St. Paul’s graduate Max Watkinson arrived at Loyola ahead of the 2023 season buried on the goalie depth chart.
Watkinson started two games and appeared in seven across his freshman and sophomore seasons, but he had a breakout junior season in 2025, when he led the Patriot League and ranked sixth nationally with 13.5 saves per game while starting all 14 games. His success came from relentless offseason work, the trust he has in his coach and a “goldfish” mentality that has made him one of the most efficient goalies in Division I lacrosse.
Growing up in Baltimore gave Watkinson early exposure to high-level lacrosse and provided a more tangible advantage once he got to Loyola. While many of his teammates left town in the summer, he took the opportunity to train consistently at Ridley Athletic Complex, not far from the Loyola campus.
“I would be able to come in during the summer at Ridley at 6 a.m., whenever it worked for our strength coaches at the time, and just being able to work out in the summer for three or four days a week has been an absolute gift,” Watkinson said.
Watkinson’s dedication to his craft, whether becoming physically stronger or getting more reps in the cage, did not go unnoticed by head coach Charley Toomey and his staff.
“There weren’t many times where I was walking through the weight room [in the offseason] and he wasn’t out there,” Toomey said. “Goalies sometimes feel like they get a pass, but not at Loyola, and Max certainly wasn’t looking for a pass at all. He was right in there with the attackmen, middies and defensemen and working hard. I am super proud of him.”
Even as Watkinson moved to the top of the depth chart as a junior in 2025, there was no guarantee he would stay there.
“I learned a little bit earlier on that the goalie position can turn over pretty quickly if you’re not performing,” Watkinson said. “It is something that’s very uncomfortable. Being able to move to the next-shot mentality has been something that is needed here at Loyola.”
A week before the 2025 opener, Watkinson turned in what he called the “worst game he ever played” in a scrimmage against Richmond.
While some goalies would look for encouragement from their head coach, it was Toomey’s honesty that lit a fire under Watkinson before the season opener.
“We walk in the next week [against Georgetown] and Coach Toomey goes, ‘You got the start but if it’s not going your way we’re not going to be shy to pull you,'” Watkinson said. “Fortunately, I was able to get through that game. I saw enough good shots to feel a little more comfortable.”
Watkinson’s 12-save performance in that 13-6 loss to the Hoyas set the stage for what became his breakout stretch of the season against Maryland and Johns Hopkins. Facing two of the most storied programs in college lacrosse, Watkinson approached the challenge with confidence and poise.
Against Maryland, Watkinson kept the game within reach with 11 crucial saves. He followed that up with an equally strong performance against Hopkins, stopping 13 shots.
“It made me feel like I belong,” Watkinson said. “To play teams like Maryland and Hopkins is something I’ve always looked forward to ever since I was a little kid, so being able to play against those guys and perform well was something that made me feel like I can do this.”
But for Toomey, Watkinson’s defining moment didn’t come against early-season blue blood opponents. Instead, it was his career-high 17-save performance against Bucknell, which secured Loyola’s first win of 2025 in a 12-11 overtime thriller.
“We were down two with four minutes to go,” Toomey said. “We ended up pulling it out in overtime. I looked down at the stat sheet and he had 17 saves. I never saw quit. I never felt like he was a guy who was hanging his head and that is a message for anybody, not only in the goal, but in life.”
Watkinson’s success has continued as a senior in 2026, posting a 11.7 goals-against average and .530 save percentage in 12 games entering the Greyhounds’ contest against Army on April 18.
Toomey admitted that he wasn’t aware of Watkinson until the latter’s junior year of high school. It wasn’t until Toomey spoke with a few friends at Goaliesmith Lacrosse that he learned about the St. Paul’s School standout.
“We have a conversation and bring him to campus, and then I find out that his mother works at Loyola. Like, how did we not know this?” Toomey chuckled. “How are we so close to you and we haven’t done our homework to know this stuff? But it all grew from there.”
Now, nearly four years later, Watkinson has tallied more than 350 career saves and scored his first career goal in a 19-11 victory against Boston University on April 4.
Part of what makes Watkinson so effective is that he doesn’t fit the traditional mold. By his own description, he is undersized — 6-foot-1, 180 pounds — compared to many goalies who have come through Loyola. Other goalies can rely on size and structured mechanics, but Watkinson’s game is more instinctive and reactive.
“I play a little more chaotic,” Watkinson said. “I’m going to put my body in front of it no matter what. [Toomey] told me he wasn’t going to change the way I play. Just make small adjustments.”
That trust became foundational, and as their relationship grew, so did Watkinson’s confidence — not just in his ability but in his role within the team as well.
For Watkinson, leadership is about communication and understanding the people around him. He adjusts his approach depending on the teammate, recognizing that not everyone responds the same way in high-pressure moments. That ability on the field reflects the same studied approach he has put into the next chapter of his life.
Already planning for what comes after his undergraduate career, he wants to attend graduate school at George Washington to study sports management, a step toward a career Watkinson hopes will keep him connected to lacrosse. Through Loyola, he has begun gaining experience in media, contributing to ESPN+ broadcasts with pre-recorded halftime segments featuring interview packages.
“I turned on the TV [recently] to what I think was a rerun of our women’s team’s game, and at halftime they are showing a segment of Max walking across the field and he’s interviewing one of our [women’s] players,” Toomey said. “It does not shock me with Max. He’s such a people person and has such a great story and a great way about him.”
Watkinson is still figuring out where he fits — in broadcasting, in an athletic department or in a professional front office. But the goal is clear.
“Sports have always been a passion of mine,” Watkinson said. “It’s always been something that has been a constant in my life. My parents have always told me to do what I want to do and do something that I love because you only live once, and if I don’t do something I am going to regret it.”
Photo Credit: Ryan Eigenbrode