BALTIMORE – Evan James scored three times during a 6-0 Loyola University Maryland men's lacrosse run, the last time coming on extra-man with 4:50 left in regulation to tie Saturday's game at 12-12, but the U.S. Naval Academy recorded the Patriot League game's last two goals to take a 14-12 decision at Ridley Athletic Complex.
 
James' fourth goal of the day came off a Peter Swindell assist to cap a rally that saw Loyola return from what had been a six-goal deficit at multiple points in the game.
 
Navy's Jeff Durden, however, came away with the ground ball off the ensuing faceoff, got into the box and scored his second goal of the day nine seconds later to swing the momentum back in the Midshipmen's favor. Christian Daniel added another goal with 88 seconds left, scoring on an empty net with Loyola riding, to seal the outcome.
 
The Midshipmen (4-2 overall, 2-2 Patriot League) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the game's first seven minutes, 32 seconds, scoring three extra-man goals in the process.
 
Their lead would be 10-4 with 1:07 left in the first half after Dane Swanson scored his second-straight goal, but Aidan Olmstead dodged out of the right alley and tucked a hard overhand shot underneath the cross bar with 18 ticks on the clock to pull Loyola within five at the end of the second quarter.
 
Jon Jarosz scored the third quarter's first goal off one of Daniel's five assists, pushing the lead back to six at 13:38, but Kevin Lindley would scored off an Adam Poitras assist with 10:47 on the clock for Loyola.
 
Michael Foster then scored with 9:43 left in the third, making it a six-goal game again, but his third of the season would be Navy's last goal for nearly 20 minutes until Durden scored.
 
Poitras connected with Lindley, this time on extra-man, with 4:19 on the clock, jumpstarting the 6-0 run.
 
James tallied his first of the stretch with 65 seconds left in the frame when he was pushed from behind after dodging past his man, going airborne and scoring to get Loyola within four going into the final quarter.
 
Poitras and James then scored unassisted goals at 9:27 and 8:14 in the fourth, bringing the Greyhounds within a pair.
 
Loyola (5-5, 3-3) drew within two moments later as the ground ball from the faceoff went all the way into the Loyola box where Lindley picked it up. The Greyhounds moved the ball quickly from there, and Aidan Olmstead fed Ryan McNulty, who was all alone on the crease, for a goal that made it 12-11 at 7:55.
 
The Greyhounds won the ensuing faceoff, but a turnover gave the ball back to the Midshipmen. After one Navy shot went high, Matt Hughes stripped Jarosz and regained possession for Loyola.
 
A dicey clear ended up leading to a push on the Midshipmen, and James connected on his fourth goal of the game, tying the score at 12-12 with 4:59 remaining.
 
James led Loyola with four goals, and Lindley matched his point total with three goals and an assist. Poitras had a season-high three points on a goal and two assists, while Swindell had two assists and Olmstead posted a goal and an assist. Payton Rezanka, McNulty and Riley Seay each scored once.
 
Loyola had a 45-39 advantage in ground balls, led by Hughes' six. Olmstead picked up five, while John Railey, Bailey Savio and Rezanka each had four.
 
Freeman Whitaker made his first-ever start in goal for the Greyhounds and made seven saves. Sam Shafer played the second half and stopped six shots against four goals.
 
Prior to the game, the Greyhounds honored a group of 15 who were a member of the academic classes of 2020 and 2021: Matthew Benus, Jarret Bonser, Riley Cox, Matt Higgins, Kyle LeBlanc, Kevin Lindley, Collin McCarthy, McNulty, Aidan Olmstead, Railey, Savio, Shafer, Swindell, Adam Wagner and Dan Wigley.
 
Loyola plays its final Patriot League game of the regular-season on Saturday, April 24, when it heads to Easton, Pennsylvania, for a 2 p.m. contest at Lafayette College.