GREYHOUNDS DROP LOYOLA FOR THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP IN FOUR YEARS

GREYHOUNDS DROP LOYOLA FOR THIRD CHAMPIONSHIP IN FOUR YEARS

Gilman didn’t lack motivation going into Saturday evening’s MIAA water polo championship match with Loyola Blakefield.<

In the teams’ prior meeting this season, the Greyhounds got off to a promising start, only to see Loyola rally for victory. More importantly, the Dons had the proverbial championship belt Gilman desperately wanted back.

The Greyhounds accomplished the task with a 23-15 victory at McDonogh. Drew Garvey and Mason Murphy-Lenk each scored seven goals for the Greyhounds (10-2 overall), and junior goalie Nick Lutzky made eight saves. Senior Ryan Snyder finished with five goals and an assist for Loyola.

Gilman led wire-to-wire Saturday, claiming its third MIAA crown in four years. The Greyhounds defeated McDonogh in the semifinals Friday.

“It was a true team effort, from our goalie to our bench, we went five to six deep…they all contributed,” said Gilman coach Vaughn Smith.

Lutzky said the Greyhounds’ resolve was another key element in their championship run.

“The way we responded to losses, that’s what I think separated us from the rest of the league,” said Lutzky, who finished with eight saves Saturday. “The league was so even, any of the four teams could win it…we lost to Spalding and Loyola and how we responded defined us.”

Nearly three weeks ago, the Dons defeated Gilman, 14-13, in a match the Greyhounds led 8-2.

There was no letdown by Gilman Saturday which pulled away in the second half in its penultimate match of the season. Senior Jackson Barnhill and junior Randall Sean each provided hat tricks.

“I was pleasantly surprised..our defense has been reliable all year long, our offense had some hiccups,” said Smith. “Obviously, the guys knew what was at stake and they brought it.”

The Greyhounds had a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter after Garvey scored off a rebound. Loyola scored three unanswered goals, the last from sophomore Charlie Kunkel, to pull within 7-6.

Gilman quickly regrouped as Murphy-Lenk, a junior, had a hat trick in a four-goal Greyhound run that left it with an 11-8 halftime advantage. Gilman extended the lead to 17-10 in the third, courtesy of another four-goal run spurt, but the Dons scraped back into contention, 17-13, entering the fourth.

The Greyhounds scored six of the first seven goals in the fourth with Garvey bookending goals in the decisive run. The senior, who also had an assist, was selected the Greg Hallisey Award recipient as the title match’s Most Valuable Player.

After an uneven start in league play, Loyola (8-4) rebounded, going undefeated (5-0) through the second rotation. Will Kunkel finished with four goals and an assist.


Gilman’s Drew Garvey (right), pictured with Calvert Hall athletic director and MIAA water polo representative Dan Mulford, was named the Hallisey Award winner as the MVP of Saturday’s championship match. The award is in honor of Greg Hallisey, a longtime water polo referee, who died in 2020.

GILMAN 23, LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD 15

Loyola 3 5 5 2 – 15

Gilman 5 6 6 6 – 23

Goals: Loyola – Ryan Snyder 5, Will Kunkel 4, Charlie Kunkel 3, Dominic Feracci 2, Ethan Daugherty; Gilman – Mason Murphy-Lenk 7, Drew Garvey 7, Jackson Barnhill 3, Randall Sean 3, Ryan Coleman 2, Tim Brooks.

Assists: Loyola – Daugherty 2, Snyder, W. Kunkel, C. Kunkel; Gilman – Brooks 4, Garvey, Sean.

Saves: Loyola – Harry Buch 9; Gilman – Nick Lutzky 8.

This article republished courtesy of The Baltimore Banner.