BALTIMORE –
Adam Poitras scored for Loyola University Maryland with 1:28 left in the second quarter, and the Greyhounds went to halftime tied, 7-7, with fifth-ranked Duke University, but the Blue Devils scored the first four goals of the third quarter and went on to a 16-10 win at Ridley Athletic Complex.
Duke led 7-4 just 15 seconds into the second quarter, but Loyola did not allow another goal for the remainder of the frame while scoring three of their own to tie the score at halftime.
Matt Heuston scored twice, less than five minutes apart, using hard runs to his right hand for shots from distance. His second goal at 7:17 pulled Loyola within a goal, and then
Davis Lindsey assisted on a Poitras goal with 1:28 to go in the half, and the score was tied at 7-7.
The Blue Devils, however, got a Dyson Williams goal 58 seconds into the third quarter to jumpstart a run that would put them up 12-8. Jack Pappendick, Aidan Daneza and Brennan O'Neill added goals during the run with O'Neill's score at 8:16 stretching the lead to four.
Poitras broke the run with the Greyhounds' first second half goal. He rolled the crease and got in front of a Duke defender to score on the doorstep. It was initially ruled to not be a goal, but after an officials' review, it was changed to his third tally of the game.
O'Neill scored again – he matched Williams for team-high honors with four goals – and Duke was back up four with 4:21 on the clock.
Joey Kamish scored for the Greyhounds with 17 seconds left in the quarter, and Loyola went to the fourth down three, 12-9.
Duke won the opening faceoff of the final period, and Jack Gray used one of Josh Zawada's six assists to score 12 seconds in.
Heuston added his third, scoring in the same fashion just over a minute later, but Duke tacked on the game's last three goals for the final margin.
Heuston's three goals were a career-high, and he matched
Adam Poitras for team-high honors. Lindsey had three assists to give him 13 points in Loyola's last three games.
Kamish and
Matthew Minicus both added goals, while
Eric Pacheco and
Chase Gregory each had scores in transition. Gregory's was the first of his career.
Luke Staudt made 13 saves for Loyola, and Pacheco had a team-high six ground balls.
The game was Loyola's final non-conference affair of the regular season. It will host Boston University on Saturday, March 16, at 1 p.m. in its next game.
