LEWISBURG, Pa. –
Jake Sweeney scored the game's only goal late in the first half, and Loyola University Maryland's defense did the rest in a 1-0 win at Bucknell to wrap up yet another Patriot League regular season championship on Wednesday.
The Greyhounds (9-6-2, 7-2-0 PL) have topped the Patriot League standings in each of the last four non-COVID impacted seasons, and they were also first in the South division standings during the shortened season last spring. They will host a semifinal matchup at Ridley Athletic Complex at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.
Loyola has now posted five-straight shutouts against Patriot League opponents, the program's longest run in conference play since 2007, and the Greyhounds' nine overall clean sheets this season are their most in a regular season since 2008.
Chase Vosvick was required to make just one save in tonight's victory, a diving effort to his left in the 48th minute.
Several players contributed to Sweeney's first collegiate strike with 10:44 remaining in the first half.
Matthew Lala sent a cross from the corner which was kept in by
Loc San on the goal line. San then sent a nice back pass to
Kelan Swales on the left side. His low shot was tipped away by Logan Kinajil-Moran in goal, but Sweeney pounced on the rebound to put the visitors in front.
Sweeney became the 10th different Greyhound to score this season, while Swales now ranks fourth on the team with four assists on the year.
Loyola had seven of the game's eight shots and all four corner kicks in the opening 45 minutes. Bucknell (4-10-3, 2-5-2 PL) was limited to four off-target shots after Vosvick's lone save, including just two shot attempts over the final 34:41 of regulation.
The Greyhounds will be back in the Patriot League tournament for a sixth-consecutive season under head coach
Steve Nichols, and they are 37-13-5 against conference opponents during that span. Loyola will host either No. 4 Lehigh, No. 5 Navy or No. 6 Army West Point on Tuesday night depending on the results of this weekend's quarterfinal matchups.
