Lead Dog: How Aidan Maguire Became the Best Defensive Midfielder in College Lacrosse

Aidan Maguire will never forget the phone call that altered the trajectory of his impressive, budding lacrosse career.

On the day that Duke assistant coach Ron Caputo buzzed him unexpectedly in June 2022, Maguire was a recent graduate of St. Sebastian’s High School. The promising, ultra-competitive and athletic midfielder and native of Hingham, Mass., who had committed to Duke nearly two years earlier, was anxious to get started with his Division I journey on the Durham campus.

Caputo announced a change in Maguire’s plans that initially stunned him. After he hung up the phone, Maguire’s shock morphed into curiosity and determination to attack a serious challenge he never saw coming.

For the first time in his life, Maguire would learn the ropes as a defender, as a member of Duke’s rope unit. He would join the Blue Devils as a short-stick defensive midfielder and would also be a wing on the faceoff unit.

The former offensive force soon was settling in with a new mindset. He needed to learn how be a weapon to stymie elite ACC midfielders, how to muck up opposing offenses by using his size, speed and skills to take the ball away and light a transition fuse for Duke’s offense.

“It was a shock when Coach Cap told me. All I could say was, ‘Yes sir.’ I wanted to get on the field any way I could,” recalled Maguire, who trained all summer studying his new position and working hard on his stickwork, footwork and strength and conditioning.

“I certainly did not understand defensive schemes that well,” he added. “I made sure I got familiar with how good everyone was around me. Guys like Jay Caputo [Ron’s son], Bobby Wade, Jack Gray, Charlie O’Connor, all my big [SSDM] brothers who were mentors.

“Without my coaches and those guys getting on me when it was necessary, and calming me down when I was running too hot, I certainly wouldn’t be the player I am today.”

Maguire, who had thrived as an offensive midfielder since middle school and excelled there with the Laxachusetts Black club lacrosse team, has improved steadily in a vital role that now is far from new to him.

Over the past four seasons, Maguire has played in every one of Duke’s 70 games. He has ascended to become the best short-stick specialist in Division I.

As a sophomore, Maguire was a defensive anchor and second team All-American. He led all short-stick d-middies with 40 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers, while scoring seven points.

Last year, he led one of the top rope units in the nation by picking up 57 ground balls (tops among non-faceoff specialists). He was second on the team with 26 caused turnovers. In addition, Maguire scored six goals and finished with 10 points.

For that excellence, Maguire was a consensus first team All-American and was rewarded with the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin National Midfielder of the Year honor. He was named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. It surprised no one in the Duke locker room.

“He’s like a Viking going into battle,” said Mac Christmas, Duke’s junior long-stick midfielder. “He’s playing a different game than everyone else. He has that extra bit of athleticism no one else has. He’s going to be the one who takes us to the Super Bowl.”

That journey continues Sunday with a clash against red-hot Georgetown in the NCAA quarterfinals at Delaware (2:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPNU).

“He is one of the freakiest athletes I’ve ever seen. I watch his running form. It’s like he’s flying,” said Buck Cunningham, Duke’s sophomore goalie. “He pushes us and he brings others along with his leadership. His takeaway ability — it’s like having another pole out there.”

No wonder Maguire, a current Duke co-captain who was athletic enough to play wide receiver as a St. Sebastian’s senior and lead the conference in receiving yards, made lacrosse history recently. On April 14, he became the first defensive midfielder in professional lacrosse history to be drafted first overall when the Utah Archers called his name.

Maguire, who could thrive professionally as a superb cover guy and a transition weapon on offense, joined a bunch of teammates to watch the draft. He was mobbed by Blue Devils.

“I was definitely very shocked for a minute or two, with my guys jumping up and down and all over me. No Gatorade bath,” Maguire said. “I was really happy and proud. But I don’t like to look ahead. This [postseason] is far more important than the draft. Selfishly, I really don’t want to leave here. Duke is my home.”

This year, the 10-4 Blue Devils have been defined in large part by their rugged, consistent defense, led by Maguire and fellow seniors Charlie Johnson and Henry Bard on close defense. Numerous underclassmen also have helped Duke to hold nine opponents to single digits.

The Blue Devils have allowed only 32.5 shots per game and have held opponents to 28 percent shooting.

After an unusual, four-game losing streak (by a total of eight goals) to conference opponents — the first such losing slide ever at Duke under 20-year head coach John Danowski — the Blue Devils rallied to save their playoff hopes with a 16-12 win over rival North Carolina.

They extended their season with a riveting come-from-behind 14-12 win at third-seeded Richmond in the NCAA tournament’s first round.

