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It’s impossible for offenses to get away from Parker McDonald.
Whenever you line up to play against Team 91 Long Island 2025 Shock, it doesn’t take long to find McDonald. You can spot him all over the field, whether it’s lining up on the faceoff wings, pushing transition up field, covering attackmen at close defense or bumping up to wipe out an opposing midfielder.
In an era where so many offensive players are embracing a positionless mindset, McDonald is the antidote to offensive mismatches. The St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) sophomore has an elite LSM’s stickwork, takeaway skills and ignites transition in a flash. Unlike most LSMs, though, he’s also a terrific shutdown option at close defense. McDonald’s a very patient defender who knows that he doesn’t need to chase stick to be effective.
Dynamic Versatility
“Parker is one of the most dynamic players in the 2025 class,” Team 91 head coach and former pro player and head coach Jimmy Mulé said. “He impacts the game with his ability to make plays all over the field. He is comfortable playing close or pole and excels off the ground and in transition. Parker’s always been a terrific player for us, and you can just see that he continues to get better and better. He’s a Swiss Army knife type of player for us. We can use him in so many different situations, depending on the matchup, and I feel really, really good in any matchup that he has.”
McDonald’s been on an absolute heater since last summer, putting forth dominant efforts wherever he’s gone. Most recently, he earned tournament MVP honors at the NLF Futures at IMG, where he guided his team to a championship. McDonald punctuated his MVP performance with a three-takeaway, three-ground ball effort in the title game.
He was outstanding at the NLF Fall Invitational, putting on a show for a Shock team that went 3-0. After the event, Mulé compared him to fellow 91 and St. Anthony’s product Greg Campisi, an All-Ivy League LSM at Harvard. It’s lofty praise, but well deserved for a playmaker who continues to get better. For that, McDonald is the fourth five-star announced in the class of 2025. He’s joined by Cam Kelley (Taft, Conn. / Prime Time), goalie Josh Marcus (Staples, Conn. / Eclipse) and LSM Will Pedicano (Delbarton, N.J. / Leading Edge).
Scouting Notes
McDonald’s versatility separates him from a lot of his counterparts in the class. His ability to effortlessly bounce back and forth between LSM and close defense is remarkable, particularly with him being able to guard different types of offensive players. Any defensive player who can cover down low as well as impact the game in the middle of the field is going to be a hot commodity.
McDonald’s footwork is excellent. When checking, he values quality over quantity. When McDonald checks, it usually lands. He’s a tenacious player who doesn’t shy away from getting his nose dirty to make a play.
At 6-foot, 150 pounds, McDonald’s got a tall, lanky frame. He’ll need to add weight, but he’s very strong for his size. McDonald faces an uphill battle to find playing time at the varsity level for the always-loaded Friars since they bring back all but one of their defensive starters and welcome back NLF No. 47 senior Cole Aasheim (LI Express / North Carolina) from a torn ACL. Fortunately, the Friars’ JV could compete with 95 percent of high school teams in the country, so he’ll get plenty of reps against high-level competition before heading into his recruiting summer.
He’s already at or near the top of some major schools’ 2025 defensive wish lists. If he can continue his progress, McDonald will be very busy on July 1 and Sept. 1.
