NCAA Men's Lacrosse Preview: No. 14 Georgetown's High Expectations

USA Lacrosse Magazine is beginning its countdown to Feb. 1 — the first day of the 2025 men's lacrosse season — by releasing one team preview per day beginning on Monday, Jan. 13.

We continue the countdown with No. 14 Georgetown, a team with high expectations for itself despite significant losses to graduation.

When Georgetown concluded the fall season by electing a team captain for 2025, one player received near-universal support.

Aidan Carroll appeared on 51 of 52 ballots. He did not vote for himself.

“That tells you a lot about him,” coach Kevin Warne said. “And about the respect he has garnered from his teammates.”

What’s not to respect? Carroll was a late recruit who worked his way up from scout team to second-line midfield to first-line attack, breaking through as a senior to lead the team in scoring and earn All-American honors.

“Not enough people have talked about his journey,” Warne said.

A key part of the Hoyas’ offseason strategy was securing graduate school opportunities and roster spots for Carroll, faceoff specialist James Ball and defenseman/long-stick midfielder Will Tominovich, who missed nearly all last season with an injury. They went 3-for-3, then added a pair of impact transfers in attackman Fulton Bayman (Notre Dame) and short-stick defensive midfielder Jack Erb (Siena).

Georgetown has won six consecutive Big East tournament championships — a remarkable run sustained by its ability to reload internally. That the Hoyas graduated more than two-thirds of their offensive production and the entirety of a rope unit that spent three seasons together does not deter Warne from establishing high expectations.

It helps that they have a pair of sophomore All-American centerpieces in goalie Anderson Moore and defenseman Ty Banks — as good a lockdown combo as there is in Division I lacrosse.

TOP RETURNERS

Ty Banks, D, So. (24 CT, 33 GB)
Aidan Carroll, A, Gr. (37G, 23A)
Anderson Moore, G, So. (9.52 GAA, 51.2 SV%)

The Hoyas will lean on their defense while they figure out Carroll’s supporting cast on offense.

Banks was regarded as the top defenseman in his recruiting class and immediately emerged as the guy to neutralize opponents’ top attackmen — including a notable performance against Notre Dame’s Pat Kavanagh in Georgetown’s regular season win over the Fighting Irish.

The first-ever five-star recruit out of Alabama, Moore looks like the latest in a line of great goalies (see Nick Marrocco and Owen McElroy) the program has produced in recent years. Assistant coach David Shriver deserves a ton of credit.

Tominovich and another grad-year defenseman, Seamus Foley, round out one of the nation’s top returning defensive units.

KEY ADDITIONS

Fulton Bayman, A, Gr. (4G, 4A at Notre Dame)
Jack Erb, SSDM, Gr. (5 PTS, 12GB at Siena)
Ben Firlie, M, Fr. (No. 22 in Class of 2024, according to Inside Lacrosse)

Asked if Bayman and Erb were depth pieces or contributors, Warne did not hesitate. “They will be contributors,” he said. Bayman might have had a hard time getting through the midfield logjam at Notre Dame, but he’ll have a chance to help Georgetown immediately at a position of need. As will Erb, who brings size (6 feet, 190 pounds) and transition capability to Hilltop.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES

Graduations: TJ Haley, A; Graham Bundy Jr., M; Alexander Vardaro, M

X-FACTOR

Joe Vranzian, SSDM, Sr.

Put on the spot to identify who might be this year’s Aidan Carroll — a player poised to turn years of hard work into a breakthrough season with added opportunities — Warne went with Vranzian. A converted attackman from Oregon, Vranzian will start at short-stick defensive midfield. “He’s done an unbelievable job learning behind the group we had for three years straight,” Warne said. “He’s a really good athlete, a strong kid who gets his hands on people and understands the position. I think he really enjoys it.”

THE NARRATIVE

It’s a similar refrain. The Hoyas have plenty to replace on offense — again. Three of their top scorers (identified above) graduated. But Carroll is back and is poised to be the top scoring option.

They’re relatively set on the defensive end but searching for answers at midfield (Patrick Crogan and Jordan Wray could see more action after scoring 19 goals apiece last year) and on attack alongside Carroll. The rope unit also must be replenished.

“We might have older guys, but they’re inexperienced in these roles,” Warne said. “They’re in the forefront now. We’re going to ask them to do more. How fast we understand our new roles is going to be key for us.”

Georgetown scrimmaged Navy on Saturday and will scrimmage Maryland this coming Saturday before opening the regular season Feb. 1 at home against Loyola.