Loyola Wins Ugly, 3-2 over Towson
from press release
TOWSON, Md. - Matt Langan curled around the
crease and scored his second goal of the game with 3:41 left in
regulation, as Loyola University Maryland defeated host Towson
University, 3-2, in non-conference action at Johnny Unitas
Stadium.
Goalkeeper Jake Hagelin and the 15th-ranked Greyhounds' defense
held Towson to just 21 shots and eight on goal. Hagelin made six
saves and tied for team-high honors with five ground balls.
Towson (0-2 overall) took a 2-1 lead with 10:06 left in the third
quarter when Alec Jernstedt, a long-stick midfielder, scored in
transition off a Peter Mezzanotte pass.
The Tigers continued to hold Loyola (2-0) without a goal for the
next 19:23 until Davis Butts rushed toward the face of the goal and
shot a pass to Mike Sawyer who was stationed 12 yards outside at
the top of the left alley.
Sawyer ripped a shot past Towson goalkeeper Travis Love to tie the
score at 2-2 with 5:43 remaining in regulation.
Loyola won the ensuing faceoff, as Scott Ratliff reached to pick up
a ground ball that faceoff specialist John Schiavone pushed toward
the Greyhounds' defensive end.
Towson, however, regained possession when Stephen Murray's shot
went just outside the near pipe, and Love picked up the ground
ball.
The Greyhounds forced a turnover on the Tigers' clearing attempt.
Mike Sawyer came from behind to strip Mezzanotte of possession, and
the ball rolled out of bounds in Loyola's favor.
After a media timeout, Love made a save on a Sawyer shot with 3:51
to go, but 10 seconds later, Langan wrapped around the backside of
the crease and delivered a low shot from right to left into the
bottom corner of the goal.
"We were in an inverted offensive set there, and Chris Basler
had a short-stick defender on him," Langan said. "He kind of got
away from him, and I was able to sneak in past them. I dropped my
hands and got my stick around the near side."
Schiavone scored another win on the ensuing faceoff, pushing the
ball to Josh Hawkins, and Loyola ran nearly 90 seconds off the
clock before calling a timeout with 2:14 to play. Head Coach
Charley Toomey called another timeout for the Greyhounds with 1:31
to go, but Towson, using a seven-man ride, forced a turnover with
1:11 left on the clock.
"I looked at (Hagelin) and the defense (during the second timeout),
and I said, `one more stop, and we go home (with a win),'" Toomey
said. "It is good to know that we can score in 6-on-6 (offense),
and that if it is a slow game, we can gut it out with our
athleticism."
Loyola forced the Tigers to use almost 30 seconds of clock to clear
the ball to their offensive zone, and Ratliff then caused a Carl
Iacona turnover.
The Greyhounds, however, were unable to clear the ball, and Towson
had possession after a timeout with 10 ticks remaining. Matt Hughes
attempted a shot from the top with four seconds left, but it was
blocked away by a Loyola defender, and the Greyhounds came away
with the victory.
Loyola won the battle of the ground balls, picking up 27 to the
Tigers' 17, and Schiavone won 6-of-9 restarts. Hagelin and Hawkins
led Loyola with four ground balls each, while Ratliff had four and
Sawyer picked up three.
The teams played to a scoreless draw after the first quarter
despite 14 combined shots. It remained that way in the second
period, although Loyola appeared to have broken through. Pat Byrnes
bounced a shot past Love, but he was called for being in the crease
with 9:50 to go before halftime. Towson, however, had committed a
pushing penalty, and the Greyhounds went on extra-man for the
second time in the half.
The game was the lowest scoring contest for the Greyhounds since
they defeated Ohio State by the same score on March 23, 1962.
Loyola is back in action at Ridley Athletic Complex next Saturday
when it hosts Bellarmine University at 1 o'clock in ECAC Lacrosse
League action.
