From a sports perspective, the Spring semester just got a lot busier. Loyola has announced schedules for its cross country, track and field, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball teams. All teams will compete during the Spring semester and each team’s schedule is condensed with limited travel and overnight stays.
The cross country team will only have three meets this season, kicking off with a meet in Cockeysville, MD against American. The Patriot League Championships are currently scheduled for March 5 in Easton, P.A. As for track and field, their schedule is still evolving, but they will compete concurrently with the cross country team.
The golf team will have a total of five events, kicking off with the Ross Collegiate Classic in Southern Pines, NC. The team will also play events in Greenville, N.C., Chapel Hill, N.C., Bridgeport, W.V., and State College, P.A. The Patriot League Championships are currently scheduled for May 1-2 in Annapolis, M.D.
The lacrosse teams have announced their schedules respectively. Both teams will play 12-game schedules, with each team having seven home games and five away games. The men’s team will open up their season on Feb. 13 at Richmond while the women’s team will host Syracuse on Feb. 20.
The rowing teams will open up their 2021 campaigns by traveling to Washington, MD on March 27.
“Both programs have head-to-head matchups at La Salle (April 10) and Manhattan (April 24), and Loyola will also take part in St. Joseph’s Jesuit Invitational on April 17,” according to a press release from the Patriot League and Loyola.
The annual Dad Vail Regatta will take place on May 7-8 in Philadelphia, P.A., and the Patriot League Championships are scheduled for May 14-15 in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The men’s and women’s soccer teams will each play six-game schedules against Patriot League opponents. The Patriot League has created the schedules based on geography, so Loyola “will compete in the South division with American, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Navy.” The women are coming off an appearance in the Patriot League semifinals while the men have won 10+ games in the last three seasons.
The swimming and diving program will start their season against Towson at 1 p.m. on Feb. 13. The Patriot League Championships will be held in Lewisburg, P.A. from April 21-24 and the men’s program is coming off a third-place finish last year.
The tennis teams probably have the most games on their schedule of any Loyola sports team competing this semester. The men have 17 matches scheduled, while the women have 23.
“Loyola will work toward competition in the Patriot League Championships in late April. The men will go first with an event scheduled for April 22-24 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, while the women will follow April 29-May 1 with their event in Annapolis, Maryland,” according to the press release.
The volleyball team has 10 games on their schedule and they will begin play on Feb. 26 against Bucknell. Their schedule will mostly consist of playing the same team twice, once at home and once on the road.
COVID-19 will present a challenge to completing these sports seasons, but if health and safety protocols are tightly followed, Loyola’s sports teams will be on full display this semester. It’s sure to be a joy for fans of the University’s sports teams.
Featured Image courtesy of Katherine Tabor via Flickr Creative Commons
