Winslow Townson/Getty Images - Eric Lusby celebrates with Phil Dobson, right, as Maryland’s Brian Cooper walks away during the first half of Loyola’s 9-3 national championship game victory.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The two best offensive players in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament entering the championship game on Memorial Day were Loyola (Md.) fifth-year senior Eric Lusby and Maryland fifth-year senior Drew Snider.
And it was Lusby who walked away with the record for most goals in a tournament and, more important, with an NCAA championship.
Lusby finished with four goals as the top-seeded Greyhounds defeated unseeded Maryland, 9-3, before 30,816 at Gillette Stadium on Monday.
The national title was the first in Division I in any sport for Loyola (18-1). The men’s soccer team won the Division II national title in 1976.
Lusby, a Severna Park High grad and 2007 All-Met, was a big reason for the milestone.
In the championship weekend, the Greyhounds scored 16 goals. Nine came from Lusby. He finished with a record 17 goals in the tournament.
“I just got hot at the right time,” Lusby said. “I knew going into the tournament my shot was a little off. . . . When I had the opportunity to shoot and score, I wanted to make sure I made it count.”
Snider, meantime, endured a frustrating day. He entered the title game having shot 10 for 16 (62 percent) in the tournament.
By the time Snider took his first shot on Monday, 57 minutes 41 seconds had elapsed and the Greyhounds had their 9-3 lead. Junior longstick midfielder Scott Ratliff drew the assignment to guard Snider.
Of Snider’s 17 possessions in the game, Ratliff was in for at least 15. Snider finished without a goal or an assist and took just two shots.
“They did a great job on the defensive end making us a little uncomfortable,” Snider said.
The matchup was emblematic of a long day for Maryland’s offense. The Terrapins (12-6) had shot 55 percent in a 16-10 victory over Duke in the semifinals on Saturday.
On Monday, they were 3 for 29 (10.3 percent). A goal by junior Kevin Cooper gave the Terrapins a 3-2 lead with 10:40 left in the first half.
It was their last goal. The scoreless streak lasted 40:40 and featured 18 possessions and 20 missed shots.
Loyola won crucial matchups, with sophomore defender Joe Fletcher holding junior Owen Blye without a point or a shot.
“We got away from what got us here,” Maryland Coach John Tillman said. “Part of that was us but part of that, you’ve got to give credit to Loyola. . . . Offensively, I think it shows we still have a ways to go. I didn’t expect us to score 16 goals on Saturday and I didn’t expect us to score three goals today.”
The three goals were the fewest for a team in the national title game. The previous low came in Duke’s 6-5 overtime win over Notre Dame in 2010.
On Monday, the title game was delicately balanced at halftime. Maryland had taken 10 shots in the first half and had turned the ball over eight times. Yet Maryland’s deficit was 5-3.
The Greyhounds opened the third quarter with a possession that lasted 2:20 and featured five shots. Lusby took three; junior Mike Sawyer, a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy for the top player in college lacrosse, took one; and junior midfielder Sean O’Sullivan also took one.
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