EASTON, Pa. – Loyola University Maryland men's lacrosse won 14 of 15 first-half faceoffs, led by
Carson Hall's 13, and the Greyhounds build a 10-3 halftime lead before going on to a 16-7 Patriot League victory at Fisher Stadium.
Hall finished the day 15 of 20 (.750), and Loyola was 18 of 27 (.667). Hall picked up a career-high 11 ground balls. Loyola controlled a 37-16 advantage in ground balls overall.
The Greyhounds (8-4 overall, 5-1 Patriot League) took a 3-0 lead in the game's first 12 minutes with goals from
Matthew Minicus,
Brady West and
Luke Murphy. Lafayette (5-7, 1-5) got back within one after scoring the next two, but Minicus scored his second of the day with three seconds left in the first quarter, sparking a 5-0 Greyhounds run.
Minicus scored twice and had two assists during that run and led all players with six points on four goals and two assists.
Murphy,
Mason Cook and
Connor Wilbur also had goals during the stretch, but Lafayette scored with 2:14 on the clock in the second quarter to make it 8-3.
Minicus responded with his third of the day for Loyola at 1:40, and Hall then scored his third career goal seven seconds later to put Loyola up seven at the break.
The Greyhounds did not ease up offensive in the second half with Cook and
Kenan Everhart scoring unassisted goals in the first eight minutes, and Cook and
Brady Quinn adding a pair over the next five.
Lafayette would get within 10, 14-4, on a Nicholas Blalock goal with 51 seconds left in the third, but
Alex Dumont and
Brady West each scored in the fourth for Loyola.
Murphy finished with two goals and an assist, Cook had three and one, West scored twice and Wilbur had a goal and career-high three assists.
On the defensive side of the ball, Loyola limited Lafayette to just 27 shots – while taking 51 itself – and
Max Watkinson made seven saves, and
Ben Abel had another.
Loyola will play its regular-season home finale on Saturday, April 18, at 12 noon when it hosts Army West Point at Ridley Athletic Complex.
