Harford Community College Athletics

Aaron Verardi returns in 2024-2025 for his 11th season as head coach of the men's lacrosse program and his 13th year overall at Harford.

In 2024, Verardi led the Fighting Owls to the program's second consecutive NJCAA National Championship in a dominant playoff run where the Fighting Owls outscored their opponents 64-23. The team finished with a 13-1 record, outscoring opponents 311-96 during the season. The Fighting Owls appeared in their fifth straight NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships semifinal and sixth straight national tournament appearance. Verardi would be recognized as the MDJUCO Coach of the Year and the NJCAA National Championship Coach of the Tournament.

Seven NJCAA All-America student athletes were honored at the end of 2024: Alex Epple, Ryan Sweiderk, Brayden Olstad, Carson Crawford and Kohl Wesner earned first team recognition. Cayden Collins and Mark Durling would be named to second team. Epple was a two-time recipient of first team honors. Crawford was named the Region 20 Defensive Player of the Year. Sweiderk was named the Defensive MVP of the national tournament. Wesner was recognized as the Offensive MVP of the national championship. There were also 11 All-Region 20 selections recognized.

Verardi led Harford to the program's first NJCAA National Championship in 2023, doing so on their home field. The team also finished the season unblemished for the first time, going 12-0. The Fighting Owls appeared in their fourth straight NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships semifinal, while also earning the program's fourth straight Region 20 Championship. Verardi would later be recognized as the NJCAA Coaches Association Coach of the Year, the Region 20 Coach of the Year and was honored by the IMLCA as the Scott Livie Junior College Coach of the Year.

In 2023, six NJCAA All-America student athletes were honored under Verardi's leadership: Epple, Trevor Sousa and Dylan Tomarchio earning first team recognition, while Carter Korzenski, Jack Mulligan and Ethan Storey were named to second team. Epple was named the Defensive Player of the Year in Region 20, as well as the Defensive MVP of the national tournament and Region 20 Tournament. Tomarchio was recognized as the Offensive MVP of the national championship. There were 11 All-Region 20 selections also recognized.

In 2022, Verardi led the Fighting Owls to the NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships semifinal for the third consecutive season. The team ended the year with a 10-2 record and earned a No. 1 national ranking for the final six weeks of the season, while carrying a 10-game win streak. The team also earned its third straight Region 20 Championship.

Four NJCAA All-America student athletes were honored under Verardi's leadership in 2022: Cayden Onagi, Taz Delaney and Zach Shepard earned first team recognition, while Nate Surd was named to second team. There were also 10 All-Region 20 selections.

The 2021 season saw the Fighting Owls ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA preseason poll and the team remained there for the entire regular season. Verardi led Harford to its first undefeated regular season in program history, its second consecutive MARYLAND JUCO Conference and Region 20 championships and its first appearance in the NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship game. The Fighting Owls outscored their opponents 189-60 (97-38 vs. MARYLAND JUCO Opponents).

A trio of Fighting Owls were honored as NJCAA All-America: Cayden Onagi, Jason Roland, and Caden Cote. Onagi led Harford in all offensive categories and Roland led the NJCAA with a 6.41 goals against average.

Ten members of the 2021 squad received MARYLAND JUCO honors, including Roland with Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Roland also nabbed the same award for Region 20, while Onagi was named the Offensive Player of the Year. Cote and FOGO Zach Sheppard were named First Team All-Region 20 as well, while midfielder Taz Delaney was tabbed as an honorable mention.
 
The Fighting Owls began 2020 ranked as the No. 4 team in the NJCAA preseason poll. The season would unfortunately never get off the ground, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2019, the Fighting Owls had a historic season under Verardi, boasting a 13-2 mark and a 3-0 record against Maryland Juco Conference opponents. Harford's 13-game win streak was the longest in the program history and helped wrap up its first Maryland Juco Conference and Region 20 titles. Harford's No. 2 ranking achieved midway through the year was its best since the 2017 version of Verardi's Fighting Owls. The 2019 Fighting Owls also earned another program first when it knocked off then No. 1 Onondaga on March 2, handing the Lazers their first regular season loss at home since 2008.

When the dust settled on 2019, the Fighting Owls had landed 10 members of the team on the All-Maryland Juco squad, including Defensive Player of the Year Barret Casto. Of those 10, seven were named to the All-Region 20 side and a program-record five earned NJCAA All-America honors. 

In 2018, Verardi achieved his third straight winning season with an 8-6 record, including a perfect 4-0 mark at home. Harford earned the lone at-large bid into the NJCAA national tournament thanks to a huge 9-8 overtime win against No. 7 Suffolk County and a 16-8 victory in the Region 20 tournament over No. 5 Anne Arundel. Ten players received All-Conference honors, with three being selected for the All-Region 20 team. Verardi would also play a hand in seeing defenseman Nicholas Perrot achieve NJCAA All-America status, the third player to do so in the last two years.

In 2017, coach Verardi led the Fighting Owls to an 11-6 record, including a then program best No. 2 ranking. Harford beat then No. 2 ranked Nassau for the first time ever on a last second goal to win 10-9 as part of a nine-game winning streak.

After a tough 2015 season, coach Verardi led Harford to a nice rebound year with an 8-6 record and a second-place finish in the conference with a 4-1 record in Maryland Juco competition. 

As interim head coach of the 2015 men's lacrosse team, Verardi’s Fighting Owls went 4-10, including a 3-4 mark at home.

Verardi was an integral part of the record-breaking Fighting Owl men's lacrosse season in 2013, helping Harford reach the NJCAA national tournament. As an assistant for two seasons, Harford was 21-12 with Verardi on the sideline.

Verardi was a defensive standout at UMBC, serving as a three-year starter, playing under the tutelage of the legendary Don Zimmerman. In 2009, the Retrievers went to the NCAA national tournament and reached the American East Conference tournament in all four seasons. Verardi registered 19 ground balls and caused five turnovers as a senior in 2011. He earned All-America East Conference as a senior. 

Verardi played his high school lacrosse at national powerhouse Boy's Latin, under legendary coach Bob Shriver. In 2006, the team was undefeated and crowned national champions by Inside Lacrosse and Lax Power.

Verardi also helped coach the Upper Chesapeake Mavericks, a local club team that features top local talent from Harford and Cecil counties.

Verardi graduated from UMBC in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in history.

He currently lives in Forest Hill, Md.