Virginia-Bound LSM Robby Hopper Turning Heads in South Korea

Robby Hopper’s feet hang off the bed and he has to duck down to wet his hair in the shower in his room in South Korea.

“It’s so much different from being back at home,” Hopper said. “I’m a pretty big dude, ya know? Everything is smaller.”

The 6-foot-5 long-stick midfielder from Severna Park, Md., also has stood tall for the U.S. Men’s U20 National Team in Seogwipo on Jeju Island during their 3-0 Pool A run at the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship.

A menacing presence for a U.S. defense that allowed just six even-strength goals during pool play, Hopper has caused four turnovers and patrolled the wings for a faceoff unit (47-for-60, 78 percent) that has tilted the field heavily in the American’s favor. 

“He's doing a lot of the same stuff I'd see every day in practice,” said Evan Hockel, Hopper’s coach at Archbishop Spalding (Md.). “Scooping a ground ball off a faceoff wing, running down, hitting a point man leading to a goal. He's doing the same stuff and it's obviously exciting to see. It's not surprising to us all.”

Hopper’s status has rocketed through his high school career. His selection to the U20 team was more affirmation of his rapid growth as he gears up to head to Virginia. He was not part of the original group that tried out for the U20 team but stood out immediately when head coach Shawn Nadelen invited him. He’s the only LSM the staff kept on the roster, one of four incoming college freshmen on the U.S. U20 team. He has another future Virginia teammate in Brendan Millon.

“I was a little nervous coming in here,” Hopper said. “Us four freshmen, we are coming from being the top freshmen in our class to playing kids who are older, bigger, stronger, faster. It's a way different pace. And it's a whole different mentality.”

Hopper, who also played in the All-America Lacrosse Senior Game this summer, posted huge numbers over his last two years of high school. After playing close defense for Spalding as a sophomore, he moved back to LSM. He had 60 ground balls, 31 caused turnovers, five goals and three assists as a junior, then posted a monster senior year in leading Spalding to an 18-2 season and the MIAA championship game with 71 ground balls, 33 caused turnovers, 13 goals and nine assists. 

“He literally affects the game from end line to end line,” Hockel said. “Players like that are just a rare breed. He could play all over the field and do it really, really well.”

Hopper impressed not just MIAA coaches, but programs like Brunswick School (Conn.) and St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) as well as college coaches. He vaulted into the top 10 of his recruiting class overall, with Inside Lacrosse rating as the No. 1 LSM. He became a can’t-miss prospect.

“He’s absolutely electrifying,” Virginia coach Lars Tiffany said. “The speed at which he picks up a loose ball and either fires it sidearm out of his stick to a teammate, or uses his own legs to get the ball up the field as fast as possible is electrifying. Then you start noticing that he does have foundational principles of on-ball defense. He's not just a takeaway artist.”

Hopper took more risks in high school than he can with the U20 team. He’s kept the attributes that have made him stand out while falling in line with a more disciplined approach to the game. 

“He's a difference maker,” U.S. defensive coordinator Ryan McClay said. “He's a disruptor. He has figured it out without too much of us having to create a map for him. That's probably because he's got guys like Shawn (Lyght), Kyle (Foster) and Q (Quinlan Kilrain) behind him, talking him through.”

The world championship is not only another step in Hopper’s development. It’s also his first time playing for a U.S. national team, and it’s especially meaningful to him after both of his grandfathers served in the Air Force.

“I’m not serving in the military but wearing those colors across my chest and on my body is a whole new experience,” Hopper said. “It means more to me than just lacrosse.”

The world stage has allowed more in the game to see his talents before he heads to college. Tiffany likens Hopper to alum and current Premier Lacrosse League all-star Jared Conners. He is hopeful there will be similar development for the potential star at UVA. Hockel wouldn’t be surprised if he’s starting by the end of the year.

“Jared took it to heart that he needed to be better as a squat down defenseman and he became much better and a much more trusted teammate as he became better and more focused on that,” Tiffany said. “That's what will continue Robby's progression.”

On an international level, Hopper’s emergence feels like that of two-time U.S. senior team long pole Michael Ehrhardt, whose MVP performance at the 2018 world championship in Israel launched an incredible pro run culminating in five straight PLL LSM of the Year honors and a second gold medal in 2023.

Hopper, 18, is the youngest member of a U.S. U20 defensive unit that’s replete with college-experienced defensemen and short-stick defensive midfielders. They’ll look to continue their suffocating ways in the quarterfinals Thursday against England.

“Our basic, core defense works best for us when we’re all just talking, flying around, getting hands on ball,” Hopper said. “That’s when I feel like we are at our best.”