After four years of confrontations on the basketball court, Loyola's men's soccer team will now have the chance to earn local bragging rights as the first-ever Battle of Baltimore soccer tournament begins this week.
The concept of a tournament similar to the one basketball fans have become familiar with has been discussed for eight years now, and will become a reality this week at UMBC Soccer Stadium.
UMBC, Towson and Navy will seek to dethrone the Greyhounds, who won this tournament's forerunner, the Mason-Dixon Cup, last year at Towson University.
"It's essential to play each other," Loyola head coach Mark Mettrick said at a press conference last week. "We're excited about the future of this and, hopefully, it's going to grow."
The field of the tournament is the same as last year's first-annual Mason-Dixon Cup with the exception of UMBC, who in replacing Mt. St. Mary's gave the event a more local flavor. It was the launch of the Cup last year that brought Towson and Loyola's soccer teams together for the first time in 10 years. For that reason, organizers hope this new format has staying power and that these local teams can spark a rivalry.
Be the first to comment on this article!