Loyola Blakefield lacrosse coach Gene Ubriaco doesn’t want his departure at season’s end to be a distraction. The Dons’ players are motivated to send him out on a high note.

Tuesday, No. 4 Loyola defeated third-ranked St. Mary’s, 11-8, in a MIAA A Conference contest at Hargaden Field in Towson. Junior attack Mason Hill had 3 goals and an assist for the Dons (5-2 overall), and Matt Burnham finished with 2 goals and 3 assists.

Loyola established a 3-goal opening half advantage and stay resolute against the previously undefeated Saints to improve to 2-0 in what’s considered the nation’s toughest boys high school lacrosse league. The Dons are tied for first with reigning league champ and top-ranked McDonogh, No. 7 St. Paul’s (both 2-0) and 10th-ranked Gilman (1-0).

The Dons, who opened MIAA A play with a victory over No. 12 Mount St. Joseph on the opening day last Friday, last started 2-0 in 2019 in Ubriaco’s first season at Blakefield.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

“We played really well in all phases and obviously facing off is a huge part of the game and we competed really well,” said Ubriaco, who announced before the season his fifth would be the last.

The Dons, ranked 20th nationally in the latest US Lacrosse rankings, gained arguably their biggest victory of the young season as senior Nico Madden led a solid faceoff effort. Mason Cook scored twice and senior Shane Elliott finished with a goal and an assist.

Matt Burham (left), Thomas Lala and Shane Elliott helped Loyola remain undefeated in MIAA A Conference play Tuesday. The Dons next visit No. 7 St. Paul's this coming Tuesday in a battle for first. (Derek Toney)

“We definitely want to send Coach U out on a good note,” said Elliott, who will play for Fairfield University next spring. “He’s been a great coach for me and the whole team. We would love to give him a championship before he goes.”

With 9.9 seconds left in the opening quarter, Brendan Bateman threw a field-long pass to Burham, who went across his body and fired a 20-yard shot into the goal with 0.6 seconds remaining for a 3-2 Loyola advantage. Burham (Towson) assisted scores by Cook and Hill extending the Dons’ lead to 5-2.

Hill got his second score off another Burham helper a couple of seconds after time expired on an extra-man opportunity, putting Loyola up, 7-5, with 4:56 left in the third. The Dons capitalized off a man-up chance after an unnecessary roughness flag on St. Mary’s with Jack Gunning finishing a pass from Hill for a 9-6 lead entering the fourth.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

“We’re a good group and support each other well,” said Burham, who accounted for 5 points in the opening half. “We came together and I just happened to be there, but hats off to the team.”

The Saints (7-1, 1-1 MIAA A), ranked No. 5 nationally by US Lacrosse, pulled to 9-7 early in the fourth quarter on Gavin Burlace’s extra-man tally, but Cook answered to regain the Dons’ 3-goal cushion. Bobby Keane’s solo effort got St. Mary’s to 10-8 with 9:07 remaining in regulation.

The Saints weren’t able to pull closer as Jake Doran finished a pass from Burham with 7:42 left. The Dons’ defense, led by goalie Bennett Wright (14 saves; committed to Mount St. Mary’s) along with a 2-minute man-up penalty for a hit to head, sealed St. Mary’s fate.

“We could never get it to one,” said St. Mary’s coach Victor Lilly, who got two goals and an assist from senior Will Goers. “Their extra-man offense was very successful against our defense where our extra-man offense wasn’t.”

Ubriaco, a former Boys’ Latin lacrosse and hockey standout who was a longtime Laker lax assistant before coming to Loyola, said he wants to watch his youngest child, Izzy, a senior at Archbishop Spalding, play lacrosse in college.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

“I told the kids I don’t like a lot of fanfare,” said Ubriaco, who’s coaching his first senior class (17). “Are they playing hard, yes, but they always play hard. Everybody got their own motivation…I’m sincerely pleased with the group and they’re very connected.”

NO. 4 LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD 11, NO. 3 ST. MARY’S 8

St. Mary’s 2 2 2 2 - 8

Loyola 3 3 3 2 - 11

Goals: St. Mary’s - Goers 2, Adams, Boomer, Burlace, Golini, Keane, Kucinski; Loyola - Hill 3, Burham 2, Cook 2, Elliott,

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Assists: St. Mary’s - Goers, Chick; Loyola - Burnham 3, Bateman, Elliott, Hill

Saves: St. Mary’s - Kennedy 7; Loyola - Wright 14