After wasting an opportunity to garner a first-round bye in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference playoffs because of a lopsided loss to No. 2 Gilman in a regular-season finale, Loyola came out with an air of confidence and an eye for the goal in a 5-1 romp over visiting Mount St. Joseph in a conference quarterfinal on Tuesday afternoon in Towson.
The victory advances the fourth-seeded Dons (12-3-3, 10-3 conference) to a semifinal match with McDonogh on Thursday afternoon in Owings Mills.
Loyola split two encounters with the top-seeded Eagles this season. The winner of that match will reach the title game at Archbishop Spalding on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Dons jumped ahead against St. Joe on Jamie Dubyoski's header for a 1-0 halftime advantage and doubled the lead on the senior star's penalty kick in the 60th minute.
The match then turned into a blowout after the Gaels (8-10, 5-8) surged forward while looking to get their offense in gear as Loyola vigorously counterattacked.
"That's what happens in a game like this, with a lot on the line," Loyola coach Lee Tschantret said. "They push up at the end, and we caught them a couple of times. But the score wasn't indicative of how the game went."
Goals by juniors Anthony Illiano and Tyler Welsch and one by freshman Ryan Conrad in a six-minute span made the outcome a foregone conclusion, although senior Joey Isaja ruined the shutout when he powered a shot inside the far post in the 79th minute for the Gaels' lone goal.
Dubyoski's first goal came off a corner kick from junior Jeremy DeGraffenreidt, skimming the ball adroitly off his head just under the crossbar.
"There's a lot of chemistry between us," Dubyoski said about Degraffenreidt, who also assisted Illiano's and Conrad's scores. " We've played together for years now. Jeremy knows where to find me."
Dubyoski said that added that the Dons are "confident, not overconfident" about the upcoming battle with McDonogh.
His coach said the participants in the showdown will have few surprises.
"We know what they have and they know what we have," Tschantret said. "It's whoever can get a break."