Maryland
Loyola Maryland men’s lacrosse gets past Navy, 12-10, thanks in part to ground ball advantage
A quick glance at the final box score from the Loyola Maryland at Navy men’s lacrosse game might lead one to think the home team had a slight advantage.
The Midshipmen outshot the Greyhounds (45-41) and finished with a slight edge on faceoffs (14-12). Meanwhile, the goalie saves (12-12) and turnovers (17-17) were even.
Upon closer inspection, the one statistic that was glaring and played a huge factor in the outcome was ground balls. The Greyhounds beat the Mids, 39-30, in that category, which was somewhat surprising and extremely meaningful.
“I felt like they won most of the 50-50 ground balls tonight,” Navy coach Joe Amplo said. “I think we’re good when the ball’s on the ground, but they were better than us tonight.”
Ground balls translate into extra possessions and that was the deciding factor for Loyola, which beat Navy, 12-10, behind a balanced attack led by graduate student midfielders Adam Poitras and Evan James.
James and Poitras both finished with three goals and an assist as the Greyhounds jumped out to an early lead and controlled the game the rest of the way. Sophomore attackman Matthew Minicus totaled two goals and an assist for Loyola (7-6, 5-2 Patriot League), which has won three straight games against conference opponents.
Loyola coach Charlie Toomey knows the Midshipmen have always taken pride in winning the ground ball battle. Navy’s goal in every game is to gobble up 40 grounders, matching the uniform number of revered former defenseman Brendan Looney, a Marine Corps officer who was killed in action in September 2010.
“I know down here they call getting 40 ground balls a Looney,” said Toomey, who was once an assistant at Navy. “We knew we would have to match that intensity that they were going to bring to [that area]. When I look at the stat sheet I’m like ‘wow’ — 39 ground balls. I think we did a good job of fighting and scrapping for those 50-50 grounders.”
Toomey reserved special praise for Poitras, who led Loyola with eight ground balls. One of those came when he collected a rebound on the crease and scored. Several others came in the offensive end and extended possessions.
“You don’t see an attackman with eight ground balls. That’s an amazing stat. He just battled,” Toomey said.
Meanwhile, Navy’s slight edge on faceoffs was somewhat deceiving and proved another key factor in the contest. Freshman Zach Hayashi ranks second in the Patriot League in faceoff winning percentage, while Loyola has struggled all season with winning draws.
On Friday night, freshman Carson Hall made Loyola competitive in that department. As Amplo pointed out afterward, not all of the Midshipmen’s 14 faceoff wins resulted in possessions as they committed several turnovers before getting the ball into the box.
Loyola at Navy men’s lacrosse | PHOTOS
Hall won 4 of 6 faceoffs in the first quarter and that was a big reason why Loyola jumped out to a 4-1 lead with Poitras scoring two goals and graduate student attackman Joey Kamish dishing off two assists.
“When we win faceoffs, we’re a dangerous team,” Toomey said. “When we have the ball, we’re going to give ourselves a chance. Carson gave us a great chance tonight.”
Amplo agreed that falling behind in the first quarter and having to play catch up the rest of the way put Navy behind the eight ball.
“They were really sharp early on offense and we expected that,” Amplo said. “Watching them on film, they’re excellent. I think they’re one of the best offensive teams we’ve seen. They’re old and have some guys that have seemingly been around forever and they play well together. I thought we were chasing the game the whole night.”
Navy fell behind 7-2 last Saturday against Army and Amplo said the slow starts have to stop.
“Going down early seems to be the thing we do right now. That first quarter is what we need to figure out. After 4-1, it’s a heck of a lacrosse game,” he said.
Senior attackman Jon Jarosz scored four goals to lead Navy (7-6, 4-3), which twice rallied from three-goal deficits to get within one. Last time came early in the third period when sophomore midfielder Paul Garza made a spectacular individual move and scored off a one-armed slingshot to make it 7-6.
Jarosz has now scored nine goals in the last three games since returning from an injury that forced him to miss five games.
“The plan was to put the ball in [Jarosz’s] stick and he had a heck of a night. He was unguardable at times. He probably thinks he could have [scored] a couple more,” Amplo said.
The Mids could not sustain the momentum and the Greyhounds promptly used a 4-1 run to take their largest lead of the game, 11-7, with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter.
“I just told the team I didn’t think we deserved to win throughout the game. I thought our heart showed, but Loyola certainly outplayed us tonight and deserved to win,” Amplo said.
Toomey also highlighted senior goalie Luke Staudt, who returned after missing two games with a concussion and recorded 12 saves.
While the loss before an announced crowd of 2,251 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was disappointing, the Midshipmen did get some good news. Army beat Bucknell, which clinched a berth in the Patriot League Tournament for Navy.
“It’s great knowing we have more time with these guys and we have a chance to play another meaningful game,” Amplo said. “The truth is that we need to continue to improve because there’s a better game out there for us. Our guys have to rise to the occasion.”
Loyola (7-6, 5-2) 4-3-4-1=12
Navy (7-6, 4-3) 1-4-3-2=10
GOALS: L — Poitras 3, James 3, Minicus 2, Binney 2, Kamish, Heuston. N — Jarosz 4, Arline, Tolker, Connolly, Conway, Peters, Garza. ASSISTS: L — Kamish 2, Lindsey 2, James, Minicus, Poitras, Sally. N — Arline, Hewitt, Marsh. SHOTS: L — 41. N — 45. SAVES: L — Staudt 12. N — Daly 12. FACEOFFS: L — 12. N — 14. GROUND BALLS: L — 39. N — 30.
The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
- Adults: $8
- Senior Citizens (60+): $6
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- 4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
- Adults: $10
- Senior Citizens (60+): $8
- Children (ages 6-12): $4
- Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
- Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
- Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Related
Maryland
Maryland police arrest alleged bank robber wielding stolen cat: ‘Tried to use her as an accessory’
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
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