'Shire Strong: New Hampshire's FOGO and Midfield Fall Standouts

New Hampshire prospects showed out on the fall club circuit, and a handful of faceoff specialists and midfielders made it clear the Granite State has some real talent coming up. From committed players to uncommitted names and a couple of rising 2028s — along with sophomores like [player_tooltip player_id='170692' first='Sam' last='Barad'], [player_tooltip player_id='167836' first='Zach' last='Taylor'], and [player_tooltip player_id='168682' first='Jack' last='Redfern'] that we covered earlier this fall — these guys made plays, won matchups, and represented the ‘Shire the right way. Here's a look at six New Hampshire standouts who turned heads this fall.    [player_tooltip player_id='172854' first='Owen' last='Tucker'] was a name that kept coming up at the NAL Fall Invitational, and it didn't take long to see why. He's a confident scorer who finds the back of the net in a bunch of different ways. Against SouthShore, he finished with three goals—one grinding his way to the middle, one off a quick lefty rollback, and another where he lowered his shoulder, set his feet, and ripped it. Against Shore2Shore, he added a goal that turned heads. It was on an inside roll near the goal line, and he finished it going one-handed, low to high, and behind the back.   You can't leave Tucker on an island. He's comfortable playing into contact and has a good feel for when to lean into his defender and when to spin off. He gets his hands free with rollbacks, can finish with either hand, and doesn't need much space to get a shot off. He's also quick enough to create his own separation—planting his foot, getting downhill, and letting it go before help can arrive. If I'm a coach looking for someone who can change a game with the ball in his stick, Tucker is a guy I'm keeping tabs on.     [player_tooltip player_id='143564' first='Ace' last='Daigneault']'s game can be summed up as slick, fast-twitch, and competitive. He's a true two-way midfielder who can fit into multiple roles at the next level. His quickness shows up everywhere—getting to groundballs, breaking out in transition, cutting, and dodging—which makes him a natural option to get immediate runs on the wings off faceoffs at UMass, where he committed in November.   On the offensive end, he's a competitor who makes plays without forcing the issue. He can kick-start an offense with his dodging, consistently drawing slides and flowing smoothly between both hands to find skips with his vision. When he shoots, he's adaptable, using different releases both on the run and with his feet set to get shots off quickly. Defensively, his footwork and quickness stand out, allowing him to bump and run with the fastest dodgers. Transition is where he really excels—scooping groundballs, pushing tempo, serving as a one-man clear, and turning defense into offense.     The 6'4”, 200-pound midfielder can kick-start an offense with his downhill dodging and re-dodge game alone. With that kind of size, defenses are forced to throw a body at him—and even then, he finds ways to get his hands free and draw slides. He's the type of dodger who gets into his matchup and holds him hostage in shooting range, almost like Luka Doncic does in basketball. It freezes help defenders, and from there Griffin can re-dodge in a number of ways.   He loves to body up, shrug defenders off, and free his hands, but he's just as comfortable S-dodging, rolling back, or splitting to either hand. He generates real heat on his shot and especially likes going to his high bouncer. Because of the threat he poses as a scorer, defenses have to slide, and he's more than willing to play the role of party starter—racking up assists and hockey assists by moving the ball when help comes. With his size, skill set, and two-way potential, Griffin fits a variety of offensive systems and should be a strong option for college programs still searching for an impact midfielder with two-way potential.     [player_tooltip player_id='172849' first='Dylan' last='Riccio'], a recent UMass Lowell commit, dominated the X in the games I saw him play this fall. His hand speed was off the charts, especially against SouthShore at NAL where he went 11-for-14. The way he uses his entire body—particularly his wrists and legs—to win the ground control battle really stands out. When draws turn into scraps, his exits are calculated and controlled, but when he gets on a roll, he's popping it forward and burning opponents with speed.   Riccio is a rare left-handed faceoff specialist who switches hands after the exit, and it clearly works—he racked up over 200 groundballs during his sophomore season at Bedford. In the open field, he's comfortable under pressure, showing great body awareness and creativity to avoid checks. Some coaches may hesitate because of his left-handed tendencies, but I see Riccio continuing to dominate at the X as he makes the jump to the next level.     Pinardi has made a real name for himself this fall, consistently holding his own against some of the top faceoff specialists in the 2028 class. As a freshman at Pinkerton, he earned Second Team All-State honors, and he's far from just a FOGO—he can play the field and contribute. At the X, his hands are lightning quick to the clamp, and his exits are just as fast—honestly, some of the quickest hands I've seen in the '28 class. When he gets on a run, he's usually winning it forward and jump-starting transition. One of the more impressive parts of his game is how comfortable he is with the ball. He handles pressure well, can pass and shoot with both hands, and, just as importantly, understands his role and plays within it.     Axtell, one of two impressive faceoff specialists on the '28 4 Leaf team, is known for how quick he is at the X. The most impressive part of his game is his exit speed. He doesn't get caught up in many tie-ups because he doesn't waste time trying to win 100% of the ball—once he has 51%, he's gone.   At the IMLCA Players Summit, he won a lot of draws forward and played it smart by moving the ball quickly to his attackmen, but he's just as comfortable directing his wings or exiting backward when needed. He's not a big scoring threat, but that's not due to a lack of stick skills. Under pressure, he's calm and confident, using both hands and a variety of release points to move the ball to open teammates.

New Hampshire prospects showed out on the fall club circuit, and a handful of faceoff specialists and midfielders made it clear the Granite State has some real talent coming up. From committed players to uncommitted names and a couple of rising 2028s — along with sophomores like Sam Barad Sam Barad 6'3" | 190 lbs | M/A | Right Hand Holderness | 2028 NH , Zach Taylor Zach Taylor 6'0" | 190 lbs | A/M | Right Hand Holderness | 2028 NH , and Jack Redfern Jack Redfern 5'9" | A/M Bishop Guertin | 2028 NH that we covered earlier this fall — these guys made plays, won matchups, and represented the ‘Shire the right way. Here's a look at six New Hampshire standouts who turned heads this fall.