Standouts from Loyola’s Playday with Episcopal Academy and STAB

On Saturday, the Episcopal Academy (Pa.), Loyola Blakefield (Md.), and St. Anne's Belfield (Va.) met at Loyola for a scrimmage playday. The opener ended in a 6–6 tie between STAB and Loyola, before ES beat out STAB 8–7 in the second scrimmage. Loyola closed the day with a 10–4 win over Episcopal Academy to wrap up a competitive set of matchups. Here are six standouts from the day.    The Hopkins commit was hard to miss during Loyola's playday matchups against STAB and Episcopal Academy. Even though neither team really tested him by dodging on him, he still found plenty of ways to impact the game. He was excellent in the clearing and ground ball game, and even stole a possession or two by reading shots early and beating opposing attackmen to the endline. His athleticism jumps out right away. In transition, he ran past riding attackmen with ease and pushed the tempo to spark early offense. Defensively, he's elite within the team system — constantly communicating, taking charge as a slider, and showing the instincts to anticipate plays instead of reacting late. Burch is a player you have to keep an eye on this year when watching the Dons, even if teams choose not to challenge him like they did on Saturday.     [player_tooltip player_id='81706' first='Bennett' last='Cook'] was the offensive player of the game in my eyes in Loyola's final scrimmage of the day against Episcopal Academy. He consistently found seams in their defense, drifting backside and creating open looks for himself. Episcopal repeatedly lost track of him off-ball, and Cook made them pay with his soft hands and quick release. His ability to catch cleanly in traffic, load efficiently, and get the ball off with real pop separates him as a legitimate scoring threat from range.   When Loyola's offense is humming, Cook's presence stretches defenses—especially when paired with offensive threats who can skip the ball through traffic. His release speed and accuracy make that extra rotation almost impossible for goalies to track. A two-year starter already, Cook brings poise and consistency to Loyola's attack unit. Even as opponents game-plan to take away his time and room shooting, he will find ways to impact the game and score sheet as a disruptor, distraction, and scorer.     Gould was the best distributor on the field during Loyola's Playday, showing off his vision and passing touch in St. Anne's Belfield's 8-7 loss to Episcopal Academy. The two-time U.S. All-American and transfer from Hamilton Southeastern (Ind.) looked right at home in STAB's offense, finishing with one goal and three assists while commanding the game from behind the cage. A natural lefty, Gould operated primarily from the X spot, using quick feet and sharp reads to manipulate slides and open lanes for teammates.   He showed versatility as both a feeder and finisher — dodging with deception, finishing near the goal line with finesse, and slipping into open space as a mirror option up front. His hands and release make him a consistent threat even from distance, capable of stepping down with multiple release points, most notably how he pulls it high from his underhand release. Whether STAB keeps him quarterbacking from behind or shifts him up top to his natural lefty wing, Gould is positioned to be a difference-maker in their offense this spring.     Entering his senior year with confidence after committing to St. Bonaventure in September, [player_tooltip player_id='124328' first='Jacob' last='Klein'] continues to show why he's one of Loyola's most versatile offensive pieces. He can initiate from anywhere on the field. In Saturday's scrimmage, he found the net twice — once down each alley — showcasing comfort shooting on the run from either hand. Near the goal line is another place where Klein makes an impact. He's nimble enough to toe tap around the crease and confident enough in finishing with low angles.   What stands out about his dodging is his combination of different speeds. He's great at slowing down to get close to defenders to bait checks, then blasts off to create separation to get his hands free. Off-ball, he's equally as strong. He sees lanes early, times his cuts well, and makes himself an easy target in flow offense. Combine those traits with a smooth, confident release and consistent accuracy, and Klein is a player defenses will have to focus on this spring.     [player_tooltip player_id='175058' first='Brody' last='Garrison'] impressed during Episcopal Academy's scrimmage against STAB, finishing with a goal and two assists in a well-rounded performance. He showed his vision early, finding [player_tooltip player_id='23840' first='Colin' last='McGrath'] cutting inside in the third quarter, then later skipping a feed from X to [player_tooltip player_id='45374' first='Jackson' last='Orcutt'] for a step-down — a connection that's carried over seamlessly from their football chemistry. Garrison capped his day with a lefty rollback finish in transition late in the fourth, underscoring his versatility as a dual-handed scoring threat.   What makes Garrison so productive is his consistency in getting to high-value spots on the field. His football background translates directly into lacrosse — same field sense, same ability to read spacing and timing under pressure. As a natural righty who can confidently finish and feed with his left, he keeps defenses guessing. When slides come, he makes reads with ease— stepping away from pressure, scanning the field, and making the right read at full speed. Fairfield is getting an athlete with a high lacrosse IQ and a proven ability to make plays in big-game moments.     Jakuc was one of the top-performing face-off specialists at the Loyola Playday, going 9-for-14 across two scrimmages, including a dominant 7-for-8 showing against St. Anne's Belfield. At 6'0” with a sturdy yet athletic frame, Jakuc combines power with balance — tough to move off the ball and agile enough to escape pressure after the win. His strength is his strength: he consistently outmuscles opponents in tie-ups, maintaining body control and leverage through the clamp.   What really stands out, though, is his exits. Jakuc reads wing play exceptionally well, adjusting his exits based on what the wings give him and rarely forcing turnovers off the draw. He's one of the few uncommitted face-off specialists who have held their own against elite FOGOs throughout the fall circuit. For programs still seeking a reliable, physical presence at the X, Jakuc is a name worth circling.

On Saturday, the Episcopal Academy (Pa.), Loyola Blakefield (Md.), and St. Anne's Belfield (Va.) met at Loyola for a scrimmage playday. The opener ended in a 6–6 tie between STAB and Loyola, before ES beat out STAB 8–7 in the second scrimmage. Loyola closed the day with a 10–4 win over Episcopal Academy to wrap up a competitive set of matchups. Here are six standouts from the day.