Charlie Raffa races downfield after winning a faceoff during the Terps’ victory over North Carolina in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on May 17, 2015.

Every time Charlie Raffa slips on a Maryland T-shirt, he is reminded of the past.

It’s been almost two months since the faceoff specialist’s Terrapins men’s lacrosse career ended with a 10-5 loss to Denver in the NCAA final, but Raffa’s wound from the defeat hasn’t healed.

As he begins his professional career, Raffa said the loss still sneaks up on him from time to time. It can happen while he’s scrolling through social media or thumbing through a lacrosse magazine. When he attends lacrosse tournaments or practices, someone usually asks him about it.

“It’s something that’ll always burn inside,” Raffa said. “You work for something your whole life and your whole four years. You battle with guys every day; you see them everyday for hours at a time. And then just not being able to go out on top, it’s definitely hard to take in.”

While he hasn’t been able to push the loss from memory, he has continued his career with the Chesapeake Bayhawks despite a constant battle with injuries, something he dealt with during his time in College Park.

Last season, Terps coach John Tillman regularly commended Raffa’s passion for the game and commitment to the team. Though he battled nagging injuries throughout his senior campaign, Raffa kept trotting out to the faceoff X game after game.

Much has changed for Raffa this summer. He has new teammates, and he no longer wears a jersey with the colors of this state’s flag. But much like the past, Raffa still has the competitive will to fight through injuries that endeared him to Terps fans.

“Being banged up for so long definitely takes a toll,” Raffa said. “But as long my body will let me keep playing, as long as the doctor will let me keep playing, … I guess I’ll be playing.”

Chesapeake coach Dave Cottle consulted Tillman before selecting Raffa with the 24th pick in the MLL Draft. Cottle, who was Tillman’s predecessor in College Park, recruited Raffa before becoming the Bayhawks’ president ­­— in addition to head coach — in 2011 but hadn’t maintained a close relationship with Raffa in recent years.

“Coach Tillman had told us how tough he was,” Cottle said. “I do think there’s a future for him in this league.”

Raffa said he relishes the pressure of battling for possession at the X while opponents look to check him to the ground. The passion ended up costing him in college, though.

While the Terps developed team chemistry during fall practices, Raffa hardly suited up. And a banged-up Raffa didn’t start in the Terps’ conference tournament semifinal loss to Ohio State on April 30, instead coming off the bench to take three unsuccessful draws with the game already out of reach.

Cottle said the nature of the professional game could benefit Raffa.

“At Maryland, he had to sit out a bunch of practices,” Cottle said. “You only really have one practice before the game [in MLL]. It might actually help him stay healthier.”

Playing time is tough to earn at the professional level, however, as MLL rules limit the eight teams to dressing 19 players for games. Teams typically only carry one faceoff specialist per contest.

“Raffa’s working his way into that spot for the Bayhawks,” Inside Lacrosse’s Kyle Devitte said. “But his recovery, his injuries and the Bayhawks’ lack of complete success — they’re a sub-.500 team — has kind of given them pause. Like back up, take some time to let him recover; we don’t want to force him out there.”

On June 20, Raffa went 7-for-24 at the X in his professional debut. He didn’t play again until Sunday, going 9-for-21 with five ground balls. With two games remaining in the MLL season, Raffa will look to prove himself before the Bayhawks choose which players they want to protect for the expansion draft, Cottle said. The MLL has not officially announced plans for an expansion draft.

For now, Raffa is focused on finishing the season strong and not thinking too far into the future. Still, he sometimes wonders what his career would be like if his health were different. He pointed out that many faceoff specialists haven’t had to deal with the laundry list of health problems he has.

Raffa isn’t sure how much longer his body will hold up. Yet, as he looks back on his career, he doesn’t have any regrets.

“I wouldn’t take back anything,” Raffa said. “I wouldn’t take back any injury for any Final Four I got to play in, anyone I got to play with. Those are memories that you have forever.”