Overview: Following their 2012 season, the Loyola Greyhounds Men’s Lacrosse program felt immense triumph. The minuscule private university out of Baltimore defeated an experienced Maryland squad en route to their first National Championship in program history. Four years post-2012 and things have changed greatly for the Greyhounds. Following two straight seasons with first round losses in the NCAA tournament, Loyola missed the tournament in 2015, finishing with a 7-8 record, becoming the first team to finish under .500 since Charley Toomey began his tenure as head coach with the program. Presently, the team looks to overcome last seasons’ adversity and make a splash back into the National Tournament. With an experienced squad returning, the Greyhounds derived a top 20 (12th) preseason ranking from the Face-Off Yearbook in their preseason poll. The team looks to proclaim their yearning for boundless success behind preseason All Americans Zach Herreweyers, David Manning, Brian Sherlock, and Ryan Fournier.
Strengths: Midfield and Faceoffs—The Greyhounds return five of their top six scorers from last season. Fortunately, three of the five are experienced midfielders. Sherlock, the junior preseason All American who finished second on the team in scoring last season with 29 goals and 19 assists, leads the dynamic unit that creates matchup problems for opposing defenses. Classmate Romar Dennis, an athletic scoring threat out of Huntingtown, MD, netted 17 goals last season along with 12 helpers for an impressive 30 points. Rounding out the three headed monster is Senior Tyler Albrect, who found the back of the net 23 times last spring while dishing five assists. Behind productivity from these three individuals, the Greyhounds should have no problem putting up ample amounts of points. The team also returns Junior FO/Midfielder Graham Savio. Savio ranked as one of the best faceoff players in the country last season, winning .592 percent of his draws ranking for 13th in the nation. Savio, along with Sophomore Mike Orefice and Freshman Jake Shriner should be one of the most competitive faceoff tandems in the country.
Weaknesses: Attack—Following a season with a majority of points scored from the midfield, the Greyhounds’ attack unit looks to step up and be a driving force behind the offense. The bright spot of the unit is obviously Herreweyers, who led the team and Patriot League in goals per game (3.13) with 47. The loss of line mate Nikko Pontrello, who combined for 47 points last season, will be a major blow to the offense. Coach Toomey and the Greyhounds will look towards Junior Zack Sirico to command a bigger role throughout the attack unit. Sirico scored 11 goals and had 18 helpers last season, but has boundless room for growth in Loyola’s system.
Top Returnee: Look for Senior David Manning to be the vocal leader on and off the field for the Greyhounds. Following a junior season in 2014 where he started 16 games at close defense for the squad, Manning had a season-ending injury withhold him from the 2015 season. Manning, a crucial key to the team’s success, was a member of the championship squad in 2012. In his final year with the program, watch Manning, as he will be called on to shut down opponent’s top offensive threats.
Breakthrough player: Although already a solid player for the Greyhounds, pay close attention to midfielder Romar Dennis who looks to take his game to an even higher level. Dennis is known for his explosive alley dodges that leave defenders in the dust as he gets his hands free for goal opportunities. If Dennis improves his lefty split dodges and carries a heavier offensive load, he may very well put up some of the best offensive midfielder numbers in the country.
The Greyhounds open their season on Feb. 13 for a Saturday showdown as they travel to Virginia.
