Big Red Fall Classic: Players Turning Heads

Use code ‘BlackFriday2025′ at checkout to receive 50% off your first payment! For a limited time only, enjoy our biggest sale of the year!    Following my first piece on <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2025/11/big-red-fall-classic-standout-players/">standouts at the Big Red Fall Classic</a>, take a glance at another crop of players from each of the eight teams who were turning heads at this event:    Rischitelli was an impact player for his squad, with the ability to make it happen with and without the ball. In a game vs. Seton Hall Prep, he was able to effectively dodge 1v1 from X and score against his matchup with smooth footwork and a well-placed shot past the goaltender. Against Lawrenceville, he worked well off-ball and finished in traffic on an inside cut and then returned the favor by dodging hard with his head up and hitting an open teammate for a tally in a tightly contested game. The Trinity commit uses his size and strength to his advantage when dodging and also shows good hustle on ground balls or in transition.     Freeman is a player who makes his presence not only known but felt as well anytime he steps onto the field. He throws hard checks and delivers big hits when needed, and does a good job of pressing his matchups and pestering them into bad decisions. At 6'3", he provides good length at the defensive position and displays smooth footwork and a quick change of direction to match speed with his opponent. The Virginia commit communicates well with his teammates and stays active off-ball to prevent easy goals inside. He shows that he can handle the ball in the clearing game and makes smart decisions to not force tough passes into tight windows.     Watts was a big boost of energy for his team as he dominated during the games I saw. He finished with eight face-off wins and a goal vs. Lawrenceville and then tallied 10 total wins vs. Seton Hall Prep, and looked to be in control the entire time in both games. He won it to himself most of the time with little resistance and was able to scoop ground balls with ease, even under pressure. When it turned into a ground ball scrum, the Yale commit did a great job of knocking the ball to space and used his speed to beat the opposition to the punch. He showcased a good handle of the ball and solid stick skills, making the defense respect his shot and playmaking ability.     Bladon was a tough assignment for his matchups at this event. He is a strong lefty attackman who plays with a mix of finesse and bully-ball with the way he dodges. He is big and strong enough to drop his shoulder into his defender and get them off-balance, or he can shimmy and toe-drag his matchup to get underneath for a good look with a quick burst of speed. The Penn State commit tallied a pair of goals vs. La Salle and four goals vs. Taft as he displayed his ability to create space on his dodges and initiate offense to draw slides from the defense. With time and room, he showcased a rocket of a shot and mixed up his shot locations to stay unpredictable.     Stake is a huge energy boost for the Big Red, with his incredible saves and fearless mentality. After a diving stop or rebound, he never takes himself out of a play and is right back to his feet, looking to turn away another opponent's shot with quick hands between the pipes. He finished with six saves vs. Haverford and nine saves vs Loomis Chaffee, where he played a half in each game and made many acrobatic saves look easy. The North Carolina commit does a great job of staying loud and communicating picks to his defenders, and when he makes a save, he is quick to get the ball up and out for a fast break chance. It's also really fun to see how energized the sideline gets after a big save and an emphatic fist pump from their goalie to spark some life.     Melchionni stood out as a wing player on face-offs with his quickness to get to the X and then his knack for finding the ball out of the scrums. He does a good job of communicating with his FOGO to be an outlet between the legs if needed and when in a defensive set. He shows good speed at the LSM position and has the ability to match speed with his opponent when being dodged on and the strength to lay hard checks to the gloves and times his checks well to dislodge the ball. Another outstanding quality that the Bernardsville (N.J.) native shows is his effort and hustle to the end lines to run out shots and fight for possessions in the ground ball battles which cannot be taught.     8 wins, 1g vs lville, 10 wins vs shp   yale commit   good job of kicking ball to space when in scrum     Angel produced at a high level in this event, going up against an immense amount of talent in each game and fighting hard to help his team. He finished with six face-off wins vs Loomis Chaffee and eight wins vs. Haverford, while also producing a momentum-shifting goal to energize the Pirates early in the game. The Fairfield commit showcased good length to out-stretch opponents on ground balls and good stick skills to be able to handle the ball effectively after a face-off win. When he loses the clamp, he does a good job of staying with the play and mixing it up with ground ball piles, and uses his size to box out his opponents for an advantage when it's loose.     Trymbiski's shot power was on full display at this event, with many chances coming with time and room either in a settled set or on EMO. He does a great job of finding the soft spots in the defense to set up for a skip pass or swinging the ball on man-up chances, and can let it fly with power and accuracy. The Hofstra commit finished with two goals vs. Delbarton and then one goal and an assist vs. Western Reserve Academy, with the ability to change planes to keep goalies guessing and the vision to find lanes in the defense to hit an open teammate. He also stayed active by dodging and creating offense for others by getting the defense out of position and drawing help to free up teammates.

Use code ‘BlackFriday2025′ at checkout to receive 50% off your first payment! For a limited time only, enjoy our biggest sale of the year!