DuFour scored a beautiful goal where he dodged down the right-hand alley, and at the last second, he dipped underneath his defender. DuFour then flipped his stick into his left hand and fired a shot into the back of the net. Even more impressive than that goal was the way DuFour quarterbacked the SJC offense all game. DuFour’s quick burst and polished stick skills enabled him to put pressure on Hill’s defense all day. His high IQ and field awareness were on full display Wednesday evening, too. The Bucknell coaching staff is going to love DuFour’s non-stop motor and ability to read a defense.

If it were up to me, Brendan DuFour would’ve earned Player of the Game honors for his performance against IMG Academy on Friday. The Bucknell commit put together a complete effort, finishing with a hat trick and an assist while consistently generating offense for St. John’s. DuFour makes life difficult for defenses in several ways. He’s exceptional at initiating from up top — accelerating downhill with a full head of steam and using his agility to slip past checks. Even when slides arrive on time, his quickness makes it tough for defenders to take clean angles.

If I were a defensive coordinator game-planning for SJC, I’d seriously consider putting a pole on him and committing to a hard double when he gets hot. The risk, however, is that he processes the game quickly — capable of skipping passes through the defense or moving the ball fast enough to force rotations and open looks elsewhere. Friday’s performance should make opposing defenses rethink how they approach him. DuFour’s game has him trending toward All-WCAC consideration — and if he keeps this pace, a first or second team selection wouldn’t be a surprise after earning honorable mention last year.