Loyola Lacrosse Picked To Win ECAC In Inside Lacrosse Poll

courtesy of Loyola Athletics

BALTIMORE - Four Loyola University Maryland men's lacrosse players were selected to the Preseason All-ECAC Team in a poll of the league's coaches by Inside Lacrosse. As a team, the Greyhounds were picked to win the ECAC title.
 
Senior attackers Collin Finnerty and Cooper MacDonnell, senior defender Steve Layne and junior faceoff specialist John Schiavone were honors in the poll that was conducted by Inside Lacrosse. The ECAC's version of the poll will be released next month.
 
Loyola's four honorees were the most of the eight-team ECAC, while only Hobart and Ohio State had more than one player selected to the preseason team.
 
The Greyhounds earned the top spot as a team, followed by Ohio State, Denver, Fairfield, Hobart, Air Force, Bellarmine and Quinnipiac. Last season, the Greyhounds earned a share of the ECAC title and finished with a 9-5-0 record against the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation.
 
Layne earned All-ECAC Second Team honors for the Greyhounds last season while anchoring a solid defense that allowed a 8.67 goals against average. Layne, who was also an Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection this week by Inside Lacrosse, had 48 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers in 2009.
 
Schiavone was tabbed to his second preseason team this week after being named a Preseason Third-Team All-American by the publication on Monday. Last year, he finished fifth in the nation, winning 58.9-percent of his faceoffs (149-of-253). He also recorded 76 groundballs and three assists.
 
Finnerty and MacDonnell help the Greyhounds form one of the top attacks in the nation. Last season, MacDonnell led Loyola for the second-straight year with 30 goals. He also had eight assists for 38 total points. Finnerty, meanwhile, chipped in 24 goals, the second-highest total on the squad. He added 13 assists for 37 points.
 
The Greyhounds open their 2010 schedule with a February 20 date in Annapolis, Md., at the U.S. Naval Academy.