Loyola Defense Sharp in Win over Fairfield
from press release
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Loyola University allowed a
season-low four goals, as Jake Hagelin made 13 saves in goal, and
the ninth-ranked Greyhounds defeated No. 14 Fairfield, 9-4, in ECAC
Lacrosse League action on Saturday afternoon at Lessing Field.
"Our guys played very hard for 60 minutes," Head Coach Charley
Toomey said. "We won some individual matchups defensively, and we
shared the ball on the offensive end of the field. That helped us
get some great looks. Hagelin was terrific today, and I'm very
proud of our overall effort."
Hagelin entered the game with the second-best goals against
average in the nation and lowered it to 6.77 with his
third-straight game tallying 13 or more saves. He also boosted his
season saves percentage to .608 in the victory.
Eric Lusby scored the game's first two goals, one at 12:52 and
another at 5:17, and Cooper MacDonnell added a third on a Taylor
Ebsary assist with 2:25 to play in the first quarter, staking the
Greyhounds (7-2 overall, 5-0 ECAC) to a 3-0 lead.
Fairfield (6-3, 3-1) got on the board 10 seconds before the end of
the first quarter on a Matt Plominski goal.
MacDonnell tallied his second of the game 58 seconds into the
second frame, and Lusby tied his career-high with his third goal of
the game 2:05 later, making it a 5-1 Loyola advantage.
Sam Snow cut the Greyhounds' lead back to three with an even 10
minutes remaining in the second period, but neither team would
score again before halftime.
Max Trunz took a Snow pass on a man-up possession for the Stags
midway through the third quarter, scoring his first goal of the
game and pulling Fairfield within a pair, 5-3,with 7:33 left in the
period.
Loyola would not allow Fairfield to draw closer.
Collin Finnerty scored an extra-man goal with 4:43 to go in the
third on a Chris Hurst assist, and Josh Hawkins tallied a goal for
the Greyhounds 24 ticks later, extending Loyola's lead to 7-3.
Fairfield again closed within three on a Brent Adams goal with
three seconds left on the third-quarter clock, but it would be the
last goal the Stags would score.
Although Fairfield would take nine shots in the final quarter, but
Hagelin made five saves on those Stags' attempts that were on
goal.
Davis Butts and Hurst scored unassisted goals in the fourth to
provide the final margain of victory.
Loyola held a 29-27 advantage in ground balls, as four players -
Hagelin (4), Hawkins (4), Finnerty (3) and MacDonnell (3) - had
three or more.
The Greyhounds step out of conference action next weekend when
they host Georgetown in a 12 noon game on Saturday, April 17, 2010,
at Ridley Athletic Complex. The game will be broadcast live on
WMAR-TV/ABC-2 in the Baltimore area and ESPNU nationally.
