Brother’s keeper: Goalie and middie on separate sides of Charles Street rivalry

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - The trash talking between Jake and Adam Hagelin started on Tuesday night at a family dinner.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Ralph Hagelin, the brothers’ father, said. “They were teasing each other all night. Adam’s saying ‘I’m going to score six goals on you,’ and Jake says ‘when you shoot and I catch it, I’m going to throw it back to you.’”

Adam, a fifth-year senior midfielder for Towson will face his brother, Jake, a freshman goalie for Loyola, on the lacrosse field for the first time today at 1 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. The pair, separated by five years, never were on opposing teams at any level, the closest thing to competition being when Jake, an eighth grader at Boys’ Latin, practiced with the varsity during his brother’s senior year.

But this afternoon, the pair will both play an integral role in the 50th meeting between rival schools separated by a stretch of Charles Street fewer than five miles long.

“It’s a little awkward,” Jake said. “It’s my first game against a local rival or Towson so it’s going to be very exciting. Everyone around campus is trying to figure out how to get there for the game.”

Adam entered the season expecting to play a prominent role in the 14th-ranked Tigers’ bid to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Last year, he started five of 16 games and scored nine goals and added eight assists. Jake, however, was expected to see limited action this year behind Loyola’s Alex Peaty, who started all 13 games last season. But Peaty has been battling a double-ear infection and bronchitis throughout preseason and has had very limited practice time.

With Peaty ailing, Jake was thrust into the starting lineup last Saturday against No. 10 Notre Dame. After yielding three goals in the first quarter, Jake made 11 saves to keep the Greyhounds in the game.

No. 17 Loyola lost to the Fighting Irish, 7-6, but Jake had no bigger fan in the stands that day than the same person who used to dress him up in goalie equipment so he had someone to man the goal in the backyard of their home in Havre de Grace.

"For being a freshman and his first game, I said I was very impressed with him," Adams said. I gave him congrats and said I was very proud of him. I definitely can see him in the future establishing himself as a top notch goalie."

Loyola coach Charley Toomey said after the loss to Notre Dame, no timetable has been set for Peaty’s return — and the job was Jake’s. That’s when the reality of brother-versus-brother began to materialize.

The ties between the two rivals nearly go as deep as blood: Towson has played Loyola every year in its program’s 50 year history, holding the edge, 27-22. The Tigers have won the past three meetings against the Greyhounds, including a 9-8 win at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field last year.

"Most the other teams in the country already had their first games and we are ready to play this cross-town rivalry," Adam said. "Pure and simple: it’s going to be a battle royal.”

The brothers will struggle with their emotions on the field, but it will be just as difficult for Ralph and his wife Sandy in the stands. Ralph said he he’ll wear a Towson T-shirt and Loyola cap. Sandy will don a half a Loyola shirt and half of a Towson shirt sewn together.

Which team do they want to win?

“I actually feel more nervous for Jake,” Ralph said. “Adam’s been around the game. Jake’s played in a lot of situations and been in big games before, but I don’t know if he’s been in one this big.”

dcarey@baltimoreexaminer.com