1. One key to a Georgetown win: The Hoyas (7-3) have one of the more talented attack units in the nation and a wealth of rising freshmen. But the offense is fueled by the play of senior midfielders Scott Kocis and Andrew Brancaccio, two rather beefy (Kocis is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, while Brancaccio is 6-5, 210) players who can initiate from the top of the offensive zone. This season, Georgetown’s fate has hinged on the play of Brancaccio, who has scored just two goals on 25 shots and added one assist in the team’s three losses. On the other hand, he has registered 15 goals on 47 shots in the Hoyas’ seven wins. How the Greyhounds mark Brancaccio could be a significant factor in the game.

2. One key to a Loyola win: The Greyhounds (7-2) have relied on their thoroughbreds, getting 10 or more goals from three players and 10 or more points from six players. They will need to get continued production from attackmen Collin Finnerty (18 goals and 7 assists), Matt Langan (9, 13) and Cooper MacDonnell (16, 3) and contributions from a host of midfielders led by junior Eric Lusby (15, 3). Loyola will take shots against Georgetown’s two-goalie rotation of senior Jack Davis and sophomore C.T. Fisher. Davis, who is dealing with a herniated disc in his back, is expected to start, but Fisher could step in at a moment’s notice. "We’ll prepare as if it will be Jack Davis [starting], but there’s also a good chance we’ll see C.T. Fisher," Greyhounds coach Charley Toomey said. "They’re both very talented goalies and if you let them get going, they can be very hot. The one good thing is, I don’t think there’s any chance one of them will come out and be a left-hander. So we’ll prepare for two right-handed goalies out there, but we know that they’re both very capable and talented goalies."

3. One key match-up: Hoyas junior face-off specialist Brian Tabb was recently named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week for winning 51.4 percent of face-offs and collecting 12 groundballs in back-to-back victories over No. 14 Notre Dame and Mount St. Mary’s. For the season, Tabb ranks 17th in Division I with a .567 success rate. Loyola isn't exactly a slouch in that department either as senior John Schiavone is tied for 11th in the nation with a 5.81 face-off percentage. Who wins more face-offs could give his respective offense an advantage in time of possession and potentially the final score.