Mike Preston: Final stretch the focus for Loyola Maryland men’s lacrosse after 14-9 loss to No. 16 Boston University | COMMENTARY

Minutes after No. 16 Boston College males’s lacrosse had taken management of Saturday’s sport with a dominant third quarter and defeated host Loyola Maryland, 14-9, in entrance of an introduced crowd of almost 1,000 on the Ridley Athletic Complicated, Greyhounds coach Charley Toomey began specializing in the long run.

It wasn’t the instant future, which begins Tuesday at Georgetown towards the No. 2 Hoyas, however video games towards Colgate and No. 20 Lehigh on April 23 and 29, respectively.

Loyola (5-6, 4-2 Patriot League) must preserve successful towards convention opponents to enhance its seeding within the six-team Patriot League Event and probably earn a bid to the NCAA Division I Event.

The Georgetown sport is vital, however Toomey is protecting issues in perspective.

“Georgetown is a superb Jesuit rivalry and imagine me, our coaches are going to do the whole lot attainable to win the sport,” Toomey mentioned. “However we additionally must be sensible and understand that our subsequent two video games are greater video games, and I informed my crew that within the locker room.”

In a career the place head coaches are at all times speaking in regards to the subsequent sport, Toomey is coping with actuality. A win towards the Hoyas would earn the Greyhounds respect, however not a ticket to the large dance.

Earlier than Saturday’s video games, Boston College (9-3) was tied for first place within the Patriot League with Lehigh at 5-0 in convention play, adopted by Military (5-1) and Loyola, which had received 5 of its earlier six video games.

“We’re on the level the place we have to begin trying on the league, see the place it falls,” Toomey mentioned. “Nobody within the league scares us, so now we’ve received to begin trying within the coaching room tomorrow and discover out who’s or isn’t accessible. We’ve received to be sensible.”

The Greyhounds should be more durable, too. They had been tied with the Terriers on the half, 5-5, however had been outscored 6-2 within the third quarter. Loyola scored the primary purpose of the quarter with 10:07 left however didn’t rating once more till there was 1:19 remaining.

Throughout that point, Boston College received nearly each one-on-one matchup, scoring from behind the cage, in entrance of the crease or from lengthy vary. Attackman Louis Perfetto led the Terriers with two objectives and 6 assists, whereas attackman Vince D’Alto added three objectives and one help.

“We gave up some comfortable objectives within the third quarter and didn’t join on our comfortable objectives,” Toomey mentioned. “We’ve received to get higher offensively and defensively so we are able to see these guys, these groups once more. If we proceed to surrender four- or five-goal runs, it’s going to be a brief season.

“We’ve received to study to bull our necks, change into a more durable defensive crew. When issues usually are not going our means and groups are beginning to play ‘make it, take it’ on us, we’ve received to discover a option to cease that.”

Loyola additionally has to chop down on turnovers. The Greyhounds dedicated 17 on Saturday, together with 12 within the second half. They might by no means mount a critical comeback try as a result of they’d seven turnovers within the fourth quarter.

In the meantime, Boston College proved it could win the convention title. Per week in the past, the Terriers suffered a 22-15 loss to No. 4 Yale, then misplaced 12-7 to No. 3 Princeton 4 days later.

The Terriers struggled within the first quarter Saturday with a brand new makeshift lineup, however they stored turning up the tempo within the remaining three quarters.

Within the third, an in depth sport was near turning into a rout.

“Loyola performed effectively within the first quarter. Their goalie had 4 or 5 saves within the first interval, and we had been mixing and matching,” Boston College coach Ryan Polley mentioned. “It’s the primary time shortly that we had per week to prep for a sport. We’ve received to get higher.

“Each week we need to push this factor ahead, and this was our greatest sport of the yr towards a high quality opponent, and that’s an awesome factor.”

Boston College appeared as if it was going to enter the half with a one-goal lead because the Terriers scored two straight, the second by D’Alto, to go up 5-4 with 2:13 remaining within the second quarter.

However Loyola midfielder Matthew Benus, on an help from midfielder Ryan McNulty, scored on a protracted shot with 1:58 remaining to tie the rating at 5 on the break.

By halftime, each groups had taken 21 pictures, however Loyola held a bonus in floor balls (17-9) and faceoffs (7-5). D’Alto had two objectives within the first half whereas attackman Kevin Lindley paced the Greyhounds with two. Attackman Aidan Olmstead additionally had two assists.

The second quarter was performed at a quicker tempo than the primary, which ended tied at 1. Lindley scored a fast-break purpose on an help from Olmstead and Terriers midfielder Tommy Bourque slipped in a midrange purpose with 6:46 left within the first quarter to tie the sport.