Setting the Stage
• Inside the Game: Meeting for the 3rd time in Patriot League Tournament history, including the 2nd-consecutive year, 3rd-seeded Navy (8-6, 5-3 Patriot League) will play host to 6th-seeded Loyola (7-7, 5-3 Patriot League) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday evening (6:00 pm) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md. Joe Amplo owns a 34-25 record in his 5 years at the helm of the Navy program, while the Greyhounds are under the direction of Charley Toomey who is in his 19th year (184-100) and the program's winningest coach. Friday's contest marks the 20th meeting in a series that dates back to 1939. Loyola holds a 13-6 series advantage over the Mids.
• Follow the Action: Tuesday's game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription based) and will also be carried live on 1430 AM WNAV with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller on the call. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 pm with the Navy Lacrosse Pregame Show. Live stats will also be available on NavyStats.com(.)

Countdown to Faceoff
10  -  Navy has lost just 6 games in the Joe Amplo era (2020-present) when scoring 10 or more goals (28-6, 82.4).
9  -  In Joe Amplo's 5 seasons at Navy, the Mids have lost just 3 games when leading at the half (25-3). Navy has won 9-consecutive games when leading at the half, including 6 contests this spring.
8  -  Loyola has won 8 of the 12 games contested in Annapolis, including each of the last 5. Navy's last win over the Greyhounds in Annapolis was in 2016 (10-9).
7 -   Navy's defense has held the opposition to 9 or fewer goals 7 times this spring, including 4 of the 8 Patriot League games (6 - Mount St. Mary's, 8 - Hofstra, 9 - Boston U., 9 - Johns Hopkins, 7 - Holy Cross, 9 - Colgate, 9 - Lafayette). Loyola, meanwhile, has scored double digits in each of its last 10 games against the Mids.
6  -  Xavier Arline (Sr / A) has been the Mids' top point-producer in 6 of its 14 contests this spring. Navy won 5 of those 6 games.
5  -  Navy is the 5th-oldest (117th year) and 5th-winningest (838-389-14) program in NCAA Div. I men's lacrosse history.
4  -  Dane Swanson (Sr / M) and Carter Ash (Jr / A) lead Navy in extra-man goals this spring with 4 apiece. Ash scored 2 man-up goals in Friday's win against Bucknell.
3  -  Max Hewitt (Sr / M), who last Friday became the 37th player and 11th midfielder in program history to reach 100-career points, needs just 3 more to give Navy a trio of 30-point scorers for this season (36 Xavier Arline, 32 Henry Tolker).
2  -  Co-captain Jackson Bonitz (Sr / D) is 1 of only 2 players in program history (Brady Dove, 2014-15-16-17) to earn All-Patriot League honors all four years.
1  -  Zach Hayashi (Fr / FO), who was named the 2024 Patriot League Rookie of the Year after tying Navy's single-season faceoff wins record (185), stands #1 in the Naval Academy's Class of 2027 (1,152 students) in Military Order of Merit.

Tourney Talk
• This is Navy's 16th Patriot League Tournament berth since joining the league in 2004 (21 yrs / 20 yrs tourney played).
• This will be third time overall and second-consecutive year Navy has played Loyola in the Patriot League Tournament. The two met in the 2021 quarterfinals with Loyola securing a 16-9 win over the Mids. The 5th-seeded Greyhounds upset the 4th-seeded Mids 12-7 in last year's quarterfinals.
• This is the 4th time Navy has been the #3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament. Navy was the #3 seed in 2009 when the Mids beat #2 Colgate in triple overtime (9-8) in the semifinals before taking down top-seeded Bucknell 9-8 in the championship game. Navy was also the #3 seed in the 2021 tournament when the schools played a modified league schedule due to the pandemic and split into divisions. Navy lost to #2 seed Loyola 16-9.
• The Mids have been crowned Patriot League Tournament Champions 5 times -  2004 (def. Hobart 9-8), 2005 (def. Army 15-8), 2006 (def. Army 8-5), 2007 (def. Colgate 15-9) and 2009 (def. Bucknell 9-8). They were the #1 seed for 3 of those title victories (2004, '05, '07).
• Navy owns an 11-10 record in the Patriot League Tournament, including a 0-5 mark in the quarterfinals - 2014, L 10-9 at #3 Lehigh / 2015, L 11-7 vs. #5 Holy Cross / 2021, L 16-9 at #2 in South Div. Loyola / 2022, L 14-8 at #4 Lehigh / 2023, L 12-7 vs. #5 Loyola.
• Navy, who has lost 8-consecutive Patriot League Tournament contests, last captured a win on April 30, 2010. The second-seeded Mids defeated #3 Lafayette in the semifinals, 11-9.
• Fifth-year Navy head coach Joe Amplo is 0-3 in the Patriot League Tournament (2021, L 16-9 at Loyola / 2022, L 14-8 at Lehigh / 2023, L 12-7 vs. Loyola).

Scouting Loyola
• Nineteenth-year Loyola head coach Charley Toomey has guided the Greyhounds to a 7-7 record this spring, including a 5-3 mark in the Patriot League.
• The Greyhounds have won 5 of their last 6 games heading into Tuesday's contest, including a 12-10 win over the Mids 11 days prior.
• Adam Poitras (Gr / A) leads a Loyola offense that is averaging 11.36 goals per game. After leading the team with 49 points a year ago, Poitras once again leads the team with 53 points on 38 goals and 15 assists. Evan James (Gr / A) has 48 points on 36 goals and 12 assists, while Matthew Minicus (So / A) has produced 42 points on 27 goals and 15 assists. Minicus leads Loyola with 4 extra-man goals this season.
• The defense, meanwhile, is allowing 11.50 goals per game, giving up just 2 more goals than Loyola has scored this year. Loyola has held just 1 team to single digits this season (6 by Holy Cross), though it has held 5 other foes to 10.
• Luke Staudt (Sr / GK) has started all 12 games in which he has played. He owns an 12.14 goals-against average and a 52.5 save percentage. Meanwhile, Max Watkinson has started 2 of the 3 games in which he has appeared and has produced a 7.89 GAA and a 59.5 save percentage.
• Rutgers transfer Remi Reynolds (Jr / D) leads the team with 15 caused turnovers, while Chase Gregory (So / LSM) has 10.
• Eric Pacheco (Gr) and Carson Hall (Fr) have shared the facing off duties this spring. Pacheco has won 72 of the 168 draws (42.9) he has taken, while Hall has won 76 of the 200 (38.0) he has taken. Poitras leads the team with 39 ground balls, while Hall has scooped up 38.

Navy-Loyola Series
• Loyola and Navy are meeting for the 20th time overall and the 14th since Loyola joined the Patriot League in 2014.  
• This will be the 3rd time the two programs have met in the Patriot League Tournament, including the 3rd time in the last 4 years. The Greyhounds defeated Navy 16-9 in the 2021 quarterfinals in Baltimore and a year ago 5th-seeded Loyola dealt the Mids a 12-7 quarterfinals loss in Annapolis.
• Loyola owns a 13-6 series advantage, winning 13 of the last 16 meetings.  
• Tuesday's contest will be the 13th game between the two programs played in Annapolis with the Greyhounds leading 8-4. Navy has lost 5-consecutive games played against Loyola at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids' last win against the Greyhounds at home was a 10-9 victory on March 19, 2016.
• The two programs first met on May 6, 1939, with Navy posting a 14-4 victory. The Mids also took wins over Loyola in 1942 (12-8) and 1943 (8-1). However, the two teams would not meet again until the NCAA Tournament in 1993. The Greyhounds dealt the Mids a 19-8 to end their season.
• The series was rekindled in 2010 with Loyola scoring an 8-7 decision in overtime and a year later the Greyhounds earned a 9-8 come-from-behind win over the Mids in Baltimore. Loyola joined the Patriot League in 2014 and the two have met every year since, except for 2020 due to the pandemic.

Program Ties
• Long-time friends Joe Amplo and Charley Toomey share the same sideline as assistant coaches for the US National Team, however, the two will coach from opposite sidelines on Tuesday evening. The two first met as opposing head coaches on April 3, 2021, when Loyola traveled to Annapolis to play the Mids. This will be the 8th time the two have faced one another as opposing head coaches.
• Toomey served as the Naval Academy Prep School head coach during the 1993 season before joining the Navy coaching staff as an assistant for two years. He served under Bryan Matthews (1994) and Richie Meade (1995).
• Current Navy assistant coach Dave Cottle began his coaching career at Loyola where he amassed a 181-70 (72.1) record from 1983-2001. He was the program's winningest coach until April 6, 2024, when Toomey, who played for Cottle at Loyola, passed his former coach. Toomey was a two-time All-American goalkeeper at Loyola from 1987-90.
• Cottle helped lead Loyola through its transition to Div. I and guided the Greyhounds to 18-consecutive winning seasons (1984-2001) and 14-straight NCAA Tournament berths (1988-2001). In each of those 14 seasons, Loyola finished the year ranked among the nation's top ten.
• After leading Loyola to its first Div. I NCAA Tournament berth in 1988, he was named the Morris Touchstone Memorial Award winner as the nation's most outstanding head coach. He also became the first coach in Loyola athletic history to receive a national award. A year later, Cottle's squad became the only Loyola men' lacrosse team to complete an undefeated regular season. The Greyhounds defeated 4 nationally-ranked teams en route to a 10-0 mark. In 1990, he led Loyola to its first appearance in the NCAA Semifinals and NCAA Championship Game. The 1998 season saw Loyola finish 13-2, reach a No. 1 national ranking and earn the school's first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Cottle is one of just two coaches in the program's history with more than 100 wins or a .650-plus winning percentage.
• Cottle left Loyola (Md.) in the fall of 2001 to become the head coach at Maryland where he was twice named ACC Coach of the Year and put together a 99-45 (.688) record from 2002-10.