US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Men’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 8. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com throughout January and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition that mails to US Lacrosse members Feb. 1 — opening day of the 2018 college lacrosse season.

No. 12 Loyola

2017 Record: 10-6 (6-2 Patriot League)
Coach: Charley Toomey (13th year)

All-Time Record: 508-400-7
NCAA Appearances: 22
Final Fours: 4
Championships: 1

Six years ago, when Loyola won the school’s only NCAA Division I championship by finishing 18-1 with weapons all over the field, the Greyhounds were defined by a defensive midfield that shut offenses down and sparked the game’s most explosive fast break.

Coach Charley Toomey thinks this year’s team might be the best equipped to turn defense into offense since the rope unit once led by Scott Ratliff, Josh Hawkins and Pat Laconi pushed the Greyhounds to 29 victories over two seasons, starting with that NCAA crown in 2012.

This year’s Greyhounds will look to senior Zac Davliakos at long-stick midfield and senior short-stick defenders Brian Begley and Jared Mintzlaff to man the rope unit.

Begley and Mintzlaff took big steps forward in 2016 as on-ball stoppers and scorers, as they combined to score 13 goals and caused a combined 24 turnovers.

Davliakos stepped in capably after injuries ruined the senior year of long-stick midfielder Ryan Fournier. Davliakos was a steady force with 38 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers. He also chipped in two goals on just five shots.

Toomey expects Davliakos to hunt for more shots in transition. He also is excited by what sophomore Ryan McNulty will contribute at long-stick midfield. At 6-2, 210 pounds, McNulty, who suffered a season-ending injury last February, is healthy, fast and dangerous with the ball in his stick. He might remind fans of Ratliff.

“Early in the year, we’re probably going to have to sit back on defense, while we mature offensively,” said Toomey, alluding to Loyola’s youth on attack with freshmen Kevin Lindley and Aidan Olmstead.

“I think we’re going to be able to draw a line in the sand with this rope unit. I’m comfortable with that identity,” he added. “It says something when three of your team captains [Begley, Mintzlaff and Davliakos] are in that [rope] group. They’re disciplined, strong and tough. They’re probably going to drive the bus for this team.”

Toomey also anticipates the long-stick midfield becoming a two-headed monster, as McNulty pushes for more runs as a threat in transition.

“Zac took the job and ran with it last year,” Toomey said. “He’s got an obsessive work ethic and a great stick off the ground. He’s good in tight places. McNulty is exciting in the open. He’s probably better with the ball in his stick than without it at this point. I’m glad he’s on our side.”

The Case For Loyola

The Greyhounds are young on offense. But with proven playmakers at midfield in senior Jay Drapeau and junior John Duffy and with remarkable junior attackman Pat Spencer running the offense, Loyola will put much pressure on Patriot League defenses. Junior midfielder Alex McGovern, a starter on attack with 44 points a year ago, could move down low again if needed. Defensively, senior Ryder Harkins leads the close unit a year after consistently handling the opponents’ top matchup problem, while third-year starter Jacob Stover is primed for his best season in goal. Barring major injuries, and if the defensive midfield is as good as advertised, Loyola should be the class of the Patriot League again.

The Case Against Loyola

Graham Savio graduated with more career faceoff victories than any Greyhound in school history. Senior Mike Orefice spent three years as a solid backup. It remains to be seen how he fares this season in the top spot – before possibly yielding to freshman Bailey Savio, Graham’s promising younger brother. The Greyhounds might sacrifice too many possessions in 2018 to sustain offensive momentum and could put too much pressure on their defense in the process. Also, Army is shaping up as a serious contender once again, while Boston University and Navy could be in the thick of things as the league schedule plays out.

Path to the Playoffs

Since joining the Patriot League in 2013, the Greyhounds have dominated the league by winning the conference title three times over the past four seasons. This team, despite losing three of its top six scorers, appears well-equipped to extend that streak. The Greyhounds last year needed to get it done as the top seed in the Patriot League championship to make the NCAAs with an automatic bid, after losing to Bucknell and Boston University in overtime during the regular season. A year after going 1-3 against nonconference rivals Virginia, Johns Hopkins, Towson and Duke, the Greyhounds need to strengthen their at-large resume by at least breaking even against that group.  

Players To Watch

Pat Spencer, A, Jr.
28 G, 55 A

After his second outstanding season in a row, Spencer is the first player in Patriot League history to be named Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore. A first-team All-American and Tewaaraton finalist in 2017, Spencer is on course to own Division I school records in career points and assists – this season.

John Duffy, M, Jr.
(13 G, 4 A)

After leading the second midfield last year, Duffy moves into the first line, where he will complement Jay Drapeau (20 goals) and McGovern nicely. Duffy makes good decisions, takes good care of the ball and creates quality shots. “Duffy is probably our most consistent [midfielder],” Toomey said. “Great kid, does everything right, says little – a coach’s dream.”

Kevin Lindley, A, Fr.
106 G, 28 A (HS)

A lefty out of Darien (Conn.) High School with tremendous off-ball sense, Lindley set single-season program records (106 goals, 134 points) last spring as the US Lacrosse Northeast Region Player of the Year. A two-time state player of the year, he led Darien to three state titles, ended his career on a 55-game winning streak and finished with career school records (219 goals, 122 assists).

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐

Faceoff
⭐⭐⭐

1-4

Loyola’s record in one-goal contests last year. After dropping a wild 16-15 affair in their season opener against visiting Virginia, the Greyhounds went 0-3 in overtime decisions – all on the road against Hopkins, Bucknell and Boston U. Loyola won its share of blowouts against inferior conference teams, but they need to win more close ones in 2018.

5-Year Trend
Caused Turnovers (Per Game)

Coach Confidential
Charley Toomey

“We’re young and we need some time to grow. We’ve got a schedule that will prepare us for conference play. We’re a workmanlike group and I like to point to the [winning] culture we’ve built here. But if you take a Drapeau or a Spencer off of the field with an injury, things will get very tough for us.”

Enemy Lines
Rival Coaches

“What happened in 2017 after the final four run in 2016?  Was it simply that they were just as strong a program in, but they found themselves losing too many of the close games early on? ... The midfield will look quite a bit different with Sherlock and Dennis departed, but Jay Drapeau, John Duffy and Alex McGovern are more than qualified to step into the bigger roles awaiting them. Of course, the offense really starts and stops with junior Pat Spencer, the best feeding attackman in the game who is also very dangerous dodging for himself. ... The defense appears to all be back, and if healthy can be lockdown (ex. holding Ohio State to seven goals in the NCAA tournament). ... The keys will be the two specialty areas: Graham Savio gives way to his little brother and freshman Bailey at the FO X, while the goal should be filled by Jacob Stover, who played much better as the season progressed in 2017. ... They're going to go up and down and Spencer is unbelievable as a distributor. It's just a matter of how they surround him. ... Always scary when no one is talking about them.”