Back in late August, I profiled Taraborelli as a prospect I believed would be busy on September 9^th. That theory must have proven true because yesterday Taraborelli committed to Virginia. With that announcement, the Cavaliers landed one of the most dominant face-off specialists in the Mid-Atlantic region. Last spring, Taraborelli won 71% of his faceoffs as he helped push Salesianum to the 2026 Delaware state title. For an encore, Taraborelli won draws at a 70% clip and scored 26 goals on the 2026 summer circuit. Taraborelli is a clean pick-n-pop demon. Once he has possession, Taraborelli can use his speed and polished footwork to explode away from the dot and then sprint into the offensive end to create a scoring chance. Additionally, Taraborelli is a master at executing sweeps, jabs, or pulls that direct the ball into open space. Then his aggressive stick and positioning skills allow Taraborelli to vacuum up the GB and turn upfield. Taraborelli also has the strength and grit to drop to the turf and overpower an opponent for a win.

During Salesianum’s run to the 2026 Delaware state title, Taraborelli won 71% of his face-offs, which allowed Sallies to play downhill all season. Then on the 2026 summer circuit, Taraborelli won draws at a 70% clip and scored 26 goals. Of course, Taraborelli is a master at executing clean pick-n-pops and then exploding away from the face-off dot to create a scoring chance for his team. Still, what really stands out about Taraborelli is his ability to sweep, jab, or pull the rock away from his opponent, then secure the ground ball and swiftly turn upfield. Taraborelli’s polished footwork, relentless motor, and nose for the ball are the keys to those crafty face-off wins. This rising junior’s dynamic speed and ability to protect his stick allow him to carry the ball deep into the offensive end. With his polished, two-handed stick skills, Taraborelli is a threat to score or dish out an assist.    

After watching Paul Taraborelli Paul Taraborelli 5'7" | FO/M | Right Hand Salesianum | 2028 DE at the Terp Classic and NHSLS, I came away thinking really highly of him. He’s got that quick burst you want in a faceoff guy — his hand speed is legit on the whistle, and he’s not just a one-move clamp and go guy. He has counters and exits, and he understands the technical chess match that comes with winning more than just the first draw.

What makes him even more valuable is what he does after he wins it. His strides are short but fast, and it gives him just enough pop to become a transition threat — I saw him bury multiple goals this fall because he can turn a 50/50 into a fast break in two steps. The most impressive part of his game, though, is the mentality. He doesn’t back down. He took reps against some high-end guys this fall, took a beating at times, and still kept showing up to the stripe. Even when he had a couple of hiccups at NHSLS, I liked how he responded. He had the endurance to reset, get right back on, and keep battling with a fresh mindset. Taraborelli’s a FOGO in the 2028 class that people should know.