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.

Fairfield Prep suffered a big loss early when Cooper Callahan Cooper Callahan 5'8" | 185 lbs | LSM Fairfield College Preparatory | 2024 CT went down with a lower body injury, and missed most of the game. It pressed players like McCarthy into larger roles. McCarthy’s presence was felt on every LSM shift. Cheshire struggled to clear against the Prep ride, and a key part of that ride is the LSM who plays in the middle of the field like a free safety. McCarthy picked up ball carriers coming over the midline, harassing them both with stick and body checks. He was also a force on the wings. Prep’s Ryan Backus and Cheshire’s Ryan Grove Ryan Grove 6'1" | 175 lbs | FO | Right Hand Cheshire | 2024 CT had a great back-and-forth at the faceoff spot, and wing play was paramount. McCarthy was excellent on ground balls in scrums off faceoffs, winning possession at critical moments for Prep as they mounted a late comeback to force OT.