Maryland men’s lacrosse enters 2024 season with something to prove

A 10-win season and an NCAA tournament berth is a good campaign for many programs. For coach John Tillman and Maryland men’s lacrosse, it’s a down year. 

The Terps, who enter the 2024 season coming off a first-round exit in the 2022 NCAA tournament, will be without standout defender Brett Makar. After winning back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards, Makar was the third overall pick in the PLL draft.

Maryland otherwise returned many key players. Among them, defender Ajax Zappitello may have the biggest impact this season. In his junior season, Zappitello was top-20 in Division I in caused turnovers with 21. This season, Zappitello’s jersey number will change to the historic number one.

Faceoff specialist Luke Wierman also returns and is 11 faceoff wins away from the Maryland career record. Last season, Wierman won 252 with a .606 win percentage.

“It was great to experience those things [last season]. There was a lot more adversity than usual,” Wierman said. “We learned that it is about sticking together and things will not be going your way at times … put your head down and lead by example, that’s kind of what I learned.”

Goalkeeper Logan McNaney and attacker Eric Malever are both set to return after suffering season-ending injuries in 2023. McNaney recorded 17 saves in three games last season, including 12 against Richmond. In his absence, then-freshman Brian Ruppel put together 138 saves with a .484 save percentage. The two will compete for the starting spot.

Meanwhile, Malever returns to an attack that was inconsistent last season. In his sophomore season, Malever finished fifth in scoring on the team with 26 goals and 22 assists.

As for key additions, Maryland welcomes a pair of Vermont transfers in Nick Alviti and Jackson Canfield. Both earned first-team All-America East honors last season and will be key contributors on the defensive end.

There is also a major change on the coaching side with the addition of offensive coordinator Michael Phipps. Phipps is returning to his alma mater after coaching with Navy and Georgetown.

“I think the first thing coach Phipps brings is a love for Maryland that is unmatched,” Tillman said. “He’s also a great teacher. He’s big on relationships. He’s really about helping the guys be the best version of themselves.”

The Terps will see a similar schedule to the 2023 season beginning with Richmond. The two faced off to open the 2023 season, with Maryland collecting a 15-4 win. This time, Richmond will host. The last time the Terps began the season on the road was in 2017.

Despite the opening loss, Richmond had a successful season, finishing 11-5 and winning the Atlantic 10 championship. Similar to Maryland, the Spiders suffered a first-round loss at the hands of Virginia.

Offensively, Richmond is led by attacker Dalton Young. Young led the Spiders last season in goals (32) and assists (41), earning Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year.

The Spiders’ defense will have a different look with the loss of defender Jake Saunders. As a graduate student in 2023, Saunders led the team in caused turnovers with 35. In his absence, watch for junior Tommy Stull as a leader defensively.

On Saturday, Maryland’s streak of 30 straight season-opening wins is on the line. With many question marks surrounding this team, this matchup will be an interesting glimpse into what to expect in the 2024 season.