Whipsnakes head coach Jim Stagnitta summed up his team's season nicely in the postgame press conference after Maryland’s 12-8 loss to the Utah Archers in the Cash App Championship:

“This season was a success.”

While the goal is always to win a championship, the Whips have much to be proud of and plenty of optimism for next season.

The Whipsnakes rookies showed plenty to build around in 2024. Ajax Zappitello and TJ Malone met and exceeded already high expectations while Levi Anderson and Adam Poitras became go-to guys in key offensive scenarios.

While not a rookie, goalie Brendan Krebs ran away with the starting goalkeeper job, playing at a consistent and steady level.

Additionally, the young guys pushed the veterans on this team to another level, something Stagnitta mentioned multiple times this season. You saw that with Matt Dunn, Tim Muller, Zed Williams and Joe Nardella all having some of the best seasons of their pro careers.

While Matt Rambo didn’t have his best year in the regular season, he showed the ability to adapt to different roles and really elevated his play in the playoffs, something Whipsnakes fans have become accustomed to.

With a young core of players solidified, the Whipsnakes will look to add a few pieces in free agency and the draft to make another run at the title in 2025.

Free agents

Kyle Bernlohr (Goalie)

Tim Muller (Defense)

Brett Kennedy (Defense/LSM)

Jake Bernhardt (SSDM)

Wheaton Jackoboice (SSDM)

Mike Chanenchuk (Midfield)

Before the playoffs started, Maryland signed pending free agents Williams and Colin Squires through the 2025 season and Alex Mazzone and Roman Puglise through the 2026 season,  locking down players at crucial positions.

As far as free agents go, if I’m the Whipsnakes, I make it a priority to bring back Muller, who had one of his best seasons in 2024. While not the flashiest defender, his skillset complements Dunn and Zappitello perfectly. 

Outside of Muller, there’s not anyone on the list that I think you have to bring back at all costs. Sure, Chanenchuk has been a staple of this offense for a while, but he’s 34 years old and shot 15% this season. It might be time to move on, especially with the emergence of Anderson and Poitras plus the imminent returns of All-Star midfielders Tucker Dordevic and Brad Smith from injury. Bernhardt is a year older than Chanenchuk, so you have to wonder how much lacrosse he has left, as well.

I could see the Whipsnakes bringing back Bernlohr, their backup goalie, but Krebs would be the starter entering the 2025 season until proven otherwise, and the goalie market is saturated with lots of talent. They could explore other options if they wanted to.

While I haven’t dived into potential free agents the Whipsnakes could explore (stay tuned for another story), I think a really good fit could be Denver Outlaws attackman Logan Wisnauskas, another Terp who has a strong shot and could flow well within the offense.

Whipsnakes 2025 draft picks:

No. 7 (first round)

No. 20 (third round)

No. 23 (third round)

No. 24 (third round)

The Whipsnakes gave away picks in the upcoming draft to acquire Anderson and midfielder Ryan Conrad, yet still have a first-round pick and three third-round picks.

It’s true that this draft class isn’t as talented as the 2024 class, but it’s still looking very solid on paper. These picks are valuable.

The Whipsnakes have a glaring need at short-stick defensive midfielder. While Puglise, Bernhardt, Jackoboice and Jack Koras were good, they don’t have a true No. 1 lockdown at that position. Luckily for the Whipsnakes, there’s one in the draft in the form of Notre Dame’s Ben Ramsey. 

If they don’t take Ramsey at No. 7 overall, there’s still plenty of players who would be solid options for the Whipsnakes. Long-stick midfielder Levi Verch (Saint Joseph’s) could elevate the rope unit, or if a close defender like Brendan Lavelle (UPenn) or Scott Smith (Johns Hopkins) is Stagnitta’s preferred choice, I would have no problem with that. 

While I expect their first-round pick to be on the defensive side of the ball, adding an attackman like Jake Taylor (Notre Dame) would bring the Whipsnakes an elite inside scorer, something they haven’t had since Jay Carlson. Athletic midfielders Andrew McAdorey (Duke) and Sam English (Syracuse) could also be options at No. 7 overall.

With their three picks in the third round, expect the Whipsnakes to address areas like offensive/defensive midfield depth, LSM depth, close defensive depth and a high-upside attacker. Oh, don’t rule out goalie with one of those picks. Krebs has played great, but Emmett Carroll (UPenn) and Jack Fracyon (Penn State) are elite prospects at that position. 

Some other players Whipsnakes could target in third round:

Mike Grace (LSM - Syracuse)

Greg Campisi (LSM - Notre Dame)

Casey Wilson (SSDM - Denver)

Patrick Hackler (SSDM - Johns Hopkins)

Jack Gray (SSDM - Duke)

Jimmy Freehill (D - Denver)

Kevin Parnham (D - Penn State)

AJ Pilate (D - Army)

Matt Traynor (A/M - Penn State)

Michael Long (A - Cornell)