Ratliff, Fletcher Earn ECAC Specialist, Defensive Players Of Year

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland senior long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff and junior defender Joe Fletcher were both named to the All-ECAC Lacrosse League First Team, and they were respectively named the conference’s Specialist of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday by the league’s coaches.

Senior Mike Sawyer and junior Justin Ward were named to the All-ECAC Second Team as attackers, as were seniors Reid Acton and Davis Butts on defense and in the midfield, respectively.

Freshmen Zach Herreweyers, an attacker, and Justin Verratti, a defender, were named to the All-Rookie Team.

Ratliff, who was a unanimous selection as the Specialist of the Year after earned Defensive Player of the Year honors last year, leads the ECAC in ground balls (64), ground balls per game (4.78), caused turnovers (29) and caused turnovers per game (2.1).

He has also excelled in transition and offensively for the Greyhounds. This season, he has already set the school single-season for scoring by a long-pole player with 13 goals, topping the 12 he scored last season. He also had four assists, and earlier this year, he became the first player in the modern history of lacrosse to score four goals in a game with a long-stick.

Fletcher picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors while helping anchor the Greyhounds defense that is seventh in NCAA Division I, allowing 7.86 goals per game. He has routinely marked the opposing team’s top scorer, including last week when he held Johns Hopkins’ Wells Stanwick, who entered the game averaging 4.0 points per game, to just one point on an assist.

The second-year starter leads ECAC defenders players in ground balls with 54, and he has also caused 17 turnovers.

Sawyer became a three-time All-ECAC honoree with his second team honors. The senior has scored 11 goals in the Greyhounds’ last three games, tallying four goals and two assists against both Denver and at Hobart and three goals in last Saturday’s win over Johns Hopkins. He is second on the team this season with 30 goals and 36 points. He is second in Loyola’s Division I era in career goals (122).

Ward has led the team in scoring throughout the season and enters the ECAC Championships with 26 goals and a team-high 28 assists and 54 total points. He is third in the ECAC in total points, and his 7-goal, 10-point performance earlier this season against UMBC was the first of its kind at Loyola since 2001. With 60 career assists, he is tied for seventh in school Division I history, and his 98 points are 23^rd.

Butts has consistently drawn the long-pole defender on Loyola’s first midfield unit this year, but he earned All-ECAC honors for the second time in as many years. He has scored seven goals and assisted on nine this year, and his 31 ground balls are third on the team.

Acton is another repeat All-ECAC honoree for the Greyhounds. A tough interior defender for the Greyhounds, he has caused 15 turnovers and picked up 20 ground balls while marking some of the conference’s best offensive players.

Herreweyers has led ECAC freshmen in goals per game (2.0) this season while scoring 16 in eight games. He has four hat tricks this season and scored at least one goal in every game he played but one (Duke, which he played only in the fourth quarter).

Verratti was a key part of Loyola’s man-down defense this year, helping the Greyhounds kill penalties at an 85-percent success rate.

The Greyhounds open play in the third-annual ECAC Championships tonight in the semifinals against The Ohio State University. Play will commence at 8 p.m. from Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., and the game will be televised on Fox Sports Networks, Fox College Sports and FUEL TV.

Game Data

Loyola opens play in the third-annual ECAC Lacrosse League Championships on Thursday, May 2, when it takes on The Ohio State University in the second semifinal in Geneva, N.Y.

Faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. from Hobart College’s Boswell Field.

Watch The Action

The ECAC Championships will be the first original lacrosse games programed by Fox Sports Networks. Mark Larson will call the play-by-play, and Dale Drypolcher will handle color analysis. Terry Mangan will be the sideline reporter for the broadcasts.

Thursday’s semifinals and Saturday’s championship game will be distributed on various Fox Sports Regional Networks nationwide. They will also be available – in the Baltimore area – on Fox College Sports, a premium sports channel on many cable and satellite companies, or on FUEL TV.

Series History

Loyola and the Buckeyes will be meeting for the seventh time in series history and first time in postseason action. The Greyhounds have won all six prior meetings, including a 9-4 victory earlier this season in regular-season action.

In the teams’ regular-season meeting on March 30 in Columbus, David Planning scored for Ohio State with 3:03 left in the first half, making the score 3-3, but Loyola scored the next six goals and held the Buckeyes scoreless for 32 minutes, 54 seconds, until they scored with nine ticks left on the clock.

After Planning’s tying goal, the Greyhounds tacked on three goals before the end of the first half, the initial by Chris Layne and the second and third by Zach Herreweyers and Nikko Pontrello.

Pontrello had a game-high three goals, while Layne tallied a goal and two assists. Herreweyers, Davis Butts and Scott Ratliff each posted a goal and an assist.

Jack Runkel made nine saves and allowed just four goals for Loyola, while Joe Fletcher picked up a team-best five ground balls.

The Greyhounds led last year’s contest 9-4 when Patrick Fanshaw scored a man-up goal in transition off a Josh Hawkins assist with 5:17 to go in the third quarter, but Ohio State scored five of the next six goals to pull within a score, 10-9, on Tyler Fredericks’ tally with 3:57 left in regulation.

Mike Sawyer and Chris Palmer, however, scored after that for Loyola, and the Greyhounds held off the Buckeyes for an 11-9 victory in Columbus. Chris Palmer finished with five goals, and Matt Langan had three goals and two assists. Hawkins scored a goal and had two assists, all coming in transition.

In The Polls

Loyola moved up to fourth the USILA coaches poll and checked in sixth in the Inside Lacrosse media ranking.

Ohio State is 10th in the coaches version, 11th in the media.

Last Time Out

Johns Hopkins scored 41 seconds into the second half, but Loyola held the Blue Jays scoreless for the game’s final 29 minutes, 18 seconds, and the Greyhounds defeated host Johns Hopkins, 8-4, snapping a 13-game losing skid in the series.

The Greyhounds opened the second half on a man-advantage, and after the teams returned to even strength, Sean O’Sullivan took a Justin Ward skip pass and scored at 14:24 to put Loyola up, 5-3. The Blue Jays, however, got the goal back five seconds later after winning the faceoff on a violation. Mike Poppleton ran into the box and scored Johns Hopkins’ last goal of the game at 14:19.

Mike Sawyer scored his last of three goals with 6:10 to play in the third quarter, and Davis Butts and Kevin Ryan added fourth-quarter goals to provide the final margin.

Sawyer had a game-high three goals, while O’Sullivan, Ryan and Josh Hawkins each posted a goal and an assist.

Jack Runkel made 10 saves, six in the second half, and Joe Fletcher picked up a team-high five ground balls.

ECAC Championships History

Loyola is 2-1 all-time in ECAC Championships games, winning both of its contests last season to take the second-annual tournament title.

Last year, the Greyhounds defeated Denver, 14-13 in overtime, to advance to the Championship Game where they beat Fairfield, 14-7.

In the first year of the tournament, the Stags edged Loyola, 10-9, in the semifinals.

