Section V boys lacrosse coaches, players rank top faceoff specialists

Every day in practice, Hilton's faceoff pair of Michael Mitrano and Drew O'Buck feel they're facing one of Section V's best. An example of iron sharpening iron.

The duo is a major reason why Hilton is peaking down the stretch and, according to another Section V coach, "Not a team I'd like to face right now."

Mitrano and O'Buck typically alternate faceoffs during games and, according to Cadets coach Tim Byrnes, enjoy the friendly competition.

"With Michael and Drew, they feed off each other. They try to match each other. They get along with each other quite well but also have pride in their individual games," Byrnes said. "The thing I like about those guys, they do a good job of reading the faceoff itself. Can they go right to goal, or do we just need possession?"

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Offering a pair of specialists is an added layer for opponents to consider, and arguably an advantage. McQuaid and Victor are two other Section V teams who lean on multiple specialists at the X to great success.

"One of the challenges is that each kid is unique. One may be a little bit stronger in a technique than the other. You have to be able to prepare for both," Fairport coach Mike Torrelli said. "I think one of the reasons Victor is good, they have the two Ricci boys (JT and Eli), and while they're brothers each has a different strength than the other. That creates problems for teams with one guy."

With O'Buck winning faceoffs at a 70% rate and Mitrano at 64%, the pair has proven a worthy tandem while providing a stiff test for some of Section V's other top specialists. This season, Hilton has faced five of the current top 10 players in Section V in faceoff wins, and the Mitrano-O'Buck pairing has won 56% of their draws in those meetings.

If that production continues, the Cadets could prove a tough out in postseason play.

"We're starting to understand that we're not a run-and-gun team, and we depend on Michael and Drew to gain possession," Byrnes said. "Having those guys, I feel pretty good."

Irondequoit's Jonah Carrier separated by all-around game

In an era of specialization, what elevates Irondequoit senior Jonah Carrier, according to Section V coaches, is that he's the complete package at midfield.

While winning nearly 80% of his faceoffs, Carrier's 33 goals ranks 25th in Section V. He's one of two specialists in the Rochester area -- HFL's Drew Angelo is the other -- with at least 30 goals and 200 faceoff wins this season.

"He's a complete midfielder. He's old school," Fairport's Torrelli said. "His technique is impeccable. And on top of that, he can score a goal from 16 yards out. I listed him as my No. 1 because he does so much more than win faceoffs."

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In the ultimate sign of respect when facing Carrier, Section V coaches anticipate losing at the X and align their players accordingly. When Byrnes' Cadets matched up against Irondequoit earlier this season, they set long sticks on the wings in an attempt to limit instant offense.

A player of that caliber also forces teams to slow the pace on their own offensive possessions, to limit faceoff opportunities and scoring runs.

"It's one thing to lose a draw, but to give time and space after, that's where it can be scary," Byrnes said. "If one of our guys wins it, it's a bonus. If they don't we automatically drop back to try and prevent a fast break, because that can really swing a game."

Said Torrelli, "(University of Maryland) got themselves one heck of a player. And not for nothing, he's a great young man."

Super sophomores show future is bright in Section V boys lacrosse

In the final days of the regular season -- Section V will determine its postseason brackets on May 17 -- four 10th graders are currently among the top 15 in faceoff win percentage: McQuaid's Dom Giangreco, Fairport's Corey Roeser, Greece's Eric Odell and Rush-Henrietta's Preston Jackson.

How does youth thrive at a position that, in theory, would favor experience and strength?

"It's a position they've decided to pursue, and when the kid does that they spend a lot of time working on their craft. And faceoffs are a craft," said Torrelli, who coaches one of the aforementioned sophomores. "You have to punch the clock and continue to get better and better."

Torrelli described Section V's 2023 class of FOGOs as upperclassmen-heavy, which instituted a learning curve for the then-freshman Roeser.

That experience was beneficial. After winning 46% of the time at the X last spring, Roeser has jumped to 64% this season.

"The improvement has been incredible," Torrelli said. "He has a great attitude and an incredible work ethic. He's kept us in games this year."

Roeser's faced a gauntlet of competition at the X in the final week of the regular season. On Tuesday he took on McQuaid's dynamic duo of Giangreco and JP Gianforti, and managed better than a split (10-for-18) against the pair.

Before that on Saturday, Roeser took on the aforementioned Carrier at Irondequoit. The game offered a valuable learning experience against one of Section V's top veterans.

"We wanted Corey to work on some of his counters and force Jonah to go backward, and try to make it a scrum a little bit," Torrelli said. "Corey did a good job and we were very pleased."

Section V's top faceoff specialists, according to coaches and players

The Democrat and Chronicle received over 20 responses from Section V coaches and players, asking each to name the top five faceoff specialists in the area.

Here's who was mentioned (statistics courtesy of blaxfive.net):

• Jonah Carrier, Irondequoit: Carrier, a senior, was the lone unanimous choice. The Maryland commit wrapped up the regular season with 200 faceoff wins, with a 79% win rate -- an sharp improvement over last season's 73%. Carrier posted three games with a 90% win rate or better, including a perfect 17-for-17 showing April 16 against Webster Schroeder.

• Drew Angelo, Honeoye Falls-Lima: A near-unanimous selection, Angelo finished the regular season as Section V's leader in faceoff wins (234), while adding 173 ground balls, 32 goals and 12 assists. Angelo will play at Syracuse following this season.

• Jeremy Askin, Geneva: The "anchor of our team" and "a natural born leader on and off the field" according to Geneva coach Jeff Dunham, Askin is Section V's current leader in ground balls and runner-up in faceoff wins.

• Domenic Giangreco, McQuaid: Giangreco, one of two often-used specialists for McQuaid, is currently the only Section V player with a win percentage of 80% or better.

• Drew O'Buck, Hilton: O'Buck, a junior, has improved his win percentage from 61% last season to 70% this year. He'll play at Hobart following his senior season.

• Corey Roeser, Fairport: Referred by one coach as one of Section V's most improved players, the sophomore has more than doubled his faceoff win total from last spring.

• Henry Werzinger, Brighton: In his second second as Brighton's FOGO, Werzinger has won 56% of his faceoffs.

• JP Gianforti, McQuaid: The other half of McQuaid's specialist duo, Gianforti uses his quickness to opponent's detriment. The Knights' junior has won nearly 70% of his faceoffs in 2024.

• Michael Mitrano, Hilton: After winning faceoffs at a 54% clip as a sophomore and junior, Mitrano has bumped to 64% as a senior. Following his time with the Cadets, Mitrano will play at Mercy College.

• Mason DePew, Canandaigua: DePew is a junior for the Gray Wolves, and has won faceoffs at almost 60% during two season's as the team's FOGO.

• Nkodia Ndongala, East United: A three-year starter, Ndongala has improved on his win percentage and scoring output every season.

• Luke VanGorden, Palmyra-Macedon: With almost 200 faceoff wins, VanGorden is a major reason Pal-Mac entered the final week of the regular season as Section V's lone unbeaten team.

• Eric Odell, Greece Storm: Odell won over 50% of his faceoffs in 2023 as a freshman, and has improved to 61% as a sophomore. He's been at his best late in the regular season, going 45-for-51 at the X in the Storm's last three games.

• Andrew Scully, Irondequoit: In limited opportunity, Scully has proven an efficient player at the X. The junior has won 69% of his draws this season when spelling his teammate Carrier.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Section V boys lacrosse coaches, players rank top faceoff specialists