Follow the NLF on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Hunter Hanford has never been shy about shooting the ball, nor should he be.
The Brunswick (Conn.) sophomore lefty sniper and Eclipse standout’s natural shooting ability is one of the tools that sets him apart from others in the class of 2028. Hanford shoots with power and accuracy, and he’s got a lightning-quick release to boot.
The beauty of the amount of talent on the Bruins’ offense is that anybody can be the hot hand on any given day. When they’re healthy, seniors Lucas Garcia (Prime Time / Virginia) and Rick Giordano (Prime Time / North Carolina) are the offensive bellcows, but there’s plenty of other firepower around them. A lot of that is in Hanford’s 2028 class, one that just about anyone who knows anything about the 2028 class will tell you is the best of any school in the country.
Wednesday, Hanford didn’t score a goal in the Bruins’ win over Prep Nationals rival Lawrenceville. Saturday, he erupted for a career-best five goals to go with two assists as Brunswick took down host Episcopal Academy (Pa.), 12-11.
Right Spot at the Right Time
“Everybody on our team is amazing, and I was just in the right spot at the right time,” Hanford said. “People on my team were just feeding me the ball. For my shooting ability, separation is one of the biggest parts of it. I just think that my teammates getting me the ball and just the spacing is a huge part, and my teammates are unbelievable and were just getting it to me at the right time.”
It’s not a bad idea to throw 12 the ball because he’s good enough to quickly change the scoreboard and get you an assist in the process. Hanford got his day started by taking a Matt Colella (Prime Time / Penn) throwback on the wing and wiring it home to tie the game at 2. Hanford, though, really got the show started in the second quarter.
He scored four times as part of a 7-0 Brunswick second quarter. Hanford buried a high-to-low shot on a sweep for his first of the quarter. He followed it up with a finish off of a pass from fellow five-star Sawyer Bligh (West Coast Starz). Hanford then converted a low-to-low finish off of an invert from another standout sophomore in Parker Baras. He capped off the explosive quarter when he took a pass from – yep, another superb sophomore – Austin Tuttle (West Coast Starz), caught it lefty and looked primed to shoot it lefty, and casually switched hands before ripping home a bomb.
Churchmen Mount a Furious Comeback
He showed off his playmaking ability, too, with a pair of helpers to – you’re getting the theme here – excellent sophomore David Giuriceo (Eclipse) and Tuttle. Brunswick needed all of those points, too, because EA never relented after getting down by as many as 11-6 after Baras scored off of a faceoff. Churchmen senior Jackson Orcutt (North Carolina) scored his second alley dodge of the day to give EA a shot in the arm. Reid Dennis‘ second goal in a row closed the gap to within 11-10 at the end of the third quarter, and Villanova commit Parker Smith scored a big-boy goal to tie the game at 11.
All that did, though, was give Giuriceo a chance to be the eventual hero for the Bruins. He accepted a Sean Ryan (Richmond) feed on the wing, then hitched to create enough separation to snap home a knee-high shot for what stood as the game-winner.
Hanford, Bligh, Tuttle, Giuriceo, Baras, etc. Pick your sophomore poison against the Bruins and someone else is all too happy to hurt you.
Brunswick vs. Episcopal Academy Standouts
Sawyer Bligh ’28, attack/midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / West Coast Starz
This kid rules. He can play anywhere in any role and be incredibly productive in a number of ways. Bligh had a pair of assists on the day, one to fellow five-star Hunter Hanford (Eclipse) and one to standout ’28 midfielder Parker Baras. He found himself at attack, playing both sides of the ball at midfield and took some wings. Bligh had one particularly impressive ground ball on a faceoff where he emerged from the 3v3 scrum with the ball and needed all of one step to create separation to get upfield. He’s not overly big, but he plays like he’s 6-6, 230. Bligh hunts people on defense and loves to be physical every chance he gets. He’s a legitimate contender for the No. 1 overall spot in the first class of 2028 rankings.
David Brickman ’27, LSM/D, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) – Georgetown
Coming into the season, one of the questions asked about the Churchmen was how they’d replace Evan MacFarland (Georgetown) and Paul Bruder (Penn State), and how Brickman would be going from No. 3 to No. 1 on the defensive depth chart.
Pretty damn well, it turns out. He’s not the fastest defenseman in the world, but he makes up for it with a great frame and a super active stick. Brickman, who will graduate from EA this spring and PG to be a ’27, was a force for the Churchmen. He racked up seven ground balls and caused four turnovers. Brickman set the tone on the first faceoff by throwing a big check that caused a turnover on the first faceoff of the game. Later, he had an absurd ground ball where he scooped the ball up just before the sideline, jumped in the air to keep the ball alive and launched an accurate pass to a teammate. The 6-3 Brickman will almost certainly be a close defenseman in college, but he’s a major presence on the wings for EA, which frequently double poles.
