Previewing Maryland men's lacrosse's offense: Terps return two top scorers, reload with big-time transfers
Will John Tillman and Maryland men's lacrosse have another explosive offense?
Once the Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse team entered conference play in 2024, opponents had already adjusted to the Terps' personnel. Through seven non-conference games, the Terps averaged 11.6 goals per game. Across their next six games, all against conference foes, they averaged 9.5 goals.
Limping into the NCAA tournament, Maryland coach John Tillman and offensive coordinator Michael Phipps overhauled the lineup. They blew out Princeton 16-8, used a second-half spurt to topple Duke 14-11, and dominated Virginia 12-6 in the Final Four. A deeper and more experienced Notre Dame team ended the season with a dominant 15-5 win over Maryland in the NCAA Championship game.
Those three NCAA tournament wins – where the Terps averaged 14 goals – give the Terps' faithful hope that the team's offense will once again put up a lot of shots and goals.
This despite losing 57-percent of their offensive production – gone are Eric Malever (15g, 22a; transferred to Duke), Daniel Maltz (30g, 4a), Jack Koras (23g, 11a), and Ryan Siracusa (21g, 10a) – the Terps' style of play from the NCAA Tournament run and a reloaded offensive roster should be more efficient in 2025 on offense.
The roster losses hurt. However, they return their top two leading scorers from last season in Braden Erksa (24g, 17) and Eric Spanos (25g, 14a). Both Erksa and Spanos played key roles in the offense's renaissance in the NCAA Tournament after Erksa moved from attack to midfield, and Spanos moved from midfield to attack.
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Erksa is typically the fastest player on the field. His straight-line speed keeps defenders on their heels. At attack, though, Erksa took a pounding from bigger defenders; and his production plummeted, especially in Big Ten play. Spanos, on the other hand, stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds. He won't run away from most defenders, but his size, two-handedness, and sneaky quickness made him an ideal focal point behind the goal. Whereas Erksa could fly out of the substitution box as a midfielder to capitalize on his speed, Spanos could use his size and playmaking ability behind the goal to give defenses fits.Daniel Kelly (18g, 7a) also adopted a new role in the NCAA Tournament offensive explosion. Primarily known as a lefty wing shooter, Kelly bounced between midfield and attack last season. He seemingly never looked comfortable in either role. Opponents routinely short-sticked Kelly for most of the 2024 season. In the NCAA Tournament, Kelly used his elite lacrosse IQ to flummox opponents. Like a big in basketball, Kelly became a pick-and-roll threat both on and off-ball. After setting picks or slipping them, he often found himself alone in front of the goal for easy dunks. We also learned that Kelly played the entire season with a torn hip labrum that was surgically repaired during the offseason. Expect a more mobile and better-shooting Kelly this season.
Could Erksa, Spanos, and Kelly comprise the Terps' starting attack unit? They just might.
However, the Terps brought in the top-ranked transfer class in the nation. Matthew Keegan (118 career points) comes to College Park after spending three seasons at Binghamton. A gritty left-handed attackman, Keegan is a fearless dodger from the wing.
Bryce Ford rung up 162 career points at Fairfield alternating between midfield and attack. A former high school quarterback, Ford is a tough cover anywhere on the field. Noah Armitage (104 career points) brings size and stretch shooting from Stony Brook. The Terps' inability to stretch defenses from the outside in 2024 allowed opponents to slough in around the crease and limit dodging opportunities for attackmen.
Armitage isn't the only burly midfielder who can shoot to join the Terps. Jack Dowd arrives from Division Three powerhouse Salisbury. Named the 2024 Division Three Midfielder of the Year, Dowd registered 261 career points over four seasons for the Gulls. Dowd can shoot from distance with either hand and should help with spacing and on the extra-man unit.
Luca Ward also joins the Terps after spending his freshman season at Holy Cross. He started every game for the Patriot League program and registered 16 points. His experience could give him an edge in earning playing time.
The Terps also return other pieces at midfield. Zach Whittier (2g, 6a) came alive in the NCAA Tournament after a frustrating regular season. The redshirt junior broke out in the 2023 season with 20 points on the second midfield line, and the Terps hope he can carry over his re-found confidence to the 2025 season. The Terps are also high on Elijah Stobaugh. The big and athletic lefty only registered a single assist last season, which saw him start the season on the second midfield line.
If you're looking for other potential breakout returning players, Thomas Gravino and Macro Signorello could fit the bill. Gravino redshirted last season after coming to College Park as a decorated high school player from the Rochester, N.Y, area. Gravino made the US U18 national team and also spent this past summer lighting up the NLL's summer box league. Signorello saw consistent second-line midfield action during the 2023 season but only emerged again toward the end of the 2024 season. The coaches like Signorello's size, athleticism, and intelligence. The question is whether Signorello can put all of it together consistently. Perhaps his path might look like the graduated Siracusa, who only earned consistent playing time during his junior season before breaking out as a senior.
While the Terps brought in the fifth-best incoming freshman class in the nation, earning playing time as a freshman is difficult, even more so with the amount of experience Tillman brought in through the transfer portal. Five-star attackmen Spencer Ford (Boys' Latin) and Johnny Gardiner (Gonzaga) headline the offensive class, but midfielder John Draley (St. John's) might be the most physically ready freshman to play. Whether that is on offense or as a defensive midfielder remains to be seen.
IMS will continue its preseason coverage of the men's lacrosse program by previewing the defense and specialty positions next. The Terps welcome Richmond to College Park on February 1 to start the regular season.