Second Half Defensive Success

Loyola’s defense held Johns Hopkins to just one goal in the second half last Saturday and none in the game’s final 29 minutes, 18 seconds. The Blue Jays’ final 18 shots of the second half were either saved or went off target.

Jack Runkel made six of his 10 saves in the second half, four during the fourth quarter.

Johns Hopkins also turned the ball over 10 times in the final 30 minutes, 16 times in all during the game.

Loyola also shutout the Blue Jays on extra-man opportunities Saturday, holding them scoreless on three attempts, two in the fourth quarter.

Fletcher Honored For Defensive Performance

Joe Fletcher earned ECAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season on Monday after a standout performance on close defense against Johns Hopkins.

The junior picked up five ground balls and helped start Loyola’s transition game that cleared the ball successfully all 20 times it attempted clears.

He was matched up against the Blue Jays’ leading scorer, Wells Stanwick, who entered the game averaging 4.0 points per game. Fletcher held Stanwick to just one point on an assist that came in transition off a Johns Hopkins faceoff win. Stanwick, who had 23 goals entering the game, managed just three shots against Fletcher.

Sawyer Keeps Scoring

Mike Sawyer recorded his third-straight hat trick on Saturday at Johns Hopkins, the first time this season he’s accomplished that. In the Greyhounds’ last three games, Sawyer has scored 11 goals while assisting on four. In his first nine this year, he tallied 19 goals and two assists.

Sawyer put up his best offensive numbers of the season on April 13 against Denver, scoring four goals and recording two assists for six points, season-highs in all categories.

The senior attacker quickly replicated that effort on April 20 at Hobart, posting the same numbers in each category.

With his 11 goals in three games, Sawyer has leapt into the team lead for goals scored with 30 this season. He finished the regular-season as the ECAC leader in goals per game during conference games (2.47).

In 56 career games, Sawyer has scored 122 goals and has 25 assists for 147 points.

Earlier this year, against UMBC, he became the eighth player in school Division I history to reach 100 goals, and his 122 total place him are second-most on the program’s Division I career chart. He is 11 back of Pat Lamon in first. Sawyer’s 139 points rank 11th in school Division I history.

Defending The Midfield

Loyola did not allow an offensive midfielder to score for Johns Hopkins on Saturday in 23 shot attempts when entering the game, the seven players that ran on the two midfield lines had combined for 69 goals and 43 assists.

The Greyhounds’ defensive midfield kept the Blue Jays middies from dodging to space and forced outside shots, keeping 17-of-23 shots off cage. The six that were on goal were all saved by Jack Runkel in goal.

Hawkins On The Fly

In just seven games this year, Josh Hawkins has already eclipsed his previous high in goals, scoring 10 this season to beat his total of six from last season and his 2010 freshman campaign. He also has two assists this season.

The defensive midfielder has scored at least two points in each of Loyola’s last four games and has at least one goal in every game he’s played this year. He scored twice against Fairfield, Denver and Hobart and registered a goal and an assist versus Johns Hopkins.

He has put 16-of-24 shots on goal and scored on 41.7-percent of his total shots.

In 47 career games, Hawkins has scored 25 goals and has nine assists as a short-stick defender.

Athletics Banquet Honors

Scott Ratliff was named the team’s Most Valuable Player, and Joe Fletcher earned Most Dedicated Player honors at the end of the year Athletics Awards Banquet on April 29.

Ratliff also was the recipient of the John R. Mohler Award as the athletic department’s top male student-athlete. The award, which is give to a student-athlete from one of Loyola’s eight men’s teams, recognizes the best Greyhound who combines athletic and academic accomplishments.

Sean O’Sullivan was the winner of the Diane Geppi-Aikens Inspiration Award.

ECAC Weekly Honors For Ratliff

Scott Ratliff earned ECAC Lacrosse League Specialist of the Week honors on April 22, his third weekly award of 2013 from the conference office. The long-stick midfielder posted another all-around performance at Hobart Saturday, scoring twice in transition and adding another assist on a Mike Sawyer goal in the third-quarter.

Defensively, Ratliff posted seven ground balls and three caused turnovers, while he and his teammates in the defensive midfield held the Statesmen’s starting midfield to three goals. Ratliff did not allow a goal against a player he was matched up against in the game.

He now has scored 13 goals this season, eclipsing his 2012 school record for scoring by a long-pole player.

Ratliff, who was the 2012 ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and 2013 ECAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, has earned seven weekly awards from the league. Earlier this season, he was named Defensive Player of the Week twice.

O’Sullivan Shooting On Target

Sean O’Sullivan has scored eight goals in the Greyhounds’ last four games, nearly doubling his output of nine in the team’s first 10 outings this season. He is currently third on the team with 17 goals and fifth with 19 points.

After scoring once against Fairfield on April 6, he matched his career-high with four goals a week later against Denver. His final goal of the game tied the score with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, forcing overtime. O’Sullivan needed just four shots in the game against the Pioneers to score his four goals.

On April 20 at Hobart, he scored twice on four shots, and he added a goal on his only shot and an assist at Johns Hopkins.

This season, he has scored his 17 goals on just 40 shots (.425 shot percentage), and he is putting 75.0-percent of his total shots on goal (30-of-40). His four extra-man goals in conference play led the ECAC in that category.

Rookie Production

Zach Herreweyers recorded his fourth hat trick of the season at Hobart in just his seventh game of the season.

The freshman from London, Ontario, posted three goals and two assists against the Statesmen, and with a goal at Johns Hopkins, he raised his first-year total to 16 goals and three assists in eight contests.

Herreweyers, who had hat tricks against Air Force, Georgetown, Michigan and Hobart, leads ECAC Lacrosse League freshmen with 2.0 goals per game and 2.4 points per contest.

Against Air Force, Herreweyers became the first Loyola freshman to score three times in a game since current senior Patrick Fanshaw scored five goals and assisted on another on March 20, 2010, also against Air Force.

Ratliff Sets Record

Scott Ratliff did something believed to be a first in the modern era of college lacrosse  (circa 1971) on April 6 in the Greyhounds’ win over visiting Fairfield. The senior long-stick midfielder scored four goals, becoming the first player with a pole to do so.

Ratliff scored once off a Loyola faceoff win, a second time on a give-and-go in transition with Pat Laconi and twice more off set plays in settled offense with feeds from Justin Ward and Nikko Pontrello.

In recent years, at least two long-sticks, Duke’s C.J. Costabile and Bryant’s Mason Poli, have recorded hat tricks.

Multi-Point Ventures For Ward

Johns Hopkins All-American defender Tucker Durkin held Justin Ward to just one assist on April 27, the first time this season the junior attacker has been held to less than two points.

With three first-quarter goals against Hobart, Justin Ward had his 13th multi-point effort in as many games this season. He has now tallied at least two points in all 13 games this season, and he has three or more in nine of those outings.

