Did ‘last-minute’ Aidan Carroll decision give Whipsnakes answer at attack?

The Maryland Whipsnakes have spent the season experimenting with their attack line — starting with Matt Rambo in his usual spot, briefly replacing him with midfielder Levi Anderson for a quarter against the Philadelphia Waterdogs, and then turning to Matt Brandau against the New York Atlas and Boston Cannons.

Yet despite all the shuffling, Aidan Carroll didn’t get his first look at attack until this past Sunday.

Carroll, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2025 College Draft, played the first four games of the Whipsnakes’ season at midfield, a position the rookie hadn’t been in since he was running out of the box at Georgetown in 2023.

Since 2024, Carroll’s primary spot has been at attack, where he racked up 137 points (87G, 50A) in his final two years with the Hoyas.

“We’ve put Aidan in some spots that, you know, probably weren’t necessarily fair to put a rookie in,” Stagnitta said after Maryland’s record-setting 20-6 victory over the Chaos on Sunday. “He hasn’t played midfield in a while, and there are some things that we thought were maybe taken away from his game.”

But Stagnitta knew a change was necessary after a disappointing 13-12 loss to Boston on Saturday night and only a 17-hour rest period before Maryland hosted Carolina for the second game of its Homecoming Weekend.

Carroll got the first reps at attack of his pro career against the Chaos — a decision that wasn’t made until Stagnitta and assistant coach Drew Snider were game-planning the morning of.

“It was literally a last-minute decision,” Stagnitta said. “At breakfast this morning, Drew and I said, you know what? Let’s take the pressure off of him of having the sub game and getting back on defense.”

Stagnitta said before the weekend that he wasn’t planning to move Carroll to attack, explaining how the attention he drew as a midfielder created opportunities for his teammates.

“I don’t know that he puts as much pressure on teams if he’s not in front of the cage,” he said.

The change of plans paid off massively.

Carroll (5G, 2A) led the Whipsnakes in scoring with seven points on 83.3% shooting, recorded the second hat trick of his young professional career and helped propel Maryland to the largest regular-season victory in league history (14 points).

Despite Brandau’s career-high four goals against the Cannons the night before, Stagnitta decided to play to each player’s strengths — Carroll’s collegiate dominance at attack (50G, 27A as a fifth-year senior at Georgetown) and Brandau’s dynamic ability to play any offensive position.

“I thought Matt Brandau did a nice job [at attack], but I think he could be more valuable as a midfielder because he does so many things,” Stagnitta said before the weekend. “He’s always in the right place. He does all the little things that you don’t notice. He sets good picks, does the right thing off-ball, he seals and gets to the right spot in all situations. I’d like to see him score a bit more, but I think he’s still getting comfortable and getting his confidence.”

Maryland split its games against the Cannons and Chaos, padded its score differential — crucial for playoff tiebreakers — and might have finally found its starting attack line.

Carroll erupted for a nine-point weekend (7G, 2A) and now is tied with fellow Whipsnakes attackman TJ Malone for the most goals in the league (12). He’s also second in scoring points (12) and third in points (17).

Brandau scored more points (7G, 1A) over the weekend than he did all last season with the Waterdogs (4G, 2A).

Most importantly, Maryland, after an 0-2 start to the season, moved into second place in the Eastern Conference and in the PLL heading into San Diego Weekend.

Stagnitta had been focused on figuring out Maryland’s roster issues by the end of its doubleheader in Baltimore. With Carroll and Brandau trading places from midfield to attack, Maryland has put itself in a position to have a competitive second half of the season after its bye week and All-Star weekend.

“Honestly, I targeted this weekend as kind of our opportunity to sort things out [in Maryland’s roster],” Stagnitta said. “I thought it was a really good lineup [against the Chaos], despite what everybody on the Internet thinks. I thought it was. At the end of the day, they made me look good, and I certainly appreciate it.”