Maryland men’s lacrosse made a surprise run in the 2024 NCAA tournament that culminated in a national championship game appearance.
Coach John Tillman has since started a busy transfer portal movement for the Terps, with seven additions. Maryland also lost a quartet of players to the portal — Eric Malever, Owen Murphy, Cayden Onagi and Ryan Falkenstein. Malever and Murphy combined for 22 goals this past season. Onagi appeared in just two games; Falkenstein didn’t play in any.
Here’s a brief look at the seven players Tillman has added so far to his 2025 roster.
Noah Armitage
Armitage became Tillman’s first portal addition when he announced he was transferring to Maryland via Instagram on May 10. Armitage, who spent five seasons at Stony Brook, will be a graduate student for the Terps.
The midfielder’s best season came in an All-CAA first team 2023 campaign, when he excelled as a focal point of the Seawolves’ offense with 26 goals and 19 assists. He scored at least 20 goals in each of his final three seasons for Stony Brook.
At 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Armitage provides Maryland with a physical option for its midfield.
Bryce Ford
Just three days after the Terps fell in the title game, Ford committed to Maryland from Fairfield, first reported on X, formerly known as Twitter by Prep Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders.
Ford was an All-CAA second team honoree as a Stag and topped 30 goals and 50 points in each of his last two seasons. He started all 46 games he played for Fairfield.
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Ford fared well working around contact as a dodger during his time with the Stags. He’ll help supplement the Terps’ 2025 attack, which will potentially lose Murphy, who has entered the transfer portal, in addition to Malever and Daniel Maltz’s exits.
Hat Trick Bryce Ford‼️🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/ugm2uI1Vkb
— Fairfield Men’s Lacrosse (@StagsMensLax) March 30, 2024
Matthew Keegan
Keegan joined Ford as the second attacker Tillman landed in the portal on June 7, which Matt Chandik originally reported on X. Keegan, who played three seasons for Binghamton, was named to the America East first team in his final two campaigns for the Bearcats.
Keegan is a pure shooter, scoring a career-high 47 goals in 2023. He recorded 11 games with at least four goals during his Binghamton tenure, including a remarkable seven-goal performance in 2023.
Keegan is the second player to transfer from Binghamton to Maryland over the past three offseasons, joining Teddy Dolan from the Terps’ 2023 season.
Luca Ward
The final attacker that’s committed to Maryland so far is Ward, who spent just one year at Holy Cross. Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy first reported the news June 9.
Ward started every game as a freshman for the Crusaders, scoring in nine of his 13 outings and notching 11 goals. He also scooped up 20 ground balls and caused five turnovers.
Unlike Ford and Keegan, Ward could be a key cog for the Terps’ offense for several years with just one season completed. He was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class.
Jack Dowd
Dowd, the other midfielder that Tillman nabbed aside from Armitage, shined for four seasons at Division III Salisbury. Joe Carozza reported Dowd’s transfer on X on June 15. Dowd was a two-time USILA first team All-American and was the Division III Outstanding Midfielder of the Year in 2024.
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Dowd totaled 150 goals and 111 assists during his time with the Sea Gulls. The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder will join Armitage as a powerful weapon for Tillman’s midfield. The Terps’ 2024 roster didn’t feature any midfielder with Dowd’s size.
AJ Hernandez
Hernandez committed to Maryland from Navy in early June, Foy reported, which marked Tillman’s first addition to his defense.
Hernandez didn’t play in 2024 but fared well the year prior, starting the final nine games for a defense that ranked second in the Patriot League in scoring. The defender recorded 16 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers in his lone season for the Midshipmen.
A Maryland native, Hernandez will look to help the Terps’ defense for multiple seasons after losing Ajax Zappitello,one of the best defenders in program history.
Zack Goorno
Goorno joined Hernandez as a transfer to aid Maryland’s 2025 defense, Xanders reported.
The short-stick defensive midfielder spent four seasons at Division III Bowdoin, finding a spot on the All-NESCAC first team in the last three years. He was USILA’s Division III Short Stick Defensive Midfielder of the Year in both 2023 and 2024.
Goorno totaled 208 ground balls during his time with the Polar Bears, causing a career-high 13 turnovers in his final season. He also accumulated 26 total goals with 35 assists, showing his capabilities on both ends of the field.