Tate Starr is a powerful, two-way midfielder who brings size, speed, & a big lefty sidewinder rip to the middle of the field. A stretch shooter by nature, Tate utilizes a heavy step-down with the ability to change hands, angles, & finish on the run. At his best, Starr is a downhill dodger who physically imposes himself on short sticks & doesn’t shy away from a slide or double team. He’s comfortable initiating, using rollbacks, rockers, & hesitations to create separation before uncorking high-velocity shots. Tate shows the ability to finish with his right hand when defenses overplay his strong side & he can be particularly effective in pairs or two-man action. Starr uses his athleticism to play fast without forcing the issue. Defensively, his on-ball work stands out, using his size & foot speed to be disruptive. Tate is smart & effective in transition, which makes him a tough assignment. After returning to full health over the past year, Starr looks primed to assert himself as a true all-around midfield presence for the Big Red. He is verbally committed to Virginia.

Part of an influx of recent Lawrenceville transfers from California, Starr stood out last weekend as being superb on both ends of the field and finished his day in style by posting a hat trick in the Tide’s finale. The explosive left-hander has an excellent first step and strong footwork that he uses to create separation, proving to be tough to keep up with throughout the event. On the defensive end, he was able to match feet with some of the quicker middies and plays with a high motor and strong instincts. In that third and final game of the day, Starr switched back to his right hand on a re-dodge, cocked his stick head back low to make it difficult for the goalie to get a read on the shot. On his next, he fired another shot to a similar spot, then his third and final goal was his prettiest, being a bit of a hybrid face dodge/toe drag on the wing late in the game. With the Big Red having to replace much of its defensive midfield unit from a year ago, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him find his way as a SSDM in the spring.