After beating nationally-ranked Torrey Pines 14–13 in double overtime, thanks to a dramatic goal from Joey McNamara ‘26, Loyola Lacrosse heads into the CIF Southern Section Playoffs as the number one overall seed. The team ended its regular-season campaign with a record of 16–3 (7–0 in Mission League play), including a win over in-state Jesuit rivals St. Ignatius Prep, their best record since going 19–1 in 2021.
The Cubs began their season at a tournament in Florida, where they unfortunately went 1–2, but the experience served as a metaphorical kick start and provided fuel for the rest of the season. The Cubs used that trip as a launching pad for the rest of their season, only losing one more game and finishing with a goal differential of +205. The dynamic offensive trio of Tripp King ‘27, Finn Hazleton ‘26 and Cash Ginsberg ‘26 accounted for a majority of those goals.
Looking back on the regular season, Coach James Borell made it clear that a stellar regular season is business as usual: “We’ve done everything at our best and gotten better as the years go by; now we’re taking care of business.” Under Borell’s leadership, the Cubs have shown that when playing at their best, they can dominate any opponent, evident in blowout victories like their 26–2 throttling of Sierra Canyon and a commanding 33–3 win over Harvard-Westlake.
These scores and the way they finished the season on such a high note have given the team plenty of confidence that they are entering the playoffs ready to leave it as champions. As stated by Borell, “Our goal is to win the Championship, so the plan is to take the playoffs one game at a time.”
Team captain and University of North Carolina signee Henry Casani ‘25 credits their season-long preparation and sense of work ethic: “It’s finally good to see all of our hard work paying off. All of those 6 A.M. practices weren’t always easy, but they have prepared us for the high-quality teams we’re going to face in the playoffs.”
After receiving a bye to the CIF Quarterfinals, the Cubs will play their first game against either Corona del Mar, whom they routed 16–4 during the regular season, or Servite.
Looking past the quarterfinals, a series of opponents may have the displeasure of having to face the Cubs. Fourth-seeded J. Serra (13–6), third-seeded Mater Dei (13–3), and second-seeded Santa Margarita (14–3) could all find themselves on the Cubs’ path to becoming CIF champions.
Of course, only one team will emerge victorious in the end, but after months of preparation, Loyola is ready for the challenge.
