Upstart Avon Old Farms Turns Heads in 10–7 Win at Salisbury

Off to a 3-1 start under new head coach Taylor Pirie, Avon Old Farms heads into Wednesday's much-anticipated tilt with Founders League rival Choate with confidence, having landed a signature 10-7 win at Salisbury on Saturday night. The Winged Beavers jumped out to a 6-2 halftime lead and ultimately helped fend off Salisbury's late run, with Avon flexing both star power and high-level complementary play all over the field. In addition to the players who were highlighted in-depth in the eval blocks below, Hopkins-bound PG Tanner Shimko had a rock-solid outing in cage and was at his best late in the game, backstopping a defense that effectively clamped down on Salisbury's heralded offensive weapons. While Skidmore recruit [player_tooltip player_id='176194' first='Parker' last='Gibson'] stole the show with a five-goal outing, fellow middies James Norman, [player_tooltip player_id='171322' first='Owen' last='Morret'], Peter Nelson, and SSDM [player_tooltip player_id='121281' first='Tristan' last='Blaine'] showed well, too, among others.    A tall drink of water at 6'4, Gibson was unbelievably efficient and timely during his five-goal showing on just six shots. Considering his output, the ball wasn't in his stick much, yet he couldn't miss. Above all, it was when he scored that made all the difference. After cutting and finishing a feed from [player_tooltip player_id='123836' first='Luke' last='Mullen'] early in the second quarter, he gave the Winged Beavers all the momentum in the world by scoring with 17 seconds left in the half on an EMO blast that he sent offside high. From there, Gibson helped Avon respond to a two-goal 'Bury run by netting one with just over a minute left in the third, then added another on a stellar individual effort with 10 seconds left. Finally, he scored with just a few minutes left in the game to put the game away for good. While Gibson may not have any one quality that will blow people away, he fights hard for his opportunities and is perfectly comfortable darting through contact, even if it means taking a beating. He's savvy off-ball, too, cutting as soon as he sees the back of his opponent's helmet. Gibson knows how to use his size to his advantage as well, often swimming through traffic. In addition to his five goals, he had a big groundball in the middle of the field and a pretty hockey assist. I liked what I saw from him on film a year ago, but it's clear that he's leveled up and looks every bit a player that will make a four-year impact at Skidmore.     On Saturday night, it took only a few seconds for Lippert to make his presence felt by winning the opening face-off and feeding [player_tooltip player_id='123836' first='Luke' last='Mullen']. Confident with the ball and tough as nails, he got better as the game progressed and adjusted admirably to help Avon win 8-of-9 in the second half. The Ontario native is mechanically sound, sharp with his defensive exits, and has the ability to win the ball regularly even when he loses the clamp. Somewhere around 5'10 and 190 pounds, he's hard-nosed and has the frame to physically overwhelm his opponent over the course of the game. The other night, Lippert did exactly that against one of the more highly touted face-off specialists in the 2026 class. In addition, his stick skills are some of the best at the position, which is no surprise given his box lacrosse background. He'll add to an exceptionally talented face-off unit in Happy Valley.     <a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2026/01/new-england-preps-transfers-bound-to-make-an-impact-in-2026/">Mullen has been highlighted extensively by our Prep Lacrosse scouts</a>, both during his time as a highly productive '27 at South Side (N.Y.) and as a noteworthy transfer as a '28 for the Winged Beavers. So far, he's off to a hot start and has pumped in 10 goals and three assists through four games. Against Salisbury, he got on the board twice in the first quarter to help set the tone. Never shy about shooting the ball, he's at his best from the left-handed wing and can absolutely let it fly from a variety of release points, though he favors the low-to-high. Perfectly comfortable shooting from low angles, he did so late in the first quarter on EMO thanks to an assist from [player_tooltip player_id='37506' first='James' last='Towers'], who served as a set-up man for Avon's offense in the early goings. There's a lengthy list of elite '28 shooters in New England, and Mullen is undoubtedly near the top.     Possessing a big, burly frame and powerful lower body, Nacar is a physical 'do your job' type of lefty. On Saturday, he was tasked with shadowing a heralded ACC-bound goalscorer, and Nacar didn't allow much of anything other than an EMO assist. Right now, his feet are still catching up with his body, so while that's an area that he could stand to improve, he checks several other boxes and knows how to make the little yet impactful plays to help influence an outcome. He laid a big hit, then showed excellent hustle on a run-out near the end of the first quarter, and continued to maintain his physicality throughout the game. Nacar threw a subtle poke check to force a pass out of bounds on a critical possession when the score was 9-6. With a few minutes left in the game, he had a pretty goose to himself in a tight window with three 'Bury players in the vicinity. At this stage, Nacar looks like a prospect who could wind up in the NESCAC.

Off to a 3-1 start under new head coach Taylor Pirie, Avon Old Farms heads into Wednesday's much-anticipated tilt with Founders League rival Choate with confidence, having landed a signature 10-7 win at Salisbury on Saturday night.

The Winged Beavers jumped out to a 6-2 halftime lead and ultimately helped fend off Salisbury's late run, with Avon flexing both star power and high-level complementary play all over the field. In addition to the players who were highlighted in-depth in the eval blocks below, Hopkins-bound PG Tanner Shimko had a rock-solid outing in cage and was at his best late in the game, backstopping a defense that effectively clamped down on Salisbury's heralded offensive weapons. While Skidmore recruit Parker Gibson Parker Gibson 6'4" | M | Right Hand Avon Old Farms | 2026 CT stole the show with a five-goal outing, fellow middies James Norman, Owen Morret Owen Morret 6'0" | M Avon Old Farms | 2028 CT , Peter Nelson, and SSDM Tristan Blaine Tristan Blaine 6'0" | 200 lbs | SSDM/M | Right Hand Avon Old Farms | 2026 CT showed well, too, among others.