In the Georgetown game, he became the 10th player in the program’s Division I history (since 1982) to log 50 or more assists in his career. With 60 career assists, Ward is tied for seventh in school Division I history Gewas Schindler in seventh. He is now 10 away from tying Kevin Beach and Tim O’Shea for fifth place.

Ward put up his second game with seven or more points on March 16 against Air Force, logging seven with two goals and five assists in the win over the Falcons. His five assists tied his career-high, set twice in 2012 against Towson and Fairfield.

On February 26, against UMBC, as the junior finished with seven goals and three assists for 10 points. His goal and point outputs were career-highs. He became the first player to score at least seven goals in a game since Gavin Prout tallied eight in a 19-11 win at Hobart on April 28, 2001.

Ward’s 10-point effort was the first 10-point game for a Greyhound since Tim Goettelmann tallied the same amount in a 19-9 win on March 25, 2000, against Fairfield. In that game, Goettelmann scored four goals and had six assists. Later that season, he would score seven goals on May 16 in the NCAA First Round against Notre Dame.

Through 13 games this year, Ward leads the team with 26 goals and 27 assists for 53 points. His 27 assists are ninth-most in school Division I single-season history.

CLASSy Senior Candidate

Two weeks ago, Scott Ratliff was named one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award, an honor given yearly to a NCAA Division I senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition

Ratliff has continued his high production on defense, transition and offense that helped him earn USILA All-America Third Team and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year honors a year ago when he led the team last year in ground balls (88) and caused turnovers (37), was fifth in goals (12) and seventh in assists (7).

His career totals now stand at 29 goals and 14 assists, and his 43 career points are second-most among active long-poles to Bryant’s Mason Poli. Last year, he set the school’s single-season long-pole scoring record with 12 goals and seven assists, eclipsing the previous high of 16 points on 11 goals and five assists set in 1995 by current Loyola assistant coach Matt Dwan.

Additionally, Ratliff is now tied for ninth in school Division I history in career ground balls (207) with P.T. Ricci, and he is second in caused turnovers (88). His caused turnovers are two shy of tying the school record set by Ricci.

Defensive Midfield Production

Loyola’s defensive midfield had a productive game against Fairfield, finishing the outing with six goals, an assists, six caused turnovers and six ground balls.

The unit posted another solid outing on both sides of the field with four goals and two assists at Hobart on April 20.

This season, long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff has posted 13 goals and four assists, good for sixth on the team with 17 points, while short-stick Josh Hawkins has nine goals and an assist, and fellow short-stick Pat Laconi has four goals and six points. Kyle Duffy scored his first point of the season with an assist at Hobart.

Pontrello Keeps Tallying Points

Nikko Pontrello notched his third hat trick of the season on March 30 at Ohio State, scoring a game-high three against the Buckeyes. He also had three-goal outings against UMBC and Air Force earlier this year.

In his first season as a starter, Pontrello has scored 13 goals while assisting on 17 for 30 points, third-most on the team. As a freshman in 2012, he scored four goals and assisted on six.

He posted his second six-point game this season March 16 against Air Force, scoring a career-high four goals to go with two assists. He scored in the first quarter, tallied a pair during Loyola’s 4-0 third-quarter run and added his fourth in the final frame. Earlier this year against UMBC, Pontrello posted three goals and three assists for six points against the Retrievers.

Helmet Stickers

Loyola players are wearing three stickers on their helmets this season to remember those who have passed away. The stickers are in memory of Adam Pomper, a member of the 2012 team who passed away on June 12, 2012, Mandy O’Sullivan, mother of current players Sean and Ryan O’Sullivan who died in March 2012 from pancreatic cancer, and the 26 victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting in December 2012 where Loyola put on a youth lacrosse clinic in January.

Well-Represented In MLL Draft

Five members of the Loyola men’s lacrosse team were selected in the top 26 of the January 11 Major League Lacrosse draft. The Greyhounds tied Virginia for the most draft picks in the selection process.

Josh Hawkins and Mike Sawyer were both taken in the first round, going fifth and eighth overall to the Hamilton Nationals and Charlotte Hounds, respectively.

Scott Ratliff was the first pick of the second round, going ninth to the Boston Cannons, and Davis Butts was taken early in the third round, 19th overall to the Denver Outlaws. Joining Hawkins in Hamilton will be Reid Acton, the team’s fourth round pick, 26th overall.

Big Runs

Last season, runs of three-plus goals were critical in the Greyhounds success, as they had runs of 3-0 or better in all 19 games. In all, Loyola scored three or more in a row on 37 occasions last year.

The Greyhounds have continued the trend this year, scoring three or more in a row 20 times and have had runs of 3-0 or better in every game but one (Maryland).

Second-Half Success

Last season, the Greyhounds outscored opponents 66-22 in the third quarters of games, and 123-63 overall in the second half (including overtime). The second-half scoring continued a trend from 2011 when Loyola outscored opponents, 69-52, after halftime (including two overtime goals), and 77-56.

This year, Loyola is outscoring opponents 54-25 in the third quarter and 87-57 overall after halftime.

Fletcher Earns Final ECAC Defensive Player Of Week Award

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland junior defender Joe Fletcher received the final ECAC Lacrosse League Defensive Player of the Week award for the 2013 season Monday after helping the Greyhounds defeat host Johns Hopkins University, 8-4, on Saturday.

Fletcher, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., was a big part of the Greyhounds’ defense that held the Blue Jays scoreless for the final 29 minutes, 18 seconds of the game and limited them to 1-of-19 shooting after halftime.

He had marking responsibilities for Johns Hopkins’ leading scorer, Wells Stanwick who entered the game averaging 4.0 points per game. Fletcher held him to just one point, an assist that came in transition off a Blue Jays’ faceoff win.

Fletcher helped Loyola force 16 Johns Hopkins turnovers, picking up five ground balls to lead all Loyola players. He also was instrumental in the Greyhounds’ clearing game, as Loyola went 20-of-20 in that statistical category.

The award is Fletcher’s third of the season, tying him for the most this year by any player in the league.

Loyola opens play in the ECAC Championships on Thursday, May 2, at Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y., where it will face Ohio State University in the semifinals at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Networks, Fox College Sports and FUEL TV.

