BALTIMORE -- Loyola (Md.) scored the game's first 10 goals, and the Greyhounds turned in an effort that was solid at all positions in a 20-4 Wednesday afternoon victory against Towson at Ridley Athletic Complex.
Nikko Pontrello scored four goals to lead 11 Loyola players who tallied goals in the victory.
Loyola (2-1 overall) took a 9-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a .750 shooting percentage and Blake Burkhart winning 7-of-9 faceoffs.
The Greyhounds held Towson (1-2) to just five shots in the quarter, three that were saved by goalkeeper Jack Runkel and two that were off cage. Runkel finished with seven saves in just 54 minutes of action, a span in which he yielded just two goals.
Tyler Albrecht, who finished with three goals for the second game in a row, opened the scoring off a quick restart following a Towson turnover. Justin Ward, who scored a pair of goals and assisted on three more, found a crashing Albrecht who went high-to-low for the game's first score.
Pontrello then tallied his first at 10:26 after rolling the crease and whipping a sidearm shot into the net. It only took seven seconds for the next Greyhounds' goal. Burkhart won the faceoff to Brian Sherlock who went unmarked into the box and tallied his first of two goals.
Ward added his first goal at 9:03 when a dodge from `X' and shot over the shoulder of Towson goalkeeper Tyler White. Albrecht made it 5-0 in the Greyhounds favor at 8:17 with a sidearm shot off a Sherlock pass. Ward scored his second in a span of less than three minutes with a redodge on the left side.
Sherlock was involved in his third goal at 4:34 when he dodged and sent the ball to Matt Sawyer who hit a shot form 12 yards out, making Loyola's lead 7-0 with 4:34 to play in the first quarter.
Towson went on a clearing attempt late in the first, but Zack Sirico caused a turnover on the ride. Pontrello picked up the ground ball and scored with 1:39 left in the stanza.
Albrecht caused a turnover, picked up a ground ball and got the outlet pass to Sirico who fed Pat Laconi for a goal with seven-tenths of a second left in the first. The assist was the first of Sirico's career.
Laconi scored again 1:38 into the second quarter when he caused a turnover and scored off a Ward assist, making Loyola's lead 10-0.
Towson scored its first with 11:41 left in the second quarter when Greg Cuccinello hit from 10 yards out into the midfield, but Loyola scored seven in row after that, stretching its lead to 17-1 with 11:50 left in the fourth quarter.
During that run, Kevin Ryan scored twice, Ryan Fournier tallied his first collegiate goal, Pontrello scored twice, Brian Schultz added one and Sherlock found the net for the second time.
Chris Vetter broke Towson's 30-plus minute scoreless stretch with a goal off a Ryan Drenner assist 10:44 before the final horn.
Albrecht scored his third, again in transition, and Matt Cunningham tallied his first career goal off Ryan O'Sullivan's first assist with 4:03 left. Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider scored for Towson within 21 seconds of each other, and Mike Perkins' first career goal ended the scoring for Loyola.
The Greyhounds finished with a 16 ground ball advantage, 36-20, with Albrecht's five leading the way. Laconi, Pontrello, Runkel and Joe Fletcher all had three for Loyola.
Towson committed 18 turnovers, 13 that were caused by the Greyhounds. Laconi and Sirico each caused three, and Fletcher dislodged two.
Burkhart finished 10-of-14 at the faceoff `X' for the Greyhounds, and Loyola outshot the Tigers 41-26.
