Finnerty Sends Message to Loyola Teammates

by Steven Russolillo | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

Collin Finnerty (right) celebrates with Stephen Murray after a Loyola goal in the Greyhounds' 11-9 loss to Notre Dame in the Face-Off Classic. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com

Loyola knew it let one get away against No. 3 Notre Dame. But the Greyhounds won’t let the loss deter it from their greater men's lacrosse goals.

At least, that was the message senior captain Collin Finnerty gave his teammates immediately after No. 9 Loyola suffered its first loss of the season, falling to the Irish 11-9 in a Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic game that had eight ties and five lead changes. Finnerty, who had a greater role on offense (3g) with leading scorer Cooper MacDonnell unavailable (shoulder), may have had the biggest impact after the game when he addressed his teammates in the locker room, telling them not to get discouraged by the first loss of the season.

The main point of his speech: Loyola’s goal heading into the season wasn’t to go undefeated, but to win the ECAC and, ultimately, the national championship.

“That was a moment in the locker room,” said fifth-year Loyola head coach Charley Toomey. “Collin felt at that point that there was something that needed to be said. I know I took notice of it as a coach and appreciated that, and I know the players did as well.”

Toomey noted the Greyhounds have “grown up a bit” throughout the past few seasons, as they’ve had their fare share of successes as well as disappointments. Loyola has earned at least a share of the ECAC championship in each of the last two seasons. But the Greyhounds didn’t get invited to the NCAA tournament last year, in part because they lacked a signature win against a tough opponent. All five of their losses last season, which were against tough opponents, came by two goals or less.

Getting over that hump and closing out some of these tough games will be Loyola’s next step in the maturation process.

The Greyhounds also have the added pressure of being the preseason favorite in the overhauled ECAC. Five of the eight schools in the ECAC are new to the league, including Ohio State, Denver, Air Force, Quinnipiac and Bellarmine.

Georgetown was always the preseason favorite to finish first, but the Hoyas as well as Rutgers and St. John's are now in the Big East. UMass and Penn State joined the CAA, leaving Loyola the top-ranked squad in this year’s preseason poll. 

The Greyhounds will play some of the same nonconference games they’ve played in the past. But a schedule heavy with unfamiliar faces can be daunting. And with some competitors a flight away, rather than a long bus ride, Loyola faces the added burden of more travel than prior years.

“We can’t just go to our files and pull out last year’s scouting reports,” Toomey said. “We can’t look and see what these teams do in specific situations. There was a level of familiarity in years past in the ECAC, and there’s none of that right now. You just don’t know how your team is going to react.”

But this Saturday’s game features a familiar, if not daunting, foe as Loyola will host No. 10 Duke in its home opener. This won’t be just any-old home opener either, as Loyola will open the Ridley Intercollegiate Athletic Complex, a new stadium that seats approximately 6,000 fans. It’ll also mark a rematch against the Blue Devils, who defeated Loyola 11-9 last year in North Carolina.

“We know we missed an opportunity this past weekend,” Toomey said. “But knowing that we’re facing Duke in the brand opening of our new stadium, there will be a lot of excitement as well as nerves all over that field.”

ECAC Notes

Ohio State freshman Logan Schuss scored the game winner in overtime, leading the Buckeyes to an 11-10 victory against Penn State on Saturday. He also added four assists, while senior Mario Ventiquattro had four goals and senior goalie Brandon Freeman made 12 saves for Ohio State (3-1). The Buckeyes could not sustain the momentum though, losing to upstart Robert Morris , 12-7, on Tuesday… Hobart (1-1) notched its first win of the season, defeating Colgate 12-9 last Saturday. The Statesmen have defeated the Raiders 24 consecutive times and haven’t lost to them since 1964. Hobart will face Bucknell on Saturday… Denver (2-3) narrowly defeated Lehigh 8-7. Freshman Cameron Flint had three goals, bringing his scoring total to 12 on the season… Fairfield (1-2) blew a three-goal lead on Saturday and fell to Villanova 8-6. The Stags will host No. 3 Notre Dame in Texas on Saturday… Air Force remains winless as it dropped its third consecutive game on Saturday, falling 8-7 against Penn. The Falcons will host Army on Saturday… Quinnipiac notched its second straight victory last Saturday, winning at Detroit Mercy 13-8 in a physical game that featured 19 combined penalties. The Bobcats will host Providence on Saturday… Bellarmine has had a busy week, squaring off against Bryant on Wednesday (13-4 loss) and traveling to Hartford -- which nearly clipped Brown this week -- on Saturday. Three of Bellarmine's next four games are at home.