Flipped from Virginia to Princeton…

Gilbane could be a program defining addition by the Princeton coaching staff. During his highly decorated junior campaign, Gilbane registered 53 goals to go along with 37 assists as he pushed N&G to their second consecutive ISL championship. Gilbane is a speedy and aggressive offensive prospect with elite stick skills. His ability to play with both hands really separates him from other attackmen in the Class of 2026. Gilbane’s explosive first step and cut back abilities make him impossible to defend 1v1. Gilbane’s solid frame enables him to run through significant contact on his charges to the net. He owns filthy shooting skills and can find the back on the net from multiple angles while on the run or via step downs.

Right off the bat, I’m cheating a bit here, given that Gilbane was written up as part of late August’s ‘Attackmen to Know’ piece that covered the top players at the position that hadn’t yet been written up. But, in case you missed it:

“Gilbane already has a whopping 145 points to his name over his first two seasons in one of the nation’s best leagues, bursting onto the scene with a 90-point freshman year before following that up with 35 goals and 20 assists while facing more attention as a sophomore. As one of the more two-handed ’26 recruits, he’s equally capable of doing damage with both his left and right while largely operating from the wings. Gilbane is a tough and intelligent dodger who can shake off contact (he also plays hockey) and get to his spots, he’s comfortable dodging from many different areas and is formidable when attacking from below the goal line.”

When talking to college coaches, there was a ton of intrigue about the versatility of Gilbane, who could end up in the Ivy League.

“He’s such an interesting one because there’s a spectrum of how people view him,” said an assistant on an NCAA Tournament team. “No matter what you’re looking for, he can fill that hole – lefty wing, righty wing, at X, and if you wanted to run him out of the box, he could probably do that, too.”

Gilbane already has a whopping 145 points to his name over his first two seasons in one of the nation’s best leagues, bursting onto the scene with a 90-point freshman year before following that up with 35 goals and 20 assists while facing more attention as a sophomore. As one of the more two-handed ’26 recruits, he’s equally capable of doing damage with both his left and right while largely operating from the wings. Gilbane is a tough and intelligent dodger who can shake off contact (he also plays hockey) and get to his spots, he’s comfortable dodging from many different areas and is formidable when attacking from below the goal line.