Class of 2026: New Jersey Face-Off Specialists to Watch

Coming off an outstanding spring season and now finishing up summer tournaments, let's check out the rising junior face-off specialists to keep an eye out for as we head into fall-ball:    McCaffery had a great sophomore season at the face-off X, winning 73% of the time with 133 total face-off wins for the season, while also adding 22 goals and 2 assists. He splits time at Allentown High School with his older brother, Sean, who is a rising senior, so he isn't taking every rep, but he makes the most of the time he's given. He has shown the ability to control the face-off X with his quick hands and athleticism. He is also able to create a lot of opportunities offensively as an instant fast-break starter and is a true threat with the ball in his stick. He puts good power and placement on his shots and has the strength to absorb contact on his way to the rack.     [player_tooltip player_id='24393' first='Lucas' last='Angel'] is a dynamic face-off specialist with his six-foot frame and strength to grind out face-offs for Seton Hall Prep in the spring and Towermen Lacrosse in the summer. He has played high-level varsity lacrosse for two seasons now, seeing much more time and production as a sophomore, totaling 78 face-offs won at a 74% clip. He is athletic and can create offense off the jump with solid stick skills, speed, and good decision-making. He is a smart player and shows patience by not forcing shots, but instead settling it down and letting his offense work. With the graduation of Stevens-bound Luigi Pantano, Angel will likely split time with Middlebury commit [player_tooltip player_id='127099' first='Teddy' last='Coyle'] this spring.     Gouse was thrown into the mix a little bit as a freshman, but as a sophomore, he took on the workload and made a splash at West Morris Central as an underclassman. He finished the year winning 71% of his face-offs with a total of 244 draw wins while netting 23 goals and dishing out 8 assists. He has quick hands and can generate quick offense with his aggressive style of play. He likes pushing it on a fast break after a win and has good shot selection and placement, but he also has the stick skills to be able to stay on and play offense if he likes his matchup against the opposing FOGO stuck on defense. More than likely, Gouse will see the same field time in his third year and will look to avenge their state final loss last spring.     Parker Reese has great technique from the face-off X and can win in a variety of ways including getting in a ground ball scrum to fight for the ball. He's quick to the clamp and can either flip it to his teammate between his legs or he can pop it out in front of him and start a transition opportunity. His ground ball skills are smooth, totaling 101 as a sophomore, and he doesn't get flustered when getting pressured by a long stick. He has also shown the ability to handle the ball with solid stick skills and smart decisions. After getting his feet wet as a freshman with a 57% win percentage, he bumped that up to 66% as a sophomore with 194 total wins and had a goal and 4 assists in the process.     While Morris Hills did not have the season they were hoping for last spring, it gave Ryan McGavin another year to polish his game and experience life at the varsity level. He won 176 draws for a 64% win rate and added 88 ground balls, 3 goals, and 2 assists along with that. With Patriot Lacrosse, he shows his quick reaction time and speed. McGavin can kickstart the offense in a split second. He controls the X and is smart about where to pop it out to show patience with the ball in his stick and allows the offense to get into their sets. He also has good stick skills and doesn't crack under the pressure of being guarded by a long pole. Heading into his junior year, McGavin will likely be the go-to option once again for the Scarlet Knights.     Antonelli has the strength and athleticism you like seeing in a face-off specialist. Spending the spring with Blair Academy and summer with Tri-State, he has shined with his ability to quickly clamp the ball, and then from there he looks to find his teammates or flip it up to himself. He is tough and grinds out ground ball battles if he is unable to win the face-off cleanly. Antonelli shows patience with the ball in transition and doesn't allow himself to make unforced errors. He does have the skill to get to the goal when he has a lane or draws a defender and dumps it off and does so with good stick skills and mixing up his shot placement. He finished his sophomore season at Blair Academy with 291 wins at 63%, 138 ground balls, 8 goals, and 4 assists.     The Delbarton product saw his first varsity action last spring and played well with the chances given to him. He totaled 109 faceoff wins at a 63% win rate and 5 goals. He likes the 'pinch and pop' method and has good fundamentals at the X, along with the speed to create opportunities in transition. He has an aggressive mentality and is always looking to find a goal off a face-off win. When nothing is available, he can handle the ball and stay on offense if he likes his matchup. His stick skills are superb and he can pass and shoot fluently with either hand. With the departure of Ryan Trafford (Navy), Troczynski should take the reins this spring and be the number one option for the Green Wave.    Check back soon for the rest of the rising junior position players to watch!

Coming off an outstanding spring season and now finishing up summer tournaments, let's check out the rising junior face-off specialists to keep an eye out for as we head into fall-ball: