Jen Adams is 209-73 as the head coach of the Loyola women’s lacrosse program since taking over ahead of the 2009 season … and 88-17 since the start of the 2018 campaign.
However, for all of their success, the Greyhounds haven’t made it to the Final Four since 2003. Now, they have a chance to change that. No. 8 seed Loyola meets No. 1 Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in Evanston, Ill., at 7:30 p.m. on May 18 on ESPNU.
The Wildcats have been to 13 Final Fours and have won seven national championships since 2005. They have been to the three previous Final Fours dating back to 2019 but are looking for their first national championship since 2012. They’re 18-1 overall this year, with their lone loss coming all the way back in February.
Northwestern boasts Big Ten Attacker of the Year Izzy Scane (82 goals, 28 assists) and a plethora of other high-end scorers: Erin Coykendall (50, 44), Hailey Rhatigan (54, 11) and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Taylor Madison (46, 17), among others. The defense is backed by goalie Molly Laliberty, who has posted a 9.06 goals-against average and .468 save percentage.
“What is it going to take to beat Northwestern? Pretty simple — to be one goal up on the scoreboard at the end of that game,” Adams said on Glenn Clark Radio May 15. “I think that’s going to take tough defense, keeping their powerful offensive unit to limited goals, and it’s going to take us putting the ball in the back of the net. They’re both things we’ve done all season, so we’re confident in going in and playing Loyola lacrosse and throwing it up in the air and hoping it sticks.”
Loyola is no slouch, either. The Greyhounds enter the contest at 19-2 overall and are coming off of tournament victories against Fairfield and Stony Brook at Ridley Athletic Complex, the latter a 9-8 decision that featured some nervous moments late with the Seawolves closing the game on a 3-0 run.
Loyola is also no stranger to high-end competition outside of the Patriot League. The Greyhounds played tournament teams Johns Hopkins, Florida, Penn, Penn State and Syracuse in nonconference play, and they’ll draw on that experience when they face Northwestern.
“I think that’s what an out-of-conference schedule is designed for, is to allow you the freedom a little bit to put your team in situations where you’re playing teams out of your typical conference,” Adams said. “You’re getting a lot of different scout looks, chances for us to play teams in the ACC and the Big Ten, lots of different programs and different styles of lacrosse. We certainly try to set our players in our program up for seeing a lot of those different styles and being as prepared as possible so that come postseason we’ve been in those shoes and it’s nothing new.”
Loyola has successfully blended veteran experience and youth throughout the season. Patriot League Midfielder of the Year Jillian Wilson (60 goals, 19 assists) and Defensive Player of the Year Katie Detwiler (78 draw controls, 17 caused turnovers) are both graduate students. Attacker of the Year Georgia Latch (44 goals, 43 assists) and Goalkeeper of the Year Lauren Spence (6.72 goals-against average, .536 save percentage) are both sophomores.
In addition to Latch and Wilson, five other Greyhounds have scored double-digit goals: Chase Boyle (54), Sydni Black (53), Meg Hillman (31), Emily Wills (30) and Anna Ruby (25). It’s been a blast to coach this group, according to Adams.
“They’re so much fun to be around as people, which obviously makes coaching an exciting thing,” Adams said. “You go out every day and they put a smile on our face out there as coaches. But to be pushed as a coach in the way that they’re so competitive and they’re so skilled and talented. For us it continues to make practices fun for them and competitive for them. In that way, I love that they challenge us as coaches every day.”
If the Greyhounds are to get more days together, though, they’re going to have to beat the top team in the country. The Loyola-Northwestern winner will advance to the Final Four in Cary, N.C., to face the Denver-North Carolina winner on May 26.
“Really for everyone and for this program in general, that’s the thing that’s eluded us since I’ve been a coach here is making that jump over the hurdle and getting up to a Final Four,” Adams said. “I would love nothing more than to be able to take Hound Nation to the Final Four down in North Carolina this year.”
For more from Adams, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Larry French