ECAC LACROSSE WEEKLY AWARDS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Love, Hobart, Jr., Attack, Geneva, N.Y./ Salisbury School
Love recorded a team-high 10 points in a 1-1 week for the Statesmen and in the process broke his own team record for goals in a season. At then fifth-ranked Syracuse on Tuesday, he scored a game-high six goals and produced a new career-high with seven points as the Statesmen scored a 13-12 upset. Love’s goal with 2:13 remaining in the contest proved to be the game winner. His career-high matching six-goal effort raised his season total to 42, eclipsing his own season record set last season (38). On Saturday against then No. 8 Loyola, Love recorded his 19th career hat trick in a 19-11 loss to the Greyhounds. He leads Hobart with 53 points, three off the Statesmen season record set by current Assistant Coach Mark Williamson in 2004.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jack Murphy, Fairfield, Junior Goalkeeper, Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset
Murphy was stellar once again in the Stags win at #1 Denver, stopping 11 shots. His biggest save came at the buzzer of
regulation, stopping Chase Carraro’s shot, to preserve the tie and setup the overtime winner. Murphy stopped four shots in the fourth quarter, with six saves coming after the intermission. He also picked up two ground balls, something he has done in every game this year, and caused a turnover.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Robby Haus, Ohio State, Freshman, Defense, Lutherville, Md./Gilman
At Air Force: 4 gb, part of man-down unit that was 2-for-3 (including stopping 2-man down chance to start 2nd half)
Haus had a career-high tying four groundballs in the Buckeyes’ win at Air Force and was a leader in the Buckeye defensive effort that held the Falcons to just two second-half goals and 14 second-half shots as Ohio State came back to win. He was part of the man-down unit that was 2-for-3 and held Air Force scoreless on a two-man down situation that moved to a oneman down, keeping it a one-goal game to start the third quarter and allowing the Buckeyes to come from behind for the win. Haus has started all 12 games as a true freshman and has 25 groundballs and seven caused turnovers.

SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
Scott Ratliff, Loyola, LSM, Senior, 6-0, 185, Marietta, Ga./George Walton H.S.
Ratliff was the leader of the Greyhounds’ defense on Saturday and finished with two goals and an assist to go with seven ground balls and three caused turnovers. He helped hold Hobart’s first midfield to just three goals in the game, and he did not allow a goal against a man against whom he was matched up. Ratliff sparked a 7-0 Loyola run that would break open an eight-goal margin for the Greyhounds. He scored his first of the game with 3:18 left in the second quarter after the Statesmen had scored five in a row. Ratliff added an assist on a Mike Sawyer goal with 11:41 to go in the third quarter, and he scored again in transition with 6:50 left in the third, tallying the sixth goal of the run. His second goal of the game, his 13th of the year, broke his Loyola single-season goals scored record for a long-pole player.

SPECIAL NOTES
Thomas Paras, Michigan, Senior, Attack, Lakewood, Ohio/St. Ignatius
Paras had three goals and two assists for five points on only five shots in Michigan’s first win of the season against St. Joe’s.

Logan Schuss, Ohio State, Senior, Attack,Delta, British Columbia/Ladner
Schuss led the Buckeyes with four goals, an assist and five points. Schuss scored all three Ohio State goals in the third
quarter as the team took a 9-7 lead, then assisted on the game-winning goal, scored at 6:48 of the fourth quarter.

Eric Warden, Fairfield, Junior, Attack/Midfielder, 5-11/195, Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley
Warden scored a game-high four goals, including the Stags last three tallies of regulation.

GENEVA, N.Y. – Loyola University Maryland men’s lacrosse used runs of six and seven unanswered goals to win its ECAC Lacrosse League regular-season finale on Saturday, 19-11, at host Hobart College.

Loyola (10-3 overall, 6-1 ECAC) scored the first six goals of the game, and after Hobart (6-7, 2-4) reeled off the next five, the Greyhounds strung together a 7-0 run that spanned both halves to take control of the game.

The Greyhounds’ starting attack of Mike Sawyer (four goals, two assists), Zach Herreweyers (three, two) and Justin Ward (three, one) combined to score 10 goals and finish with 15 points, and Loyola’s defensive midfield tallied four goals and two assists. Scott Ratliff recorded a pair of goals and an assist, while Josh Hawkins carded his third-straight two-goal game. Kyle Duffy added an assist for Loyola.

Ratliff also led the Greyhounds with seven ground balls and three caused turnovers.

It took Loyola just 150 seconds to score its first three goals of the game. Herreweyers scored the first and drew a slash on Hobart, giving a man-up opportunity on which Sean O’Sullivan scored from at 13:05.

A Sawyer shot was saved, but Ward picked up the ground ball and scored his first of the game at 12:30 to put Loyola in front, 3-0.

Loyola did not score for nearly nine minutes, but it was Ward again who scored for Loyola at 3:50. More than a minute later, O’Sullivan ran right-to-left and dumped a pass to Davis Butts who used a face-dodge to beat his defender and score from seven yards out at 2:12.

Ward then tallied his third of the quarter, taking a Harry Kutner feed to score on an extra-man opportunity at 1:23, pushing the Greyhounds’ advantage to 6-0 before the end of the first quarter.

Hobart, however, controlled possession early in the second frame and scored five-straight goals in a span of less than 10 minutes.

Cam Stone put the first point on the board at 14:09, and Branden Kessler made it 6-2 at 11:36. Jake McHenry shoveled in a loose ball from just outside the crease at 10:59 before Alex Love scored back-to-back goals for the Statesmen at 8:19 and 4:24.

Love’s final goal cut the Greyhounds’ lead to 6-5, but a Jack Runkel save started a transition opportunity for Loyola, and Sawyer fed Ratliff for his first goal of the game at 3:18.

Ratliff’s first sparked a 7-0 run that would see Loyola go up 10-5 at the half and 13-5 late in the third quarter.

Sawyer scored his first of the game shortly after Ratliff’s goal, taking a Ward feed from behind for a high-to-low shot, and he scored his second with 39.7 ticks left in the first half after Ward shot a pass out to Herreweyers on the top right, and the freshman quickly got a pass to Sawyer for a goal.

After scoring the first goal of the first half, Herreweyers repeated the feat in the second, scoring at 11:56 off a Sawyer assist, and Sawyer scored his second of the day, in transition 15 seconds later after a give-and-go with Ratliff.

Ratliff caused a turnover and executed a clear with Duffy, taking a pass and scoring at 6:50 to put Loyola up 12-5, and Hawkins capped the run with a goal at 4:38. He used a fake-flip to Sawyer, keeping the ball while running in from the left to score.

Hobart got a pair of goals back at 3:29 and 3:08 as McHenry scored on a man-up possession, and Jake Silberlicht tallied his first of two.

Loyola returned to the scoring column with 2:29 left in the third quarter when Butts raced past his man on the right side and fed O’Sullivan who scored his second of the game.

Love bounced a goal in with just over 32 seconds left in the third quarter, pulling the Statesmen within six, 14-8, entering the final quarter.

The Greyhounds stretched their advantage back to seven 3:11 into the fourth quarter when Herreweyers came up with a groundball in an unsettled situation behind the cage and fed Sawyer who whipped a 13-yard sidearm shot for his game-high fourth goal.

Silberlicht scored one for Hobart at 8:58 before Herreweyers caught a hard Nikko Pontrello pass and used a multiple shot-fake to score his third of the afternoon.

Loyola scored two goals with the 30-second timer on, wrapped around a Hobart goal. Kevin Ryan scored unassisted at 5:20, and Chris Layne used a Brian Schultz in-stride feed to tally one at 2:26.

