Having committed to Yale on the 17th, Pinardi terrorized the NHIAA last season. He was Pinkerton’s most effective and consistent weapon, scoring five goals in the state title game for the Astros, which helped deliver a championship. He’s very low to the ground and has incredible body control, which helps when taking draws, but also absorbing contact. The playbook on some face-off guys is to beat on them until they relent – that does not work on Pinardi, who is just as much of a threat with the ball after the draw as he is at winning the war of attrition that determines possessions. Is he an offensive middie that takes face-offs? The truth is that Pinardi is as close to that description as you can get.

Pinardi has made a real name for himself this fall, consistently holding his own against some of the top faceoff specialists in the 2028 class. As a freshman at Pinkerton, he earned Second Team All-State honors, and he’s far from just a FOGO—he can play the field and contribute. At the X, his hands are lightning quick to the clamp, and his exits are just as fast—honestly, some of the quickest hands I’ve seen in the ’28 class. When he gets on a run, he’s usually winning it forward and jump-starting transition. One of the more impressive parts of his game is how comfortable he is with the ball. He handles pressure well, can pass and shoot with both hands, and, just as importantly, understands his role and plays within it.