Entering the 2023 season, John Hopkins men’s lacrosse hadn’t preformed at the level fans had come to expect from the program. Yet after a successful 2023 campaign, Hopkins head coach Peter Milliman believes he knows the formula to get the Blue Jays back to the level of play they’ve traditionally shown.
Hopkins went 12-6 a year ago, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019. The Jays had big wins against Big Ten rivals such as Michigan and Ohio State as well as painful losses to Maryland in the Big Ten tournament and ultimately to Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Milliman and the Blue Jays see last year as another step on the road to greater things to come.
“In reference to last year, I think there were some significant contributions from the senior class that I thought was pretty special,” Milliman said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan 30. “… But at the end of the day, it was part of the process. It was part of the build. The guys that we’re coaching here this year are excited to get this things started with the 2024 Jays.”
Among those returning are senior midfielder Brett Martin (19 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers in 2023), first-team All-Big Ten attackman Russell Melendez (37 goals, 16 assists) and second-team All-Big Ten defenseman Scott V. Smith (32 ground balls, 23 caused turnovers).
Milliman spoke very highly of all of his veterans and their work ethic, starting with his defensive unit led by Smith.
“They’re very ultra-competitive guys. They work their butts off,” Milliman said. “… Try not to get them too bogged down in system stuff and allow them to just be the athletes. It’s a great group. We’re excited to be working with them. Similar to the offensive end, there are some known pieces there that we’ve worked with for a while.”
Milliman believes his veterans will see most of the playing time, but the coach did say to look out for players like freshmen defensemen Quintan Kilrain and Luke Martins and freshmen attackmen Hunter Chauvette and Jimmy Ayers.
Milliman doesn’t see any of them starting in the early going. That is not to knock their capabilities, but rather, it shows how seasoned the Blue Jays’ veteran players are.
“We’ve got a lot of returners, a lot of upperclassmen,” Milliman said. “So, it’s not an easy lineup to crack. I’m not sure any of those freshmen are going to start a game, but I think those ones have proven to be in that conversation.”
Hopkins seems ready to roll, but Milliman has a few beliefs of what will help make this Blue Jays team an elite championship level team rather than just another good team.
“I think if we’re going to be an elite team and be somebody who can win championships, we’re going to have to be competitive in every facet of the game,” Milliman said. “I don’t think you get to that point by riding one or two strengths or players. We need to be a possession-oriented team. We need to be disciplined in our execution. We need to be tough on defense. We need to fight like crazy for loose balls. There needs to be a belief and a confidence in the guys in what we’re doing. But really, I just think there needs to be a hunger to get better in everything we’re doing and never be satisfied with where we are. If we start to do that, I think the formula can sort itself out.”
Hopkins off to a rocky start, blowing a four-goal second-half lead and losing in overtime to the University of Denver, 12-13, on Feb 3. That development came as quite a surprise for a team picked to win the Big Ten. Graduate attackman Jacob Angelus had three goals, while Cornell transfer Chayse Ierlan had 12 saves in net.
If the Jays want to be the team they’re expected to be, they need to stay hungry in the face of such losses. Milliman believes his team is ready to face those challenges one at a time.
“Confidence comes from certainty, and we haven’t done anything yet this year,” Milliman said. “I don’t think anybody’s getting too overconfident about anything that we’re doing. We’re excited to get to work together. Having some pieces back for consistency and some experience plays a big part. … I think just staying focused on one thing at a time, what’s in front of us, and keeping the guys hungry for another one after one falls.”
For more from Milliman, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics