Mallory was undoubtedly one of the more intriguing midfield prospects that I saw this fall, standing out at the IL ID Experience and continuing to pop on film. A throwback of sorts, he checks a lot of boxes with his two-way versatility and ability to do a bevy of things at an exceptional level. Mallory dodges hard and with purpose every time, shooting a pretty ball both with his feet set and stationary. Beyond his prowess with the ball in his stick, I’ve been incredibly impressed with his groundball work and decision-making, as he keeps mental errors to a minimum. A skilled and unselfish passer, he does all of the little things well and is a bonafide workhorse between the boxes, quickly getting the ball off the carpet and moving the ball downfield. When he gets dodged, his matchup seldom accomplishes much of anything, so he’s rather useful on that side of the ball as well.

Mallory put together an incredibly impressive IDX campaign last Sunday, popping off for two goals and an assist in Game 1. The Ridgefield (Conn.) native’s first tally came on a sweet hitch that caused his man to lose his footing before Mallory nailed a jumper on a well-placed high-to-low offering. Shortly after a teammate dropped his pass, he hustled up to the midline and picked up a contested GB to retain possession, then a minute later, he recognized that he had an open net and tossed a 25-yard pass to one of his team’s attackmen for a tally. In the second half, Mallory scored on a long dodge from the right alley, finding the top left corner and continuing to show off his shot on the run throughout the day. Overall, Mallory’s a heady and highly skilled player who plays with poise and swagger. He’s constantly hustling all over the field and looking for the open man just as much as he’s looking to get his as a shooter.