April 27, 2005
Baltimore, Md. - The Greyhounds close their first season of ECAC play with their final conference game of the year this Saturday at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field. Loyola, which hosts Hobart at 1 p.m., is 3-2 in the league and can still share the conference crown with a win and some help over the last two weeks of the regular season.
After back-to-back 9-8 losses, including a double-overtime loss to UMBC last Tuesday, Loyola hopes to regroup against a 7-5 Hobart team that has won its last two games. The Statesmen are 2-3 in the ECAC and are also playing their final conference game of the year.
The `Hounds hold a 5-2 edge in the all-time series and have won the last five meetings by an average of 6.4 goals per game. Loyola, which played non-conference games against Hobart each season from 1999 to 2003, did not play the Statesmen last season.
This season, the Greyhounds are 4-7 overall, losing five games by two goals or less. The defense, which has been outstanding all season, is the top-ranked penalty-killing defense in the nation and 11th overall in scoring defense. Led by senior starters Grant Halford, Dan Gross and Geoff Hunter, the Greyhounds are allowing an average of 7.71 goals per game.
On the offensive end, senior Matt Monfett, who has scored a goal in each of Loyola's last six games, leads the team with 18 goals and 21 points this season. Sophomore Greg Leonard, who scored a career-high three goals at Penn last Saturday, has 10 goals, as does freshman Shane Koppens, who is second on the team with 18 total points.
Hobart's top scoring threat is Daryl Veltman, who has 25 goals and 44 points. Chris David has chipped in with 22 goals for the Statesmen, who are averaging 11.67 goals per game.
Saturday is also Senior Day at Loyola, and the Greyhounds will honor 11 senior members of their team before the game. Along with Gross, Halford, Hunter and Monfett, Chris Einhorn, Parker Adams, Matt Dupuis, Jeff Russell, David Shortt, Pat Shek and John Halip will all be recognized.
Face-off is still slated for 1 p.m. and all the action can be heard live with Greg Parassio and Chris Gunkel on WNST AM 1570 and Online at www.LoyolaGreyhounds.com.
Loyola-Hobart Game Notes in PDF Format
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