Defender Goran Murray not eligible for 2015 season

In a tersely worded press release Friday afternoon, the University of Maryland men's lacrosse team announced that senior defenseman Goran Murray will not be eligible for the 2015 lacrosse season. Maryland's first exhibition game at Towson is scheduled for February 4 and the Terps open the season in earnest 10 days later at Navy.

The loss of Murray, who has been a star since his freshman season, is no small matter for a Maryland defense that will also need to replace graduated senior All-American and 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, goalie Niko Amato. The 6'0" Murray, a junior from Marion Station, Pa., often found himself matched man to man with the opposition's top offensive threat.

Murray was the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2012 and a U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) honorable mention All-American. He improved one notch to third team All-American as a sophomore. In 2014, Murray was named All-ACC, reached the ACC All-Tournament team and was named to a USILA first team All-American.

Tillman has yet to meet with the media in advance of the season, but will undoubtedly be asked to address this further.

Here is the entire text of the press release:

Tillman Announces Roster Update

Goran Murray Ineligible for 2015 Season

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland men's lacrosse coach John Tillman announced today that Goran Murray is ineligible and will not be a member of the Maryland lacrosse team for the 2015 season. Murray has not been with the team since the end of the 2014 season.

"We appreciate what Goran has done for the Maryland lacrosse program over the last three years and wish him the best moving forward," Tillman said.