Medfield’s TJ Casey will bring ‘hard-hat mentality’ to UMass

Medfield (Mass.) High School junior TJ Casey announced his commitment to play at UMass on Wednesday. (Dave Arnold/NELJ)

TJ Casey is still riding high from the commitment he made to UMass on Wednesday.

But the Medfield (Mass.) High School junior midfielder/faceoff specialist is also recognizing that he couldn’t have done it alone.

When the NCAA instituted new faceoff rules this summer, eliminating the “motorcycle grip” and forcing guys who would like to play in college to change on the fly, Casey knew he needed help. Like many others in the region, he sought out the renowned Joe Nardella and the staff at the Faceoff Factory.

“It was definitely a huge change and I had to adjust to it,” said Casey. “The last tournament before I went to Faceoff Factory I probably won 10 faceoffs max. I knew I had to do something."