The Hounds are looking for a win this Saturday after beating the previously No. 1 ranked University of Maryland 12-7 and rival Johns Hopkins University 13-8 to start their season. Both Johns Hopkins and Loyola are in Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University is on the same street as Loyola. The game between Johns Hopkins and Loyola has been deemed “The Battle of Charles Street,” per the Loyola Men’s Lacrosse (@loyolamlax) Instagram account.

Dominance has been a major theme at the start of the season for Loyola. Loyola student Ethan Folke said, “We’ve really just been running the game both times, and we were untouchable for the first quarter basically both times. The quick pass and run and the creative athletic ability on the field really put them ahead.”

The Hounds have been at the top of their game with a five-point win margin against The University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University. Defensively, the Hounds were on point, notably sporting a Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week in graduate student Matthew Hughes, and Goalkeeper of the Week in Luke Staudt ‘24, after the win against Maryland last Saturday. Hughes had five ground balls, one assist, and caused one turnover, and Staudt had nineteen saves. Offensively, Matthew Minicus ‘26 has been the story for Loyola. Minicus had two points in each game, shooting 50% and 40% respectively. 

“Number seven, All-American, the kid’s a beast. He’s going to bring the program to the next level,” Folke said.

Before the start of the game, the fans parked their cars and set up tents and tables for games. Jimmy’s Seafood had a food truck in the lot for all the fans to enjoy. This was a big hit for many of the fans who were tailgating. The most popular item from the food truck was their ‘crabby chicken’ sandwich; a sandwich with a crisp piece of chicken topped with crab dip and some of Jimmy’s secret sauce. Students enjoyed the food truck and it was a hit that added to the life of the pregame atmosphere.

Ridley’s stands were filled to the brim with more than 5,400 fans in attendance, per the Loyola Men’s Lacrosse Instagram page. The win over Maryland from the previous week rallied some of the doubters and casual fans to make the trip to Ridley this weekend for the ‘Battle of Charles Street.’ Talking to a Johns Hopkins fan before the game, they referred to the historic meeting between the two teams by a different name: “The Charles Street Massacre”. 

He said that they call it “The Charles Street Massacre” because of the “historical lopsidedness of the rivalry in Hopkins’ favor,” although Loyola has been changing the narrative after having won seven of the last nine meetings, including this one.

By the start of game time, the stands were packed, and the noise level was very high. The energy throughout the complex was uplifting, intense, and exciting. Sitting in the student section, I was graced with all the trash-talking and cheers from the fans. I must say that this game was a standout in terms of fan interaction and intense focus on every play on the field. In other words, this game was awesome. The energy from the players and fans combined made an atmosphere of pure joy and fun and it also helped that Loyola is playing at a top-tier level.

Student Matthew Burgers said, “You definitely should come to the games. If you’re skipping them, you’re definitely missing out. There are great opportunities to meet new people and make new friends, and it’s just something to do on your Saturday.”

The next home game is against Lafayette on Saturday, March 4, at 1:00 p.m. at Ridley Athletic Complex. Be sure to come out and support the Hounds!

Featured Image Courtesy of Larry French.