Gouse is a show-stopper who rarely comes off the field, showing the ability to control the face-off X while also doubling up as potentially one of the best players on the offensive unit for West Morris. He won 16 face-offs at a 57% clip and also recorded a hat trick and two helpers, with each of his assists coming in the first half when his squad was looking to get things going offensively. He is a big, strong player with the speed to beat his matchup and initiate offense, but also the vision to find open teammates once he draws a double-team. On his first goal, the Maryland commit did a great job of using a screen from his teammate to create separation and get his hands free down the alley, stinging a low-to-high rip. He had back-to-back goals in the 4th quarter, helping his team stay in the game with clean wins off the draw and finding lanes for a transition shot. Gouse had a tough assignment against sophomore Nate Filler, but did a great job of fighting hard on loose balls and staying available offensively for his team.

Drawing comparisons to former Maryland face-off specialist and current Denver Outlaw standout Luke Wierman since last summer, Gouse will be ranked as the No. 1 player at his position when the ’26 rankings get updated this fall. It’s quite the glow-up for a player who was originally tabbed as a three-star by one publication last September, then given a fourth star days after committing to Maryland. To say that Gouse has a tantalizing skill set at the face-off stripe would almost be putting it lightly. As a junior, he won 73 percent (272-of-375) to go with an incredible 40 goals and 12 assists. Gouse is a really impressive athlete with size, skill, and speedy hands, possessing smooth offensive exits and the ability to fill up a stat sheet as a result of his prowess with the ball in his stick. He’s aggressive upon winning the ball to himself, yet doesn’t run into trouble often or take many ill-advised shots, so he’s intelligent about picking his spots.

Gouse just barely missed out on the Top 100, as he’s one of the very best face-off specialists in the entire class. He consistently impressed on the summer circuit, habitually winning the ball cleanly out in front to create early offense. Gouse is phenomenal in that area of the game, as evidenced by his 23 goals and eight assists while winning 71 percent as a sophomore. Stylistically and physically, he’s drawn a handful of comparisons to Luke Wierman, and if he has anything close to that kind of career, then the Terps are in awfully good shape.