Maguire showcased the tools in his arsenal that night. He scooped five ground balls, including several to complete a faceoff win. He caused a pair of turnovers. He won far more battles than he lost in the coverage game. And he zapped the Spiders’ 10-man ride twice with long shots from a combined distance of about 75 yards. His second score capped off a game-ending 5-0 Duke run in front of 6,805 spectators at Richmond.

“If Aidan Maguire gets beat, opponents tend to celebrate a little harder, because they ran by him and boosted their confidence,” Danowski said. “You can beat him once, but it’s hard to beat Aidan twice.”

Defensive midfielders must accept they will rarely get a chance to score the ball. Maguire acknowledges he isn’t as skilled on offense as many of the ACC scorers he faces. But he revels in his role as one of “the dogs” on the Blue Devils’ roster, especially when it comes to the short sticks.

“Those guys on offense were meant for those positions. They have a knack for the net,” Maguire said. “And us d-middies have a knack for beating someone up.”

A short-stick defender must play on and off the ball. And match up with the opponents’ best midfielder repeatedly. And often switch furiously as a cover guy. If they clear the ball, they might get involved in the offense, possibly to set picks or grab an assist. They might need to box out an opponent to secure a faceoff win. It’s rough and nasty blue-collar work, not fit for everyone, and mostly not worthy of a stat sheet.

“The concepts of team defense for most college freshmen are pretty foreign. Aidan’s lacrosse IQ has grown every year, whether it’s running the field, forcing a takeaway, picking up a ground ball after a faceoff to create momentum for us,” Danowski said. “There isn’t an offensive middie out there who wants to play on defense when he gets to college. For some freshmen, d-middie is a steppingstone for playing offense. But he became so good at, that was never in our thinking.”

After his freshman season in 2023, a year in which Duke lost to Notre Dame in the NCAA championship game, Maguire had gained confidence in his capabilities. He would soon become a high priority in opposing scouting reports.

Maguire, who will graduate with a political science degree and sees himself eventually as a teacher and coach, does not need much motivating to keep his game evolving and growing. Last fall, he was the lone collegiate player to be invited to the U.S. Men’s National Team training camp.

As he prepared to face Georgetown, which eliminated the Blue Devils in last year’s first round of the NCAAs, Maguire spoke of his love for his families — both his Duke brothers and his parents, Amy and Michael, and four siblings — and how his Catholic faith helps to sustain him and keep him grounded in a principled life.

Maguire is the second oldest of five children, two sons and three daughters. Kira, his older sister, played three years of soccer at Brown after spending two years at Virginia. Ava is a junior on the Boston University women’s soccer team. His brother, Devin, is committed to play lacrosse at Army next year. Carly is a freshman in high school.

“They are the reason I have a competitive edge. It was probably founded from losing many races to my sisters, who are great athletes,” Maguire said. “I lost a lot playing knee hockey with them in the basement. My younger brother would beat me a lot. That pissed me off. We still talk about those times.”

Maguire carries his faith closely and strongly. At the Duke Catholic Center, he is a regular at weekly Bible study and at Sunday morning Mass, where he joins numerous teammates to worship.

“There is a lot of failure in life, and sometimes you question it. But with all the greatness and happiness this place brings to me at Duke, I can say God has a plan for me and has taken care of me in a beautiful way,” he told Duke Magazine.

“Aidan is a really deep kid. There have been few guys over the years that I’ve loved to coach — and also had such great respect for,” Caputo said. “When it comes to style, he swims with the tide. When it comes to principle, he stands like a rock.”

“He’s got a really good balance between confidence and humility. He knows he’s a heck of an athlete. This kid could have played college football if he really wanted to. He’s worked hard at being a leader. He stands by what he believes in,” Caputo added. “Aidan hates to lose way more than he likes to win. He is just so great to be around.”

Danowski, who sees Maguire and his mates at church regularly, has enjoyed the leadership growth in Maguire as much as he has loved watching his game flourish.

Danowski pointed to a critical, one-way chat Maguire had with his teammates, following a flat practice after those four consecutive defeats and just a few days before that important win over the Tar Heels. Maguire’s message clearly was received.

“It’s hard to speak up and hold people accountable. Aidan let it rip,” Danowski said. “He has done a tremendous job of being honest with and demanding of his teammate, when it was appropriate. For me, that has been a joy to watch.”

Maguire, who is already counting down the days his lacrosse family inevitably will split up, said he is focused squarely on every precious day he is together with his guys, starting with his beloved “dogs.”

“I joined that rope unit as a little brother. Those big brothers taught me so much as a player and about being a man,” Maguire said. “You take on that big brother identity, and there is real satisfaction in that. I want to leave [Duke] better than I found it. But that will be hard to do, because this is such an amazing place.”