After the Greyhounds killed a penalty late, Hawkins tallied his second after caused turnover by Joe Fletcher. Patrick Fanshaw assisted on the Hawkins’ score.

Loyola outshot Hobart, 49-35, and the Greyhounds cleared the ball successfully in all 27 of their attempts.

Jack Runkel made 10 saves in three quarter of action in goal for the Greyhounds, allowing eight goals. Pat Frazier caused a career-high three turnovers, while Fletcher and Hawkins each caused two.

The Greyhounds close the 2013 regular-season on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m. when they travel down Charles Street to face Johns Hopkins University.

Denver Scores 16 Seconds Into Overtime To Edge Men’s Lacrosse

BALTIMORE – Cameron Flint picked up a ground ball off the opening faceoff of overtime, ran the length of the field and scored 16 seconds into overtime to lift visiting University of Denver to a 13-12 victory over Loyola University Maryland in front of 3,285 at Ridley Athletic Complex in an ECAC Lacrosse League game.

The Greyhounds (9-3 overall, 5-1 ECAC) trailed by as many as five goals twice during the game, at halftime when Denver’s Eric Law scored with five seconds to go in the second quarter, and late in the third quarter when Sean Cannizzaro tallied an unassisted goal at 4:01.

Canizzaro’s goal from just in front of the crease pushed the Pioneers’ lead to 9-4, but Loyola reeled off three goals in the quarter’s final three minutes to pull within a pair, 9-7.

Zach Herreweyers started the run when Pat Laconi came into the box on transition and sent a pass to goal-line extended on the right side where Herreweyers got to the crease and used a shot-fake to score at 3:54.

Sean O’Sullivan, who tied Mike Sawyer and Flint for game-high honors with four goals, scored his second extra-man goal of the game at 1:57 off a Sawyer assist.

After Jack Runkel made a save for Loyola and sent an over-the-top outlet pass to Josh Hawkins, the defensive midfielder scored on an overhand seven-yard try to make it 9-7 Denver with 16 ticks left in the third.

The Pioneers (10-2, 5-0), however, scored the first two of the final period in regulation as Eric Adamson tallied one by rolling off a check and shooting form the left side 1:58 into the quarter. Gordie Koerber then scored 58 seconds later off a Garrett Holst assist in transition, and Denver’s lead was back to four, 11-7.

O’Sullivan recorded his third of the game at 10:50, scoring after Nikko Pontrello reversed the ball from right-to-left, creating space for O’Sullivan.

Denver took possession after the faceoff following O’Sullivan’s goal – the Pioneers won 18-of-28 restarts – but Reid Acton caused a turnover and picked up the ground ball for Loyola. He got an outlet pass to Hawkins who again cleared it himself, scoring with another overhand shot at 9:20.

Adamson momentarily stopped the Loyola run for the Pioneers, scoring his second of the quarter with 8:40 remaining to make it 12-9 Denver.

Sawyer restarted the rally for Loyola, tallying a pair within 26 seconds. His first was a behind-the-head highlight reel shot from the right side of the crease after Justin Ward threaded a pass in front of the crease to Sawyer’s stick.

His second came unassisted as he ran from right to left, burying the shot at 6:03 to draw the Greyhounds within a goal, 12-11.

O’Sullivan tied it with his career-high tying fourth of the game at 2:11, whipping a sidearm show from 12 yards out after a Pontrello pass. It marked the game’s first tie since Eric Law gave the Pioneers a 2-1 lead at 11:02 of the first quarter.

Denver had an offensive possession in the final minutes thwarted when Scott Ratliff caused a turnover by Adamson and picked up the ground ball. Loyola cleared it to its offensive end, but a Sawyer shot sailed wide and the teams headed to overtime.

The Pioneers used a 10-3 advantage in faceoff wins in the first half to build its five-goal halftime advantage, scoring four unanswered in the first quarter after Sawyer tallied the game’s first score just 32 seconds in.

Sawyer finished with a season-high six points on four goals and two assists. O’Sullivan scored four time, and Hawkins tallied two, while Herreweyers and Davis Butts each added goals for the Greyhounds. Pontrello, Sawyer and Justin Ward each had two assists, and Laconi added another.

Ratliff posted four ground balls and three caused turnovers, and Jack Runkel made 13 saves on defense for the Greyhounds.

The loss snapped a 13-game ECAC winning streak for the Greyhounds, dating back to March 2011.

Game Data

Loyola University Maryland plays its final regular-season home game of the 2013 season on Saturday, April 13, when it host the University of Denver at Ridley Athletic Complex.

Faceoff is slated for 1 o’clock. The Greyhounds will celebrate Senior Day, beginning at approximately 12:40 p.m. and will honor their 14 players who will take the field at Ridley for the final time in regular-season action: Reid Acton, Michael Bonitatibus, Davis Butts, Phil Dobson, Patrick Fanshaw, Tyler Foley, Will Fredericks, T.J. Harris, Josh Hawkins, Harry Kutner, Chris Layne, Sean O’Sullivan, Scott Ratliff, and Mike Sawyer.

Series History

Loyola and Denver will meet for the sixth time in series history when the teams take the field on Saturday. The Greyhounds hold a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with all three of those victories coming last season.

The Greyhounds won all three games last year, but by just five combined goals.

Loyola used a 5-1 run to close the game, overcoming an 8-7 third-quarter deficit on April 14, 2012, in Denver to beat the Pioneers, 12-9, in last year’s regular-season meeting.

The teams met again with Loyola as the No. 1 seed, and Denver the fourth, in the ECAC Semifinals on May 2, again in Denver. Loyola opened up a 13-6 lead with 13:14 left in regulation before the Pioneers scored seven-straight to tie the game at 13-13 with 3:30 remaining on the clock. Scott Ratliff picked up the ground ball to start overtime, and he scored eight seconds later, lifting Loyola to the ECAC title game.

Last year’s final meeting came at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The Greyhounds built a 10-6 lead early in the fourth quarter and held off a Pioneers’ charge to win 10-9 and advance to the NCAA Semifinals. Eric Lusby had five goals and two assists in the win.

In The Polls

Loyola remained at No. 5 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse media poll this week while checking in at No. 6 in the USILA Coaches rankings.

Denver enters Saturday’s game third in the media version, fourth in the coaches’.

Last Time Out

Loyola’s defensive midfield combined for six goals and an assist, as the Greyhounds raced out to a 6-2 first-quarter lead and finished with a 13-7 victory on Saturday over Fairfield University.

The Stags scored the game’s first goal 4:28 in, but Kevin Ryan scored on an extra-man possession at 8:44, and nine seconds later, Scott Ratliff ripped a 12-yard shot after a face-off win, and Loyola was in front for good.

Ratliff finished with four goals, and Josh Hawkins added two from the defensive midfield, while their running mate Pat Laconi assisted on a Ratliff goal. Justin Ward added two goals and two assists, and Mike Sawyer scored twice.

