2023 Women'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 WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: 15/8
2023 record: 19-3 (9-0 Patriot League)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The word on Loyola after fall ball was that the Greyhounds had lost a step with the graduations of Livy Rosenzweig, Sam Fiedler and goalie Kaitlynn Larsson. Larsson’s graduation and injuries forced the Greyhounds to play one goalie in the fall: Lauren Spence. Even Adams was concerned — not about Spence, but about the lack of depth at the position.

Spence stayed healthy, finishing fifth nationally in save percentage (.520), and the Greyhounds proved that fall ball isn’t always the best barometer of spring success. Ditto for the idea that the Patriot League would be a three-team race with upstart Army and rival Navy. The Greyhounds produced their ninth-straight undefeated conference record, a streak that started in 2014, and topped Army 13-8 for a league title. Loyola got a home game as the eighth seed in the NCAA tournament and held off challenges from Fairfield and Stony Brook.

Jillian Wilson (61 G, 19 A, 198 DC) was a force all over the field in her final season, filling cleats left by Rosenzweig and Fiedler and earning IWLCA Midfielder of the Year honors. And young guns Georgia Latch (45 G, 44 A) and Sydni Black (55 G, 26 A) also looked sharp.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Honestly? Not much. A 16-6 loss to top-seed and eventual champion Northwestern in the NCAA quarterfinal round likely wasn’t how the Greyhounds wanted to go out, but it wasn’t surprising, either. Loyola lost to Florida on March 11 — a win there may have made the Hounds the seventh seed and set up a quarterfinal rematch with Boston College. Would the outcome have been much different? With all due respect to a talented Greyhounds team, likely not.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Gritting out a win over Stony Brook in the second round of the NCAA tournament in what was likely to toughest draw (for both teams) in the country for that round.

VERDICT

Let’s not nitpick. Loyola lost three All-Americans and exceeded expectations in 2023. The IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Coaching Staff of the Year honor was well-deserved for Jen Adams and her team.