rivalry with Hartland, but suffered a season-ending injury in the same game. He was still productive enough without being part of a postseason run to make second-team all-state. He had 38 goals and 19 assists in 14 games.
► Coach Jim Carl: “In my mind he’s a preseason All-American. He’s quick, he’s got a great stick and he’s got a great shot. I’m hoping he’s going to be a D1 recruit. He’s going to have to have a good season.”
3. Kellan Hull
► School: Hartland
► Class: Senior
► Position: Faceoffs
► Accomplishments: Hull is the only returning first-team all-stater in the county. He plays a crucial role in the Eagles’ success, creating possessions by winning 70% of his faceoffs last season. Hull is a faceoff specialist who doesn’t have to leave the field immediately, scoring 15 goals and seven assists last year.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “He’s someone we like to use out in the field as well. That’ll be a delicate balance. His hockey background really underpins his versatility in the field. Hockey players know defensive angles and the game comes more naturally to them. It’s hard getting him off the field. We’re confident having him in pretty much any scenario out there.”
4. Nate Anderer
► School: Hartland
► Class: Junior
► Position: Goalie
► Accomplishments: Anderer is one of the best goalies in the state, backstopping the Eagles to the state championship game as a freshman and making second-team all-state as a sophomore. He made 137 saves and held Hartland’s opponents to five goals or fewer in 15 of 22 games last season.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “He’s a guy who has the ability to keep us in games we don’t belong in; hopefully, we don’t find ourselves in that situation too much. He does have that ability to impact a game that’s pretty rare in this sport at the goalie position. He’s the best ball-stopper in the state, and he was last year, too. There are other parts of his game he can improve on. As far as ball-stopping ability, I’d put him against anyone. He’s about the best I’ve seen.”
5. Connor Gilbert
► School: Hartland
► Class: Senior
► Position: Midfielder
► Accomplishments: Gilbert made third-team all-state last season after finishing fourth in scoring for Hartland with 36 goals and 24 assists. He can impact a game on both sides of the ball as a tireless worker in the midfield.
► Coach Steven Petersen: “Connor is pound-for-pound the toughest player I’ve ever coached flat-out. He plays with an aggression and really embodies what we as a program strive for about being smart in the lacrosse aspect of things and being able to physically dominate his matchups. He does that without incurring a lot of penalties. It takes a lot of discipline.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Who are the top 5 boys lacrosse players in Livingston County in 2026?
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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