Opening Draw
- Loyola opens the 2024 season against Florida on February 10. The Greyhounds enter the game on a 9 game winning streak at Ridley Athletic Complex.
- The Greyhounds are 3-1 in their last four season openers, including winning their last two at home.
- The Greyhounds welcome back 28 players from their 2023 team that reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second straight season. They return five of their top seven goal scorers and four of their top five point leaders.
- They also welcome back three starting defenders from the 2023 team, including Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year,
Lily Osborne.
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Lauren Spence will return in cage for the Greyhounds, after she ranked towards the top of the NCAA in goals against and save percentage during her first season as the starting goalkeeper.
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Jen Adams is back for her 16th season at the helm of the Greyhounds, as they have experienced two of the best years in program history of the past two years.
Scouting Florida
- The Gators are coming off of a 2023 season where they finished 17-4 on the year, and won the AAC Conference Tournament, before losing to Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Coming into the season, the Gators are ranked No. 10 in the IWLCA Poll and No. 12 in the USA Lacrosse Preseason Poll.
- Emily Heller and Danielle Pavinelli were named to USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Honorable mentions, while Heller was named to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American second team.
- In the AAC Preseason Poll, the Gators were picked to finish in second place, receiving 33 votes and three first place votes. They trail James Madison who was picked to finish in first, as they received 34 votes and 4 first place votes. Emily Heller was picked as the Preseason Midfielder of the Year.
- Heller joins the Gators as a transfer from UMass, while Maria Pansini (Princeton) and Sarah Falk (Albany) also transferred in to Florida.
- The Gators will be without their leading scorer from 2023 in Emma LoPinto (62 g, 28a), who was held pointless in last years matchup, as she transferred to Boston College. Defender Becky Browndorf joined LoPinto in the portal as she also went to Boston College.
Preseason All-Americans
- Three Greyhounds earned Preseason All-American nods leading into the 2024 season.
- Junior
Lauren Spence was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American.
- Senior
Sydni Black was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine Third Team All-American, while also being named to the Inside Lacrosse All-American honorable mention.
- Junior
Georgia Latch was named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse All-American Third Team.
Dominance From The Circle
- The Greyhounds ended the 2023 season as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division I in draw control percentage, winning 69 percent of their draws.
- This, in large part was due to IWLCA Midfielder of the Year,
Jillian Wilson, who led the country in draw controls with 198.
- With the loss of Wilson due to graduating,
Chase Boyle will be in line to fill the shoes of Wilson, who finished as the Greyhounds all time draw control leader.
- This is not uncharted territory for the Greyhounds, as they have successfully replaced their main draw control player over the past few years.
- Taryn VanThof who tallied 318 career draw controls from 2011, 2013-15, was then replaced by sister Taylor VanThof (2016-19), who broke her sisters record with 392 career draw controls. Then Livy Rosenzweig (2018-22) filled in and proceeded to break both VanThof's records with 413 career draw controls, before Wilson took over and shattered all of the Loyola draw control records.
- The Greyhounds have relied on a next women up in the circle and have had success with it, in large part due to assistant coach
Dana Dobbie, who coaches the draw and is a big reason to their success.
Nationally Ranked
- Coming into the 2024 season the Greyhounds were ranked in the top 10 in the IWLCA Poll and in the USA Lacrosse Poll.
- Loyola was ranked No. 8 in the IWLCA Poll and No. 9 in the USA Lacrosse Poll.
- The IWLCA Preseason Poll features seven opponents on the Greyhounds 2024 schedule: Syracuse (No. 5), Florida (No. 10), Penn (No. 13), Johns Hopkins (No. 14), Army (No. 15), Penn State (No. 18), and Navy (No. 25). Princeton was also ranked No. 19 in the USA Lacrosse Poll.
Shoes to Fill
- Loyola will have to replace two players that played a key part in their success over the past five years in
Jillian Wilson and
Katie Detwiler.
- The duo combined to start in 150 games while at Loyola, and were both two-time IWLCA All-Americans.
- Wilson and Detwiler were important players on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, where they would matchup on the two best opposing players.
- The Greyhounds will look to returners such as
Chase Boyle,
Catie Corolla,
Logan Olmstead,
Riley Olmstead, and
Lily Osborne to fill in and replace Wilson and Detwiler.
Latch, Osborne, and Spence Earn PL Preseason Major Awards
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Georgia Latch was named the Patriot League Preseason Attacker of the Year for the second straight season. Latch had a career-best year in 2023, tallying career-highs in goals (45), assists (44), and points (89). She ranked 13th in Division I in total assists and 17th in points.
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Lily Osborne was named the Patriot League Preseason Defender of the Year for the first time in her career. She picks up where Detwiler picked up as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Osborne was named to the All-Patriot League second team in 2023, and played a crucial role on the defensive end, helping Loyola to the No. 2 scoring defense in NCAA Division I. She started all 22 games, tallying 18 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
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Lauren Spence was named the Patriot League Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. The reigning Goalkeeper of the Year was second in NCAA Division I in goals allowed average (7.18) and fifth in saves percentage (.520) while also leading the Patriot League in both of those categories.
Latch-Black, One-Two Punch
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Georgia Latch and
Sydni Black come into the 2023 season as one of the best 1-2 punches in the country.
- The duo led the Greyhounds in points last season, combining for 170 points between the two players.
- They were one of seven duos in the country to each have at least 80 points in 2023.
- Black was named as the Patriot League Tournament MVP after tallying 11 points between the semifinal and championship game, including a five-goal performance in the championship game vs Army.
- Latch was also a crucial piece in the Patriot League tournament, as she scored seven points between the two games.
- The duo will look to lead the Greyhounds offense as they look to reach the NCAA quarterfinals for the third straight season.
Players to Watch
- Coming into the 2024 season, the Greyhounds will look to continue their winning ways, and with that, comes players taking their next step.
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Anna Ruby burst onto the scene in 2023, as she scored 25 goals and tallied 14 assists on the season, after combining for just 8 assists in the previous three seasons. Head Coach
Jen Adams things Ruby has another gear that she will hit this season, and can be the perfect piece to compliment Latch and Black on the offensive end.
- The Loyola coaching staff has liked what they have seen from
Blake Cunneen this offseason, as they believe the senior has gotten strong and more confident, and can be a key piece this season.
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Catie Corolla and
Riley Olmstead return to the team after missing the 2023 season due to injury. Both players started at least 21 games during the 2022 season, and their return will help bolster Loyola on both ends of the field.
