It just wouldn't feel right if Duke and Loyola didn't face off in men's lacrosse, so it's almost as if it was meant to be. Outside of ACC opponents, Loyola is the longest consistent Duke opponent as the two teams have played every year since 2000. This will be the fourth time the Blue Devils and Greyhounds meet in NCAA Tournament action and the first in the quarterfinal round.
Duke is 22-12 all-time against the Greyhounds, 17-7 since 2000 and 2-1 in NCAA Tournament action. These teams last met in postseason play in 2016, a 16-11 victory for Loyola in Baltimore. The most memorable matchup for Duke fans was the 2013 NCAA first round game when Case Matheis scored with 1:40 remaining in overtime to help the Blue Devils on the path to the program's second NCAA title.
Duke is 4-0 in the past four matchups, winning by an average of five goals per game. The 2020 game was the last road game of that campaign as the season was canceled less than a week later.
NCAA Quarterfinal Notes
Duke advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round for the 18th time in program history, beating High Point, 16-10 last Sunday. The Blue Devils are 12-5 all-time in quarterfinal games and look to return to Championship Weekend for the third consecutive year and 13th time in school history.
This is the second time Duke will play a NCAA quarterfinal game in the state of Indiana. The Blue Devils defeated Notre Dame at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2013 en route to its second title.
Montgomery Versus The Greyhounds
Senior midfielder Nakeie Montgomery has found success offensively against Loyola over the years. Whether it be a favorable matchup in terms of style of play or Montgomery just being too much for the defense, one can't deny that he has been stellar in the three games. He has nine career points against the Greyhounds, eight of which have come in the past two meetings. In 2020, Montgomery registered three goals and an assist as part of the second midfield line.
Adler and Sowers Shine in NCAA Tournament Debuts
Despite all of the individual accolades the pair has received over the years, neither Mike Adler nor Michael Sowers had played in a NCAA Tournament game prior to facing High Point last weekend. The pair performed well as Adler finished the day with 14 saves and Sowers had eight points (4g, 4a).
Adler's 14 saves were the most by a Duke goalie in NCAA Tournament action since Kyle Turri had 16 against Cornell in the 2013 NCAA semifinal. It marked just the 14th time in Duke program history a goaltender made at least 14 saves in a NCAA Tournament game.
Sowers paced the offense with eight points, marking the 11th time a Duke player has registered at least eight points in a NCAA postseason contest. He is the eighth different Blue Devil to reach the benchmark as Zack Greer, Matt Danowski and Ned Crotty all did so twice in their careers.
Naso is Spot On
Freshman faceoff specialist Jake Naso was exceptional yet again at the faceoff dot last Sunday. The rookie draw man went 19-of-26, picked up 13 ground balls and capped a 3-0 run with a goal to give Duke the 10-4 lead. It was his fourth game with 19-plus faceoff wins and his fifth outing with at least a .700 win percentage at the X.
Naso has 209 faceoff wins this season to rank sixth among freshmen in NCAA history. His .637 win percentage currently stands fifth on that list and both of those marks are Duke freshman records.
Numbers to Watch
A few Blue Devils inched closer to notable marks in both Duke and NCAA history over the weekend. Sowers' eight points pushed his career point total to 377, leaving him four shy of taking over sole possession of the second spot on the career list. Additionally, Sowers now has 41 assists on the season to rank eighth in Duke single-season history. His 222 career assists rank third in NCAA history and are three away from the No. 2 spot and nine from the record of 231.
On the defensive side of the field, JT Giles-Harris recorded two caused turnovers to give him 85 for his career and leaving him four off of breaking Luke Duprey's Duke record of 88. He ranks 34th in NCAA history in the category.
All-America Lists Starting to Roll Out
Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine recently released their All-America squads and a host of Blue Devils garnered recognition. Headlining the Inside Lacrosse list with first team honors are Sowers on attack, Montgomery at midfield and Giles-Harris on defense. Goaltender Mike Adler picked up second team recognition, while Tyler Carpenter was a third team pick at longstick midfield. Rounding out the six Blue Devils recognized was Naso.
USA Lacrosse Magazine tabbed Giles-Harris to its first team defense and Sowers as a second team attackman. Naso also garnered second team notice as a faceoff specialist, while Montgomery and Carpenter grabbed third team accolades. Adler earned an honorable mention nod.
Up Next
The winner between Duke and Loyola will advance to Championship Weekend to play either Notre Dame or Maryland in East Hartford, Conn., May 29-31. The games will be played at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field.
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May 19, 2021 at 04:53AM
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Duke and Loyola Meet Again; Duke Preps for Quarterfinals - Duke University - GoDuke.com
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