Slightly more than one week before the 2023 season starts, Inside Lacrosse release their preseason All-American list with five Terps making the cut. Maryland was tied with Georgetown for the most players on the first team with two.
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Brett Makar, who was given the chance to wear the #1 jersey for the Terps this year, was a first team defenseman. Makar was the leader of the defense last season causing 15 turnovers and snagging 31 ground balls. Last season, Makar also added a goal and two assist as well. Luke Wierman was the first team face-off man after finishing last year with eight goals, seven assists, and a face-off percentage of 66% nearly winning 300 all year long.
On the second team All-American team is Ajax Zappitello, Kyle Long, and Logan McNaney. McNaney throughout his entire career has only lost one game in the three season since he became a starter halfway through the 2020 season before it got shut down. While having a stout defense like the Terps have has definitely helped him, he still makes some amazing saves including the ones he made in the tournament last season that helped lead the Terps to the national championship. Zappitello another defender that teas hate facing. Last season Zappitello would just absolutely shut down opposing teams’ #1 option on offense and was great causing turnovers with 27 caused turnovers last season. Kyle Long is the Terps leader at the offensive midfield. Being a graduate student with all the experience he has will be huge when things start to go sideways. Long had 43 points, and with an even bigger role this season, you should expect him to produce even more.
John Geppert, the Terps top long stick midfielder, was the lone honorable mention for the Terps. Last season, Geppert had 13 caused turnovers and 52 ground balls while also scoring five goals and an assist. Geppert can also play short stick defensive midfielder if need be as well. Geppert got that experience when Roman Puglise went down with a broken wrist in the national semifinal game last season.
The Terps will be opening their season February 4th, in College Park against the Richmond Spiders who won their conference championship last season.
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