Loyola was firing on all cylinders on Saturday as the men’s lacrosse team battered Charles Street rival Johns Hopkins in an impressive 12-5 victory.

The highlight of the game was undoubtedly Loyola’s defensive play. The Hounds defense forced 22 turnovers, several of which directly led to goals in transition. They maintained their discipline throughout the game, which allowed Loyola’s midfielders to run roughshod in the middle of the field.

Although Loyola struggled at the face-off X, they made up for it by coming out on top of a majority of ground ball and turnover battles. Senior defender Foster Huggins led the effort with seven caused turnovers and three ground balls.

Huggins and fellow senior Brian Begley deserve a lot of credit for Saturday’s defensive performance. Along with his seven forced turnovers, Huggins shut down the Blue Jays’ primary ball handler Shack Stanwick, holding him to one goal. Begley, the Hound’s primary defensive midfielder, played a pivotal role all over the field. The senior scooped up a game-high five ground balls, and tallied 2 goals and 2 assists.

The Hounds’ first midfield unit led the offense. Juniors Alex McGovern and John Duffy each scored twice, and Jay Drapeau added a hat trick. Junior attackman Pat Spencer finished with a goal and three assists.

Both teams came out firing to start the game. This speed was better suited for Loyola, who jumped out to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first quarter. Junior Goalie Jacob Stover made four saves in the opening frame and his surrounding defenders were rock solid throughout.

A 5-2 Loyola lead late in the second quarter was quickly cut to 5-4 at the end of the half, which briefly quieted the othwise boisterous Ridley crowd.

Loyola ultimately pulled away from Hopkins with a 4-1 third quarter run, highlighted by a goal from Begley midway through the period that put Loyola up 8-4 and sent Ridley into a frenzy.

As the snow began to fall late in the third quarter, fans and players alike could start to sense victory. A 9-5 fourth quarter lead expanded to 11-5, highlighted by a right-handed laser from McGovern.

The Hounds held the Jays scoreless in the game’s final 16 minutes, and a final insurance goal from Begley put the game away for good, with 12-5 the final score.

This was a statement victory for the Greyhounds early in the season. The defense looks confident and disciplined. If they continue to wreak havoc on their side of the field, Coach Toomey’s fast-paced style will be successful as seen on Saturday.