Charley Toomey

Reigning national champion Loyola's showdown with top-ranked Denver this Saturday at Ridley Athletic Complex will probably be the first of two meetings between these Eastern College Athletic Conference rivals and potentially the first of three contests. The No. 8 Greyhounds (9-2 overall and 5-0 in the league) and the Pioneers (9-2, 4-0) are vying for the top seed in the conference tournament, and a loss for either team will likely mean a No. 2 seed. But coach Charley Toomey said a victory would enhance Loyola's RPI, which is ranked 10th in the first list released by the NCAA.

Loyola's satisfaction over playing with a full starting lineup lasted just one game. After pounding then-No. 8 Ohio State, 9-4, on March 30 with its full complement of starters, the team took care of Fairfield, 13-7, last Saturday without freshman attackman Zach Herreweyers. Herreweyers had started in the No. 10 Greyhounds' last four contests, but was not dressed for Saturday's victory. Coach Charley Toomey wouldn't say what was ailing Herreweyers. “We're all fighting something,” he said.

There are myriad reasons for Loyola's five-game winning streak. The defense is surrendering an average of 5.8 goals, the offense unearthed an explosive attackman in freshman Zach Herreweyers while senior attackman and 2012 Tewaaraton Award finalist Mike Sawyer sat out two games, and the transition game was bolstered by the return of senior short-stick defensive midfielder Josh Hawkins. Junior attackman Justin Ward pointed to another factor: practice. “After that Duke game [a 9-8 loss on March 8]

Reigning national champion Loyola owns a commanding 13-2 advantage in this Eastern College Athletic Conference series and swept Fairfield in two games last season, including a 14-7 thumping in the championship final of the conference tournament. The Stags have never won on the Greyhounds' home turf. Fairfield (6-4 overall and 2-1 in the league) has won three of its last four contests, but is trying to bounce back from an 8-7 loss to conference foe Bellarmine last Saturday. Junior attackman Jordan Greenfield leads the offense in goals with 22 and points with 29. No. 10 Loyola (8-2)

The Loyola men's lacrosse team knew it was in for a good day when some of its most productive options on offense were defensive players. Long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff led all scorers with four goals and short-stick defensive midfielder Josh Hawkins added a pair of goals to power the reigning national champion Greyhounds to a 13-7 victory over visiting Fairfield in an Eastern College Athletic Conference showdown before an announced crowd of...

A portion of Friday's article on the improved play of No. 10 Loyola's defense centered on the progress that Jack Runkel has made. After recording a 8.57 goals-against average and a .504 save percentage in the team's first seven games, the junior goalkeeper has posted a 5.00 goals-against average and a .625 save percentage in his last three starts. Runkel said one factor in his recent performances has been a conscious effort to break a habit of standing too deep in the cage. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Runkel takes up a lot of space, but he said that stepping out allows him to reduce the angle that opposing shooters have.

When Nick Liddil scored with nine seconds left in Ohio State's 9-4 loss to Loyola in an Eastern College Athletic Conference men's lacrosse showdown Saturday, it was a footnote in a contest that had been decided much earlier. Try telling that to the Greyhounds. As they walked off the field at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, several defensive players were unhappy about Liddil's goal and shared their displeasure with teammates. "A big thing we've been talking about all year is finishing the game on the offensive side and defensive side," junior defenseman Joe Fletcher said.

Reigning national champion Loyola has won seven of its first nine contests this season, but both of the team's losses have occurred against ranked opponents. The No. 15 Greyhounds (7-2 overall and 3-0 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference) get a chance to change that trend when they pay a visit to No. 8 and league rival Ohio State (6-2, 1-1) this Saturday. The showdown with the Buckeyes will kick off a three-game stretch in which Loyola will meet conference foes in Ohio State, Fairfield (6-3, 2-0)

A 10-3 thrashing of Michigan on Saturday helped Loyola improve to 7-2 overall and 3-0 in the Eastern College Athletic Conference this season. But the No. 15 Greyhounds are in this position despite not having played with a full deck of cards. The reigning national champion played the first seven games of the season without senior short-stick defensive midfielder Josh Hawkins, who served a suspension for violating an unspecified team rule. Undisclosed injuries forced Loyola to play without senior attackman and 2012 Tewaaraton Award finalist Mike Sawyer for two contests, senior midfielder Davis Butts in Wednesday's 13-8 victory over Georgetown, and senior midfielder Chris Layne and senior defenseman Reid Acton on Saturday.

For at least one half, Loyola men's lacrosse coach Charley Toomey got a good, long look at what his team's defense could be, and he liked what he saw. Buoyed by the return of senior short-stick defensive midfielder Josh Hawkins, the No. 15 Greyhounds locked down host Georgetown in a 13-8 win before an announced 808 at Multi-Sport Field on Wednesday night. The Hoyas (3-4) had scored 16 times in an eight-goal thumping of Providence on Saturday, but they got just one goal in the first half as Loyola (6-2)