Matt Colella ’26, midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / Prime Time – Penn
The four-star senior got the Bruins going offensively with a goal and an assist in the first quarter. The 6-3 future Quaker got his hands free on a stepdown for the Bruins’ first goal. He then set up Hanford’s tally with a hard dodge and a throwback that the sophomore sniper caught and released almost immediately. Later, he scored the sixth goal in Brunswick’s 7-0 run with a hard dodge down the alley that he snapped home. With fellow standout seniors Lucas Garcia (Prime Time / Virginia) and Rick Giordano (Prime Time / North Carolina) still out of the lineup with injuries, Colella delivered some big senior leadership when his team needed it.
“We’ve faced some adversity this year, but as a team, we know how to respond,” Colella said. “After each loss, we’ve gotten a big win. It starts with the seniors and body language and setting the tone at practice
Owen Gibbons ’26, faceoff midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) – Lafayette
Gibbons came out hot out of the gates, winning seven of his first eight faceoffs and then stringing together a 6-for-8 second quarter when Brunswick went on its 7-0 run. It’s never easy going against multiple opponents at the faceoff stripe. Gibbons didn’t see two or even three Churchmen. He faced FIVE and did a really nice job of varying his moves and exits against the different styles. Gibbons, who finished 16-for-24, stayed low to the ground and excelled at getting his wings involved in 3v3 situations.
David Giuriceo ’28, midfield, Brunswick (Conn.) / Eclipse
Yeah, another super skilled sophomore for the Bruins. There are like a million of them. It’s actually kind of ridiculous. When I last saw Giuriceo live, he was putting defenders on his highlight reel with a big day for Eclipse at the NLF Fall Invitational. His change-of-direction ability remains elite, and he used it on both of his goals. Giuriceo scored the game-winner by hitching around his defender and leaving him reaching for air thanks to the subtle move. It looked eerily similar to his earlier one when he took a feed from Hanford, hitched and snapped a high-to-low rope. If you give Giuriceo an inch, he’ll take a mile. Solidly built and low to the ground, Giuriceo is tough for defenders to keep away from his spots.
“I think my change-of-direction is the biggest part of my game,” Giuriceo said. “When (a defender) hesitates on my shot, I just take that to explode over the top and get my hands free and shoot the ball.”
Giuriceo is seeing a difference in his overall game thanks to being a part of such an explosive and diverse offense.
“It’s awesome and everybody’s so positive that it makes it easier for everyone,” Giuriceo said. “We can just share the ball and if we keep the ball moving, the ball’s going to be in the net. For me, knowing when to just pass the ball forward rather than taking it yourself (has been the biggest adjustment) because you can always get a better shot. I just like to push it through X and throw it back and it usually results in a better shot.”
Jackson Orcutt ’26, midfield, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) – North Carolina
Athletically, Orcutt wouldn’t be out of place on an ACC field right now. A senior year flip from Georgetown to the Tar Heels, Orcutt’s explosiveness and speed are hard to miss. He finished with two goals and an assist for the Churchmen. Orcutt tallied both of his goals by driving hard down the alley and finishing from there. He’s able to create separation almost any time that he puts his foot in the ground and decides to go downhill. His assist was a thing of beauty, too. Playing top-center on the EA EMO, he snapped a no-look feed through traffic to the back pipe Brody Garrison (Fairfield), who finished it off.
Parker Smith ’26, midfield, Episcopal Academy (Pa.) – Villanova
This kid is a nut in the absolute best way possible. He’s not very big, but he plays SO big. Smith isn’t afraid of anything and he will repeatedly dodge into the teeth of the defense to make a play, even if it means taking a big hit. The senior sparkplug, who recently buried his 100th career goal for the Churchmen, is impossible to miss on the field. Find the ball, and you’ll find Smith. He got EA out to a 2-0 lead with the first two of his three goals. Smith caught and finished a feed from Darrius Whitfield in front of the net. He then created his own luck by hounding Brunswick goalie Will Connell on the ride, then tucking home a turnover. Finally, it was Smith that drew the Churchmen even at 11 when he got to the middle of the defense and pocketed his third of the game while taking a big hit. It’s hard not to be enamored with Smith’s compete level because it’s off the charts.
“I don’t care if I’ve got to take a hit,” Smith said. “Getting a goal is worth it. I always want to be the guy to get the goal, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it. That’s how I play.”