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Grey Wildman didn’t go in to his Princeton visit expecting to commit to the defending national champions.
The New Canaan (Conn.) and Eclipse four-star recruit had lined up visits to a few other high-academic power conference programs. He thought that the process would take him a week or two and then he’d have his pick of some of the top schools in the country.
That thought process didn’t last long.
“Once I got on campus, Princeton just immediately felt like home,” said Wildman, the NLF’s No. 24 prospect in the class of 2028. “I got walked around by (Tigers captain and MadLax alum) Colin Burns, who’s, like, the best kid ever. I got to go to practice and spend time with the guys. It felt like I was part of the team already. I got in the car and called Coach (Matt) Madalon and told him that I was coming.”
“It was super special to go on that visit with a bunch of guys and then having Coach offering me and getting to be with the class above me and the ‘26s, too,” Wildman added. “I think it’s going to be a very special group.”
Defending Champs Start Hot
What a start to the 2028 class for the Tigers. Wildman earned Connecticut Player of the Year honors as a sophomore as a result of a 78-goal, 32-assist campaign in which he led the Rams to the state championship game. It was in that game that he injured his left shoulder on the ride with two seconds left in the first quarter.
“I didn’t know how much time was left and I dove trying to throw a wrap check. I landed on it and it popped out, then went back in itself,” Wildman said. “It was a torn labrum. The trainers were awesome and put a brace on and I was able to finish the game. There was definitely a little concern after all of the adrenaline wore off, just about how I’d miss the summer and not be able to experience playing in front of college coaches.”
Wildman came back in time for the NLF National Championships at Stony Brook. While clearly still hurt, he helped Eclipse reach the title game against Team 91 Long Island in a game that featured what will almost assuredly be more than 45 college commits. Even though he was far from 100 percent, the tournament gave Wildman a taste of what he’d missed out during the summer.
“NLF was so special getting to play with that attack line of (five-stars) Jake Gashi (Taft, Conn.) and Hunter Hanford (Brunswick, Conn.),” Wildman said. “They put me in positions where I could just get stepdowns, which is something I’m not used to. Our coaching staff was amazing, too. They were great throughout the whole tournament.”
Carrying the Torch
Buzzeo is also New Canaan’s head coach and a Princeton alum, where he won two national championships and was a captain. He’s had the opportunity to see some special players at both New Canaan and Eclipse. He knows that his alma mater is getting a versatile offensive dynamo, but Buzzeo speaks even more highly of the things that Wildman does away from the opponent’s net.
“People see the goals and the highlights, but what shines in his game is how he picks up ground balls and rides,” Buzzeo explained. “When we need a faceoff possession, we put him on the wing. When we need a clear, he finds a way to get the ball. There’s a sense of celebrity with a lot of the athletes in our town, and Grey has handled it so well and he’s so mature for a high school kid. I love seeing him on a field, working with little kids. I think that he holds a sense of not just pride, but understanding what he means to our program and also New Canaan athletics. He likes carrying that torch.”
He wants to carry that torch to a Rams’ state title. New Canaan hasn’t reigned supreme in Connecticut since three-peating in 2017. If Wildman has anything to say about it, that drought will end in 2027, and it’s a major reason why he opted to stay in public school.
“What kind of sold me on staying at New Canaan was that I wanted to win it for the town,” Wildman said. “I want to be on the team that breaks the curse and I want to do it with my friends. It’s a different feeling when you win with the friends that you grew up with, and that’s what I want.”