2023 Men's Top 30: How Loyola Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

LOYOLA MEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: Unranked/Unranked (also considered)
2023 record: 9-8 (4-4 Patriot League)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The first two games. The Greyhounds were the talk of mid-February, pounding Maryland 12-7 in their season opener and then smothering Johns Hopkins 13-8 seven days later. Luke Staudt was, well, stout in the cage in the early going. Matthew Minicus had 33 goals and 16 assists as a freshman, and he will be the cornerstone of the Loyola attack for years to come. Evan James moved from midfield to attack late in the season as part of a constant tinkering and scored 18 goals in the Greyhounds’ last six games.

WHAT WENT WRONG

For the third year in a row, Loyola wobbled and was stuck searching for itself in the middle of the season. Just as Loyola’s offense started to figure things out, its defense collapsed in the second half of April, with injuries a factor. The Greyhounds deserve credit for regrouping and reaching the Patriot League final, but games like a 16-9 loss at Boston University and a 23-7 capitulation against Georgetown three days later in mid-April were decidedly not to the standard the program has maintained.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

It didn’t pop on paper like the Maryland and Hopkins victories, but Loyola showed some serious gumption in the Patriot League semifinals en route to a 12-11 victory at Boston University. The Greyhounds trailed 8-1, only to score nine of the next 10 goals — and rally to deliver a pair of Adam Poitras goals late to win it.

VERDICT

Loyola’s season feels like a lost opportunity as much because of the early victories over Big Ten teams that went on to earn top-six seeds as anything. Plus, 9-8 also doesn’t measure up to what the sport is accustomed to seeing from the Greyhounds. Nevertheless, Loyola did play for an NCAA berth on the final day of the season to conclude a topsy-turvy season. Achieving a bit more consistency will be a priority moving forward.