Henry Dodge’s college career shows a sharp, measurable rise from limited freshman action to national-level faceoff success. His college career began quietly at Vermont, where he appeared in five games as a freshman in 2023 and won just one of 11 draws. Two seasons later, he led Division I with a 71.3% faceoff percentage.
That rise carried him from a limited role to America East honors, a transfer to Maryland, First Team All-Big Ten recognition, and multiple Third Team All-American selections. For readers looking up Henry Dodge, the central story is not simply where he has played, but how quickly his production changed once he became Vermont’s primary specialist.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Position | Faceoff specialist |
| High school | Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut |
| College teams | Vermont, then Maryland |
| 2025 faceoff percentage | 71.3%, best in Division I |
| 2025 honour | America East Face-Off Specialist of the Year |
| 2026 Maryland percentage | 67.9%, second nationally |
| 2026 conference honor | First Team All-Big Ten |
| Current status | Listed by Maryland as a graduate student for the 2027 season |
Staples Established His Faceoff Foundation
Dodge arrived in college with an established record at Staples High School in Connecticut. In 2022, he helped Staples defeat Darien 12-3 to win the program’s first CIAC Class L boys lacrosse state championship.
That season also brought individual recognition. He was named Connecticut Player of the Year and earned high school All-American honors for the second consecutive year.
His approach to the position had already been visible before that title run. After a 2021 game against New Canaan that included two unusually long faceoff battles, Dodge spoke about staying focused on gaining possession rather than the length of the exchanges. He also connected those wins with momentum for Staples.
His Vermont Freshman Season Began With a 1-for-11 Record.
Dodge’s first college season looked very different from the numbers he would later produce. He appeared in only five games for Vermont in 2023 and won one of 11 faceoffs.
That limited freshman record provides the clearest starting point for his later development. He was not immediately operating as Vermont’s primary option, and there was little in those numbers alone to suggest that he would lead Division I in faceoff percentage two years later.
The change began when his role expanded.
A Larger Role Produced a Breakthrough in 2024
Vermont gave Dodge much more responsibility during the 2024 season, when he became the team’s primary faceoff specialist.
He won 200 draws and finished at 58.1%, a major jump from his freshman numbers. His value was not limited to the draw itself: he also collected a team-high 103 ground balls.
His season also brought recognition within America East. Dodge earned All-Tournament and All-Academic Honors.
By the end of 2024, the contrast with his first college season was already significant. He had moved from a small role to handling the bulk of Vermont’s faceoff work while producing at an efficient rate.
Dodge Led Division I in Faceoff Percentage in 2025
The next season pushed that progression to the national level.
Dodge won 71.3% of his faceoffs in 2025, the best rate in Division I. Vermont also identified it as the best single-season faceoff percentage in program history.
His impact went beyond the percentage. He averaged 8.50 ground balls per game, which ranked fourth nationally.
America East named him its Face-Off Specialist of the Year by unanimous selection and placed him on the All-Conference First Team.
Some university material rounded his 2025 percentage to 71%, while the conference listed the more precise figure of 71.3%. Both refer to the same season, not conflicting performances.
By that point, the player who had gone 1-for-11 as a freshman had become the national leader in one of the most measurable parts of his position.
Maryland Offered the Competitive Environment He Wanted
After his 2025 season at Vermont, Dodge transferred to Maryland.
His official Maryland profile includes his own explanation for the move. Dodge cited the program’s competitiveness, how the coaches treated him, and the team’s culture as factors in his decision.
Those comments directly explain why Maryland appealed to him without requiring speculation about other possible motives.
The transfer also created a new test for his development: after leading Division I in faceoff percentage at Vermont, he would now compete in the Big Ten with Maryland.
His Faceoff Success Carried Into the Big Ten
Dodge’s efficiency remained high during his first Maryland season.
When Big Ten postseason honors were selected in April 2026, he was winning 68.1% of his faceoffs and led Maryland with 47 ground balls. He also led the conference in faceoff percentage.
His final full-season figure was slightly lower at 67.9%, reflecting the additional games played after the conference award cut-off. He finished 114-for-168 on faceoffs, ranked first in the Big Ten and second nationally.
One of his strongest postseason performances came against Rutgers in the Big Ten quarterfinal on April 25, 2026. Dodge won 12 of 14 faceoffs and collected eight ground balls as Maryland earned a 13-10 victory.
Maryland also reported that his career faceoff percentage stood at .634 at season’s end, second among active players at the time.
National Recognition Followed His First Maryland Season
Dodge’s first Maryland campaign produced recognition at both the conference and national levels.
The Big Ten named him to its First Team All-Big Ten in April 2026.
He later received Third Team All-American honors from three separate selectors: USA Lacrosse, Inside Lacrosse, and the USILA. Those are distinct selections rather than one combined award.
Dodge was also included on the initial 2026 Tewaaraton Award Watch List. The recognition placed him among players being monitored for the national award, although watch-list inclusion did not make him a finalist.
His performance at Maryland therefore extended the trajectory that began at Vermont rather than interrupting it. He remained one of the country’s most efficient faceoff specialists after moving into a different conference and program.
His Development Is Defined by Measurable Improvement
Dodge’s college record stands out because the numbers show clear progression.
He went from winning one of 11 faceoffs in limited freshman action in 2023 to winning 58.1% as Vermont’s primary specialist in 2024. A year later, his 71.3% rate led Division I and earned him the top specialist honor in America East.
The move to Maryland gave that progress another point of comparison. In 2026, he still finished second nationally in faceoff percentage, earned First Team All-Big Ten honors, and collected multiple Third Team All-American selections.
Maryland currently lists Dodge as a graduate student on its 2027 roster. Whatever comes next, the documented path from 1-for-11 to the top of the Division I faceoff rankings already gives his career a clear and unusually measurable arc.
Fact-checking note: This profile was prepared from the verified sources reviewed during the research process. Unsupported and unconfirmed claims were excluded.