Ryan and Ratliff’s goals were the first two of a 5-0 run that the Greyhounds extended to 7-1 in the second quarter.

Ratliff Sets Record

Scott Ratliff did something believed to be a first in the modern era of college lacrosse  (circa 1971) on Saturday in the Greyhounds’ win over visiting Fairfield. The senior long-stick midfielder scored four goals, becoming the first player with a pole to do so.

Ratliff scored once off a Loyola faceoff win, a second time on a give-and-go in transition with Pat Laconi and twice more off set plays in settled offense with feeds from Justin Ward and Nikko Pontrello.

In recent years, at least two long-sticks, Duke’s C.J. Costabile and Bryant’s Mason Poli, have recorded hat tricks.

Hawkins, Ratliff Earn ECAC Honors

After the standout performance by the Loyola defensive midfield, short-stick Josh Hawkins and long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff were named the ECAC Specialist and Co-Defensvie Players of the Week, respectively on Monday.

Ratliff scored four goals, had four caused turnovers and three ground balls, while Hawkins posted two goals, two ground balls and a caused turnover.

The award is the first of Hawkins’ career, while Ratliff earned his sixth (four defensive, two specialist).

During the last six weeks, Jack Runkel, Scott Ratliff (twice), Joe Fletcher (twice) and Reid Acton have been named the week’s top defender. Also, during that stretch, Justin Ward and Zach Herreweyers were named Offensive Players of the Week.

Defensively Speaking

Loyola has allowed just 22 goals over its last four games, an average of 5.5. In the first two games, at Georgetown and Michigan, the Greyhounds gave up just one goal before halftime, and they then allowed only one after the break at Ohio State.

In the four games, Loyola’s opponents have made just 19.8-percent of their shots, converting on 22-of-111 attempts.

The Greyhounds have forced 67 turnovers in the games, as Georgetown committed 20, Michigan had 18, Ohio State, 16 and Fairfield, 13. Of those 67 turnovers, Loyola was credited with 44 caused turnovers.

The 17 caused at Georgetown were the most this season by Loyola and the most by a Greyhounds’ team since they posted 19 in back-to-back games against St. John’s and Massachusetts in March 2009.

Entering the game against Fairfield, Loyola is fifth in Division I with 10.0 caused turnovers per game. Four players – Scott Ratliff (14th, 2.09), Pat Laconi (36th, 1.55), Joe Fletcher (65th, 1.27) and Reid Acton (70th, 1.2) – are ranked among the nation’s top 70 in caused turnovers per game.

CLASSy Senior Candidate

Earlier this week, Scott Ratliff was named one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award, an honor given yearly to a NCAA Division I senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition

Ratliff has continued his high production on defense, transition and offense that helped him earn USILA All-America Third Team and ECAC Defensive Player of the Year honors a year ago when he led the team last year in ground balls (88) and caused turnovers (37), was fifth in goals (12) and seventh in assists (7).

He had one of his stat-sheet filling games against Air Force, scoring a goal and assisting on another while picking up five ground balls and causing three turnovers, and he turned in another with a goal, four ground balls and two caused turnovers while going 4-of-4 on faceoffs against Georgetown. Ratliff came one shy of his career-high with eight ground balls at Michigan.

His career totals now stand at 27 goals and 13 assists, and his 40 career points are second-most among active long-poles to Bryant’s Mason Poli. Last year, he set the school’s single-season long-pole scoring record with 12 goals and seven assists, eclipsing the previous high of 16 points on 11 goals and five assists set in 1995 by current Loyola assistant coach Matt Dwan.

Additionally, Ratliff now stands 10th in school Division I history in career ground balls (193) and second in caused turnovers (82). His caused turnovers are eight shy of tying the school record set in 2008 by P.T. Ricci.

Defensive Midfield Production

Loyola’s defensive midfield had a productive game against Fairfield, finishing the outing with six goals, an assists, six caused turnovers and six ground balls.

This season, long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff has posted 11 goals and three assists, good for fifth on the team with 14 points, while short-stick Pat Laconi has four goals and five points, and fellow short-stick Josh Hawkins has five goals and an assist.

Another Multi-Point Venture For Ward

With two goals and two assists against Fairfield, Justin Ward had his 11th multi-point effort in as many games this season. He has now tallied at least two points in all 11 games this season, and he has three or more in eight of those outings..

In the Georgetown game, he became the 10th player in the program’s Division I history (since 1982) to log 50 or more assists in his career. With 56 career assists, Ward now stands ninth in school Division I history, three shy of Pat Lamon’s 59 in eighth place.

Ward put up his second game with seven or more points on March 16 against Air Force, logging seven with two goals and five assists in the win over the Falcons. His five assists tied his career-high, set twice in 2012 against Towson and Fairfield.

On February 26, against UMBC, as the junior finished with seven goals and three assists for 10 points. His goal and point outputs were career-highs. He became the first player to score at least seven goals in a game since Gavin Prout tallied eight in a 19-11 win at Hobart on April 28, 2001.

Ward’s 10-point effort was the first 10-point game for a Greyhound since Tim Goettelmann tallied the same amount in a 19-9 win on March 25, 2000, against Fairfield. In that game, Goettelmann scored four goals and had six assists. Later that season, he would score seven goals on May 16 in the NCAA First Round against Notre Dame.

Through 10 games this year, Ward leads the team with 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points.

Pontrello Keeps Tallying Points

Nikko Pontrello notched his third hat trick of the season on March 30 at Ohio State, scoring a game-high three against the Buckeyes. He also had three-goal outings against UMBC and Air Force earlier this year.

In his first season as a starter, Pontrello has scored 13 goals while assisting on 14 for 27 points, second most on the team. As a freshman in 2012, he scored four goals and assisted on six.

He posted his second six-point game this season March 16 against Air Force, scoring a career-high four goals to go with two assists. He scored in the first quarter, tallied a pair during Loyola’s 4-0 third-quarter run and added his fourth in the final frame. Earlier this year against UMBC, Pontrello posted three goals and three assists for six points against the Retrievers.

Fletcher Turns Up ‘D’

Joe Fletcher earned ECAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on March 18 after picking up three ground balls and causing a turnover against Air Force. More impressive was the defense Fletcher played on Air Force’s offensive quarterback, preseason All-American Keith Dryer.

Dryer entered the game with four goals and a team-leading 10 assists, but Fletcher held him without a point.

This season, Fletcher, who was a Preseason All-America First Team honoree, has 37 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.

Offensive Addition

Freshman Zach Herreweyers made his first career start on March 16 against Air Force on attack for the Greyhounds, and he made his debut to the opening 10 an impressive one.

Herreweyers scored his first collegiate goal with 12.3 seconds left in the first quarter, and he finished with a hat trick, tallying goals for Loyola in the third and fourth quarters, as well. He also picked up three ground balls.

He followed that game with a four-goal outing Wednesday at Georgetown, a hat trick at Michigan and a goal and an assist at Ohio State.

