Nov. 3, 2008

Baltimore, Md. - After a spectacular weekend in which he scored four goals in two Loyola home wins- including the first hat trick in five seasons from a Greyhounds' player- junior forward Jamie Darvill was named National Player of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer on Monday. College Soccer News also heaped praise on Darvill, naming him a selection to its National Team of the Week. The publication moved the unbeaten Greyhounds to No. 6 in its latest national rankings, up a spot from last week. The Greyhounds, one of two remaining unbeatens in the country, also held down the No. 6 spot in the latest Soccer America poll, up two spots from a week ago.

Darvill, a native of London, England, netted the rare hat trick in Sunday's 3-nil victory over Manhattan. The win gave the unbeaten Greyhounds (16-0-1 overall, 8-0 MAAC) their second consecutive MAAC regular-season title and seventh in the last nine years under Head Coach Mark Mettrick.

Darvill found the net twice in the first ten minutes of the contest. He converted a penalty kick at the 4:53 clip and quickly doubled the lead minutes later on a rebound effort that was assisted by Steven Bantock. He secured his third of the afternoon in the second half, beating the keeper on a 1-vs.-1 breakaway that was merited by a pretty through-ball from Mike Deasel for his team-leading 14th goal of the season. That mark also leads the MAAC.

It was the first hat-trick for a Greyhounds player since Omar Alfonso netted three goals in a 5-1 Loyola home victory over Rider back on Sept. 27, 2003.

In Loyola's 1-nil victory over Saint Peter's on Friday, Darvill accounted for the game's only goal. In the 64th minute of a scoreless contest, he alertly drove in his own rebound past the keeper and the Greyhounds' defense made the goal stand up , extending the team's unbeaten streak to a national-best 25 matches.

Loyola closes out its regular-season campaign next weekend in Lawrenceville, N.J., against Rider at 2 p.m.