Russ Fitzgerald

Fall of 2023 Evaluation

You won’t find a 2025 that had a better spring season against high-end competition than Fitzgerald. The Philly native, who committed to Princeton on Sunday, is battle-tested. He won 58.2 percent of his faceoffs in the Founders’ League, no small feat for any sophomore, let alone one who isn’t a reclass. Fitzgerald has excellent technique and a good array of counters. That, coupled with the fact that the Maverik Showtime All-Star is clearly no stranger to the weight room, make him one of the highest-floor faceoff guys in the class to go along with an excellent upside.

Spring of 2023 Evaluation

The top-ranked faceoff middie in the class put together an outstanding sophomore campaign for the Rhinos after transferring in from Penn Charter (Pa.), where he saw time as a freshman in Philly’s rugged Inter-Ac League. A first-team All-Founders League selection as an of-age sophomore – NEVER happens – Fitzgerald won 58.5 percent of his faceoffs and added 2 goals and 1 assist for the champion Rhinos.

“I’ve seen the same thing with (PLL all-star) Trevor (Baptiste) and (NLL) standout Trevor Withers, and that it’s regardless of success they have, they’re so easy to coach,” Faceoff Academy founder Greg Gurenlian said. “He can go 65 percent and if you tell him he could have gone 80 percent, he’ll take it to heart and you never have to say it again.”