The freshman from London, Ontario, made his collegiate debut against Duke on March 8. In five games played, he is tied for fourth on the team with 11 goals.

Herreweyers became the first Loyola freshman to score three times in a game since current senior Patrick Fanshaw scored five goals and assisted on another on March 20, 2010, also against Air Force.

Eighth To 100

With his goal at 9:25 in the third quarter against UMBC, Mike Sawyer became the eighth player in Loyola men’s lacrosse history to score 100 in his career, the seventh in the program’s Division I history.

Sawyer joined a list that includes Gary Hanley (151), Pat Lamon (133), Gewas Schindler (120), Tim O’Shea (115), Kevin Beach (114), John Carroll (112) and Chris Colbeck (108).

Layne Keeps Tallying Points

Chris Layne had his fifth multi-point game of the season against Ohio State, recorda goal and two assists. He has scored at least one point in all 10 of the Greyhounds’ games this year.

Through 10 games this season, Layne has scored 12 goals and has eight assists.

Last season, he had a total of five multi-point games while finishing with 11 goals and 14 assists. With his two goals against Delaware, Maryland and UMBC, Layne has more than doubled his multi-goal games during his time at Loyola to five. He also had one as a sophomore in 2010 for North Carolina.

Helmet Stickers

Loyola players are wearing three stickers on their helmets this season to remember those who have passed away. The stickers are in memory of Adam Pomper, a member of the 2012 team who passed away on June 12, 2012, Mandy O’Sullivan, mother of current players Sean and Ryan O’Sullivan who died in March 2012 from pancreatic cancer, and the 26 victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting in December 2012 where Loyola put on a youth lacrosse clinic in January.

Well-Represented In MLL Draft

Five members of the Loyola men’s lacrosse team were selected in the top 26 of the January 11 Major League Lacrosse draft. The Greyhounds tied Virginia for the most draft picks in the selection process.

Josh Hawkins and Mike Sawyer were both taken in the first round, going fifth and eighth overall to the Hamilton Nationals and Charlotte Hounds, respectively.

Scott Ratliff was the first pick of the second round, going ninth to the Boston Cannons, and Davis Butts was taken early in the third round, 19th overall to the Denver Outlaws. Joining Hawkins in Hamilton will be Reid Acton, the team’s fourth round pick, 26th overall.

Sawyer will be joined in Charlotte by former teammate Eric Lusby who was the top waiver pick after the NCAA season ended in early June. After missing the majority of the MLL season with an injury, the NCAA Championships Most Outstanding Player made his MLL debut on July 28 at Long Island and scored a goal. He then tallied three goals  in an August 11 win over Rochester.

Preseason Accolades

Six Loyola players were named to the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-America teams: defender Joe Fletcher and short-stick midfielder Josh Hawkins (first team); attackman Mike Sawyer and long-stick midfielder Scott Ratliff (second); midfielder Davis Butts (third); and, defender Reid Acton (honorable mention).

All six earned All-America honors last season with Sawyer earned Second Team honors and Ratliff was named to the Third Team. Acton, Butts, Fletcher and Acton earned Honorable Mention along with graduate student Eric Lusby.

In his first year as a starter, Fletcher was named to the NCAA and ECAC Championships All-Tournament Teams and earned a reputation as one of the top defenders in the nation. In 19 games as a sophomore, Fletcher caused 26 turnovers, second most on the team, and had 41 ground balls.

Hawkins has continued to be one of the top defensive midfielders in the nation and garnered considerable respect nationally for his play during the NCAA Championships. He earned NCAA All-Tournament honors and helped the Greyhounds limit Notre Dame and Maryland to a combined eight goals on Championships weekend. In addition to his six goals and two assists in 15 games last year, Hawkins was second on the team with 63 ground balls.

Sawyer was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award as the nation’s top player last season when he scored 52 goals and assisted on 10 more and was named the team’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. During the regular-season, he led the ECAC in goals and goals per game while earning All-ECAC First Team honors. He became the second player to score 50 or more goals in a season and was joined by a third on last year’s team.

Ratliff continued to be one of the top long-stick midfielders in the nation and set a Loyola scoring record for the position last year. He finished with 12 goals and seven assists, exceeding current Loyola Assistant Coach Matt Dwan’s previous record for a long-stick midfielder set in 1995. In addition to his scoring, he tallied 88 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers while earning ECAC Defensive Player of the Year, ECAC Championships Most Valuable Player, NCAA All-Tournament Team and team co-defenisve player of the year honors.

Butts was a first-line midfielder for the Greyhounds for the second year in a row. He excelled as a dodger and finisher and ranked fourth on the team in points (35) and third in goals scored (21). A versatile player, Butts also saw plenty of action on the wings of faceoffs and in the defensive midfield where he picked up 40 ground balls.

Acton will enter 2013 having started on the Greyhounds’ defense each of the last three years. He finished the 2012 season with 44 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers, while helping Loyola record a 7.21 goals allowed per game average, the fifth-best mark in Division I. The Greyhounds set a pair of defensive records during Championship Weekend, holding Notre Dame and Maryland to a combined eight goals in the two games and allowing the Terrapins just three in the title match.

Toomey Receives Morris Touchstone Award

Loyola Head Coach Charley Toomey was named the ECAC Coach of the Year for the third time in his seven-year career, and in December, he received the coaches association’s Morris Touchstone Award as the national coach of the year.

The Greyhounds became the second team in USILA Coaches Poll history to start a season unranked and ascend to the No. 1 spot in the rankings. The only other team was Duke in 2007 – a year after the Blue Devils had their season suspended in March – which accomplished the feat after being unranked in the first poll, moving to second in the next version and first in the third. Duke was knocked from its perch as No. 1 that season when it lost to the Greyhounds at the First Four in San Diego.

The win over Georgetown this was the 70th victory of his coaching career, becoming the second coach in Loyola history to win 70 or more, joining – Dave Cottle (181-70, 1983-2001).

Big Runs

Last season, runs of three-plus goals were critical in the Greyhounds success, as they had runs of 3-0 or better in all 19 games. In all, Loyola scored three or more in a row on 37 occasions last year.

The Greyhounds have opened the 2013 season in similar fashion as they scored three-straight in the second quarter to take a 4-2 lead against Delaware after trailing, 2-1. They then had two runs of 3-0 or better at Towson.

Against UMBC, Loyola had a 3-0 first-half run before putting together a 10-0 stretch in the third and fourth quarters. The Greyhounds then had a 4-0 run that spanned both halves to help beat Bellarmine, and they runs of 3-0 and 4-0 to beat Air Force.

In the Georgetown game, Loyola had its longest run of the year, scoring eight straight.

At Ohio State, the Greyhounds went on a 6-0 run that spanned the final three quarters to take control of the game. A 5-0 first-quarter run spurred the win over Fairfield.

