The ILN Contender Series highlights the top teams we believe have a serious chance to win the state title in 2025. Each installment will break down a team’s strengths, weaknesses, key players, and what it will take for them to be the last team standing at the end of the year.

The state’s winningest program has not made an appearance on championship weekend in two years. Do the 2025 Ramblers have the firepower to return to the top?

2024 Record: 15-5

2024 Key Wins:

• 4/13 Lake Forest – 9-6
• 4/27 – New Trier – 6-5 (OT)
• 5/4 – York – 12-6
• 5/24 New Trier – 8-7

Key Departures

• Will Steele- Attack (Colby)
• Finn Miller – Defense (2024 All-American)
• Matty Vallace – Midfield (2024 All-State)

Key Returners

• Tommy Ghislandi – Midfielder (Class of 2025 – Army (football))
• Drew Schwitzenberg – Midfielder (Class of 2025 – Airforce)
• Aiden Hughes – Goalie (Class of 2025 – 2024 All-State)

Season Outlook:

Loyola Academy boasts more state championships than any other team in Illinois with 14. That being said, they enter the 2025 season in the midst of their longest championship weekend drought in program history. They have two of the state’s top midfielders as well as an All-State goalie. However, the supporting cast is the biggest question for Loyola this year in their quest to return to the top. That being said, Coach Rob Snyder will have his team ready to compete, and the Ramblers will be a threat to return to the top this season.

Scouting Report

Loyola’s trademark over the past 20 years has been slowing down the tempo of the game and dominating the middle of the field. They do a tremendous job riding and clearing and using both to their advantage in creating offense. When they are not pushing the pace on their clear or getting easy opportunities off of the ride, their offense plays a slow, disciplined brand of lacrosse that features a heavy dose of set plays that continue to work year over year. While the offense is very patient, they are able to turn up the pace and aggression, when the situation calls for it. While the offense has struggled to put up explosive numbers since graduating a historically talented senior class in 2022, they have the necessary personnel to play their winning brand of lacrosse. If Loyola is going to reach the heights they are accustomed to, star midfielders Tommy Ghislandi and Drew Schwitzenberg will need to star in the middle of the field and make plays on both sides of the field. They will also need a talented crop of 2027s to continue taking steps forward at the varsity level. On defense, they return All-State goalie Aiden Hughes, who will continue to be the backbone of what will be a young defense for Loyola this season. Hughes is entering his third year as a starter, and his experience as the captain of the defense and anchor of their 10-man ride will be a strong advantage for the Ramblers. While they will be young, Coach Rob Snyder is the state’s most experienced coach and will have Loyola ready to play.

Why They Won’t Win:

Depth and inexperience will be the two primary question marks for Loyola entering this season. There is little question that Loyola has the talent to be elite, but over the course of a long season, injuries happen and games are missed. When Loyola needs to go next man up, will they be ready? Word out of Loyola Hill is that we may find out sooner rather than later, as one of their key returners is rumored to be in doubt for the start of the season with an injury.

Why They Will Win:

Programs with as many wins and as strong a culture as Loyola should never be counted out. With two stars in the midfield in Ghislandi and Schwitzenerg, as well as an experienced goalie in Aiden Hughes, Loyola has the talent to play their brand of lacrosse which has proven to be more than enough to get the job done. Anybody who knows Illinois lacrosse knows, never count out the Ramblers when talking about state title contenders.