Who: Albany @ Loyola, MD
Where: Baltimore, MD.
When: Saturday, 12 pm.
Albany and Loyola are heading to Baltimore to face off in the first round of the NCAA tournament this weekend.
The Great Danes have a bit of a challenge in Loyola as they are the Patriot League Champion. The Greyhounds also have Junior attack Nikko Pontrello who holds a strong performance this season, raking in 50 goals so far, as well as a strong defense backed by Senior Jack Runkle who has been making incredible saves in goal.
Albany is confident in their abilities, especially with the unstoppable Thompson Trio on their side. They are the America East Champions and they have been having quite the season, especially in terms of scoring. Myles Thompson has been an outstanding contributor, and he is currently holding the record for longest goal streak in Division-I Lacrosse. He has scored in all of the past 30 matches he has played in.
Commentators have referred to this native family of players as the Michael Jordans of lacrosse. They understand and play the game at a level that encompasses much of their heritage and spiritual connections. The brothers/cousin even make play calls and communicate in their native tongue so opponents cannot understand. The Thompson Trio will be dominating for Albany on the front line, backed by Freshman Calarusso protecting the cage.
Loyola was inducted into the Patriot League this year and matched up against competition that was unequal to that of previous seasons. Hopefully, Loyola’s postseason performances aren’t hindered by the lack of consistency.
This weekend’s matchup is certainly going to be one to watch, as two champions are going head to head in tournament play.