Second-Half Success

Last season, the Greyhounds outscored opponents 66-22 in the third quarters of games, and 123-63 overall in the second half (including overtime). The second-half scoring continued a trend from 2011 when Loyola outscored opponents, 69-52, after halftime (including two overtime goals), and 77-56.

This year, Loyola is outscoring opponents 43-20 in the third quarter and 64-45 overall after halftime.

Hawkins, Ratliff Garner ECAC Weekly Honors

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – Loyola University Maryland defensive midfielders Josh Hawkins and Scott Ratliff were named the ECAC Lacrosse League’s Specialist and Co-Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, on Monday, the conference office announced.

The duo combined for six goals, five caused turnovers and five ground balls on Saturday, while helping the Greyhounds’ defense hold Fairfield University to just seven goals in a 13-7 league win that clinched a spot in the upcoming ECAC Championships.

Ratliff, who earned the defensive honor for the second time this season and fourth time in his career, set a new offensive standard for long-stick players, scoring four goals against the Stags. It is believed he is the first player in the modern era of college lacrosse to score four goals in a game with a pole.

The senior long-stick midfielder also was highly disruptive on the defensive end, causing four turnovers while picking up three groundballs.

His first goal came after Brendan Donovan won a faceoff and got a pass to Ratliff who ran into the box and hit a stepdown shot from 12 yards out. He then scored again in the first quarter, this time in settled offense. Ratliff set a screen for Nikko Pontrello and then rolled to the right side of the crease where Pontrello hit him with a pass for a one-on-one opportunity with the Fairfield goalie.

Minutes later, he tallied a second-quarter goal off a set piece, flicking in a Justin Ward pass for his third goal of the game. His final goal of the game came in the first three minutes of the third quarter, as he and short-stick midfielder Pat Laconi played give-and-go in transition, and Ratliff nailed a shot, keeping his shot percentage at 1.000 for the day, scoring four goals on four attempts.

Hawkins also was perfect on both of his shot attempts against Fairfield. The short-stick midfielder scored his first of the game after running a slow clear before ripping a shot from seven yards out to put Loyola up 9-4 with 56 seconds left before halftime.

He added to his tally with a goal late in the third quarter. After Ratliff caused a turnover, Hawkins brought the ball into the offensive box, and he used a fake pass to draw space on the top left side before dodging down the alley and finishing with a hard overhand shot with 18 seconds left in the frame.

This season, Ratliff has scored 11 goals while assisting on three, and he has 27 goals and 13 assists in 53 career games. He also moved within eight caused turnovers of tying former Loyola All-American P.T. Ricci for the school record (90).

Hawkins, who has played in just four games this year, has scored five goals and has an assist. In 44 career games, he has tallied 20 goals and eight assists.

The duo and the Greyhounds (9-2 overall, 5-0 ECAC) are back in action on Saturday, April 13, at 1 p.m. from Ridley Athletic Complex where they will host the University of Denver.

Defensive Midfield Scores Six In 13-7 Win Over Fairfield

BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland defensive midfielders Scott Ratliff and Josh Hawkins combined to score six goals on as many shots, and Pat Laconi added an assist, as the Greyhounds’ defensive midfield was in on almost half of their goals during a 13-7 victory Saturday afternoon over visiting Fairfield University in ECAC Lacrosse League action at Ridley Athletic Complex.

Ratliff, a long-stick midfielder, scored four, and Hawkins added two for Loyola (9-2 overall, 5-0 ECAC), which clinched a bid to the 2013 ECAC Championships that will be played May 2-4 at Hobart College in Geneva, N.Y. Ratliff also had four caused turnovers and three ground balls, and Hawkins tallied a pair off the ground and caused one Stags turnover.

Fairfield (6-5, 3-2) took an early 1-0 lead as Marshall Johnson scored on a seven-yard shot from the top at 10:32 in the first quarter, but less than two minutes later, an extra-man goal by Loyola would start a 5-0 Greyhounds run.

A Stags push gave Loyola a man advanatage, and Harry Kutner fed Kevin Ryan who hit an over-the-shoulder shot from just in front of the crease to tie the game at 1-1 with 8:44 on the first-quarter clock.

Ratliff then picked up the ground ball on the next faceoff, and he struck with a 12-yard shot from the top of the box to give Loyola its first lead, 2-1, just nine second after Ryan’s goal.

Chris Layne scored the Greyhounds’ third goal, taking a flip from Davis Butts and running left-to-right past his defender to score at 6:27. Justin Ward then scored his first of two-straight at 3:11 with a sidearm shot from just outside the crease.

Ward added another 59 seconds later, converting a bounce shot from a tough angle on the left side after rolling from ‘X’. That goal pushed the Greyhounds’ advantage to 5-1.

Drew Frederick came off a check on the right side and scored on a low-to-low shot with 40 seconds left in the first quarter, but the Greyhounds still had enough time to score one more before the end of the first 15 minutes.

Nikko Pontrello came off a Ratliff screen, and Ratliff rolled to the right side of the crease where Pontrello hit him with 23 ticks showing for Ratliff’s second of the quarter.

Sean O’Sullivan gave Loyola a 7-2 lead at 12:09 in the second quarter when he got free down the right alley, but Fairfield got back within four at 9:40 on a Eric Warden bouncer after rolling the crease on the left side.

Ratliff quickly built the lead back to five for Loyola, flicking a shot into the net off a Ward feed at 9:12.

Later in the quarter, with a 30-second warning in place, Sam Snow came down the right side and hit an overhand bouncer at 3:46, cutting Loyola’s lead to 8-4.

Hawkins, however, pushed the lead back to five before halftime, running a slow clear and backing off a check for a hard shot from seven yards out with 56 seconds remaining before the break.

Jordan Greenfield pulled the Stags back to within four, 9-5, 1:22 into the second half with a low-to-low shot from the right side off a Snow pass, but Ratliff to a Laconi pass in transition and hit a 10-yard step-down shot at 12:44.

Mike Sawyer used a Ward pass at 10:53 to score his first of the game before Warden scored his second with a goal for Fairfield at 10:18.

The score remained 11-6 in Loyola’s favor for several minutes before Sawyer scored in highlight-reel fashion. He was knocked to the turf, and a penalty flag flew on Fairfield, but Sawyer got off a hard shot from the ground and scored at 1:29 to push the lead to six.

Ratliff then caused a Fairfield turnover with under 45 seconds left in the quarter, and Hawkins appeared to settle the play before faking a pass and running down the left alley to score with 18 seconds left in the third.

Fairfield scored the fourth quarter’s lone goal with 1:56 left in the game on a Tristan Sperry shot.

In addition to the multi-point efforts by the defensive midfielders, Ward finished with two goals and two assists, and Sawyer scored twice.

Joe Fletcher matched Ratliff and goalkeeper Jack Runkel for team-high honors with three assists, and defenders Pat Frazier and Reid Acton each caused two turnovers.

The Greyhounds play their final regular-season home game of the season on Saturday, April 13, at 1 o’clock against the University of Denver.