After a difficult 2025 season, Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse head coach Peter Milliman is focusing on getting the Blue Jays back to winning games in the 2026 season.
The struggles from last year’s 6-8 season forced coaches and players to reevaluate how they operate. But rather than making sweeping changes, Milliman is urging his players to focus on the importance of the basics and simplifying the game.
“I think more than anything just making sure we’re emphasizing the fundamentals, the basics, getting back to playing simple lacrosse and executing at a high level,” Milliman said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan. 27. “I think the better job we do of that, the better lacrosse we’ll play regardless of who’s on the field and what the situation is in the game.”
This emphasis has already translated to the field, as seen in the Blue Jays’ season-opening win on Feb. 2. The No. 17 Blue Jays defeated Robert Morris, 17-2. The team got a 5-1 lead in the first quarter and kept it going from there, outscoring the Colonials in every period and even leaving them scoreless in the second and fourth quarters.
This new focus is being embraced by the players, especially the team’s veterans. According to Milliman, the leadership in this year’s senior class was very apparent in the run-up to the season.
“I’ve been really impressed with the leadership [in] the group since the end of last year,” Milliman said. “… The senior group and the leadership on the team really started to solidify a plan and an emphasis on basics and holding each other accountable and pushing that limit on a daily basis.”
The impressive leadership from the team made selecting this season’s captains a challenge, as Milliman said there were many strong candidates that would have been a fit. However, junior defenseman Quintan Kilrain was selected in a vote by the team to serve as this year’s captain, the program’s first solo captain since 1989.
Kilrain started all 14 games on close defense in 2025, finishing the season with 28 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. He ranked second on the team in both categories. He has played an important role in the team’s defense and played a part in efforts that held nationally ranked opponents well below their scoring averages.
“He’s a straight shooter,” Milliman said. “He doesn’t mince words. He doesn’t overcomplicate the situation. ‘If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. If it’s right, it’s right. Let’s not waste our time talking about this.’ He really embraces those basic elements of being a teammate, a leader and I think the guys gravitate toward it.”
There have been a few other changes on the field as well. Senior Oran Gelinas, referred to by Milliman as “certainly someone we can trust and depend on,” will contribute in net. But Milliman also said that this position is not going to belong to just one player and that other goalies will also have the opportunity to play this season; freshman Dash Lamitie got the start against Robert Morris.
The Blue Jays’ freshman class has also stood out. Milliman noted David Disque, Gavin Fitzpatrick, Ollie Nolting, Parker Sorenson, Alexander Swinnie and Max Wickersham have added competition to the roster.
Offensively, the program knows that improvement is necessary after last season. Milliman identified that the team’s issues had to do with efficiency and decision-making. Hopkins’ 481 shots and 276 shots on goal ranked last in the Big Ten.
“We certainly need to shoot better, but the biggest factor in that is making better decisions when [we] shoot,” Milliman said. “You’re not going to have a high shooting percentage when you take bad shots. … We need to be a little tougher with the ball and attack the net a little bit more physically and consistently. We need to take care of the ball.”
These goals Milliman highlighted tie right into the program’s new emphasis on the fundamental. With a commitment to the basics, strong senior and captain leadership, and a promising freshman class, the Blue Jays enter the 2026 season determined to turn lessons learned from a tough 2025 season into winning this year’s games.
For more from Milliman, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletics