LSMs Who Can Come Up Big in the CT Playoffs

Yet another of the hyper-talented group of defenders in New Canaan, Hayes, a Denver commit, probably gets the least amount of pub relative to the impact he has. Hayes has a smoothness to his game. He almost appears to be in slow motion while on the ball at times, but in a good way. He always has a good approach to the ball, positioning himself to drive a dodger where the defense wants him to go. Hayes doesn’t throw a ton of checks, but the one he does throw knocks the ball loose. He waits for the right moment or for his man to show some stick, and then it’s a single slap or poke to dislodge the ball. Even with all the talented poles for New Canaan, there are certain games where Hayes still draws the top matchup. Hayes is a key part of the faceoff unit for New Canaan as well, and he’s ferocious on GBs from wings. He had a pair of goals against Wilton in the FCIAC title game a year ago and is the type of shooter that makes you wonder if the Rams should try him on extra man.

Bonner has had an exceptional year for Darien. He is on the wings for faceoffs, where he actually is heavily relied on as part of the plan to win draws. Darien hasn’t had a lot of success winning draws cleanly with its face-off specialists this year, but Bonner has been a major part in masking that disadvantage. He’s aggressive on-ball, and he’s great in a ground ball scrum. He knocks the ball to space, and gets it upfield in a hurry. Off the ball, his stick is always active. He’ll steal a possession or two with a deflected pass or a knockdown in each game. If Darien needs the ball, Bonner is the guy to get it for them.

Flanagan, for my money, has the best stick skills of any pole in the state. In the open field, with the ball or without it, Flanagan is a highlight reel waiting to happen. He’s on the field a ton for the Warriors, staying on for offense at times, and appearing on the extra man at times as well. Flanagan will pick up a ball in a crowd, feel pressure on his hands or the bottom of his stick, and snap off a BTB pass to a player who just came out of the box. He knows where players are going to be, both on his team and for the opposition. Flanagan excels at punishing lazy play. Throw a pass flat-footed, and his stick will deflect it or just pick it clean. Try and stand while your team subs, he’ll be all over you trying to force a turnover.

Pagano missed a bit of time this year due to injury but has been making up for it in recent action. Another of the new school poles who is skilled enough to play both ends of the field, Pagano will be a major part of his team’s success should they make a run through the state tournament. He’s a two-sport athlete who is also excellent in football. Like a lot of the great poles in the FCIAC, if you aren’t running at full speed while he’s covering you, it’s probably already too late. Pagano will find any little bit of stick his man leaves exposed, and get a check on it. Of all the poles in this group, he’s probably the one most likely to leave you yelling, “YARD SALE.” He also understands the transition game well, and how to be an offensive threat. He finishes lanes through the front of the crease and can handle feeds well, even if they’re a bit off the mark.

Dowd at LSM might be a stretch, but he can really play anywhere for Ridgefield, going where the top matchup is. If your best player is attack, he’s getting matched up with Dowd. If the bigger impact is from the midfield, that’s where you’ll see Dowd. His strength is that he just doesn’t buy head and shoulder fakes. A shoulder shake to send him the wrong way just doesn’t work. He sits on and follows his man’s hips and feet, staying in his position. He does his best cover work from below GLE, but make no mistake he’s a high-level LSM if need be. He plays the leverage game very well and understands when a well-timed shove to his man’s hips will drive him off his line and force him to move the ball or lose the ball.

Kim is an underrated pole who is very good on ground balls. He is just always around the ball when it’s loose. He plays bigger than his size, and he isn’t small. He stands around 5’11 and 180 lbs, but hunts contact. He looks like he enjoys the physical part of the game. Coming from wings, he races to the draw like a missile, and runs through the ball and anyone in the way. He has exceptional speed, particularly in the open field. Going end to end for him is a fast break in the making.

McCarthy is at his best when he starts playing from the ride. He’ll patrol the middle of the field as the opposition tries to clear, hunting either poor clearing pass, or picking up the ball carrier right at midfield. McCarthy is relentless in these scenarios, hounding his man with both pushes on the hips and lifts or slaps to the gloves. It’s the kind of play that can just wear down your midfielders and clearing players over the course of a game. He won’t stop every clear, but later in the game, midfielders will feel all those checks, and it has an impact. McCarthy also has a great nose for the ball, he reads the play of scrums well and positions himself to be able to make a play of every loose ball, particularly coming from faceoff wings.

A number of this group are upperclassmen, graduating this year or next. Maurillo represents the future of the position in CT. A freshman on varsity at Staples, and getting impact minutes including faceoff wings and regular LSM play, Maurillo is exceptionally athletic. He plays for the varsity football team as well. Cracking one, let alone both, of those varsity lineups at Staples as an underclassman is impressive. Maurillo is long and lean, he has the type of build that’s typical of an LSM. He plays with an understanding of the position and his matchups beyond his years. He’s good enough to play down low and could feasibly make the move in the future, but his athleticism makes him a major asset between the lines.