Opening Kick-Off
The Tigers play their final non-conference games of the regular season this weekend when they travel to the Villanova Classic. On Friday afternoon, the Tigers will take on Charlotte before playing against Monmouth in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon.  

Updating the Tigers
The Tigers upped their record to 3-2-2 last weekend with a win and a tie at the Navy Invitational. After battling Manhattan to a 0-0 double overtime draw on Friday afternoon, the Tigers earned their second win in the last four games with a 1-0 victory over Charleston Southern on Sunday afternoon to earn the Navy Invitational team championship.  

Scouting the 49ers
After splitting a pair of games against in-state rivals last weekend, the 49ers enter the Villanova Classic with a 4-2-0 record and have split their last four games. Charlotte dropped a 2-1 decision against UNC Greensboro on Friday afternoon before posting a 2-1 double overtime victory over UNC Wilmington on Sunday afternoon. The 49ers, who received votes in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Division I poll earlier this season, are ranked third in this week's Mid-Atlantic Region poll. The 49ers have been held to just eight goals this season, but eight different players have tallied a goal for the 49ers, who have only allowed six goals in six games. Freshman goalkeeper Alex Kubrick has posted a 0.99 goals against average while junior goalkeeper Natalie LaVigne has posted a 0.93 goals against average in two games, including a five-save performance in Sunday's win over UNC Wilmington.

Scouting the Hawks
Ranked 10th in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Northeast Region poll this week, the Hawks enter their Friday game against Villanova with a 4-1-0 record after dropping a 2-1 decision at Brown on Saturday. The loss snapped the Hawks' season-opening four-game win streak. The four-game win streak marked the team's best start since 1995. The Hawks, who are ranked 16th nationally with a .900 save percentage and 28th in the nation in shutout percentage (.600), have held their opponents to just three goals and have posted three shutouts. Freshman forward Dana Costello has been off to a good start for the Hawks, scoring four goals with an assist. Meanwhile, senior forward Mary Wilks has tallied three goals with two assists. Senior goalkeeper Lia Fierro has played in all 450 minutes for the Hawks and has recorded a 0.60 goals against average. She also has 32 career shutouts.  
 
Charlotte-Towson Series History
The Tigers and the 49ers will be meeting for the first time ever in women's soccer on Friday afternoon.

Monmouth-Towson Series History
The Tigers and the Hawks will be meeting for the third time in a series which is tied at 1-1. However, the two teams will be playing against each other for the first time since the 1998 season when Towson earned a 2-1 victory over the Hawks. In 1992, the Hawks posted a 2-1 victory over the Tigers at Monmouth. 
 
Tigers Earn Navy Invitational Title; Gomes Named MVP
After earning a win against Charleston Southern and a scoreless tie against Manhattan, the Tigers were named as the Navy Invitational champions on Sunday with a 1-0-1 record. The host Midshipmen and Charleston Southern each had a 1-1 record while Manhattan finished fourth with a 0-1-1 record. In addition, senior defender Melissa Gomes was named as the Navy Invitational MVP after scoring the only goal in Towson's 1-0 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon. It was just the second goal of her college career and the first since September 4, 2008 when she scored the game-winning goal in the Tigers' 1-0 overtime victory over Rider. Gomes was joined by junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak and sophomore midfielder Cheyenne Skidmore on the Navy Invitational All-Tournament Team.   

Nothing but Goose Eggs for Papciak
With three shutouts in the last four games, junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Papciak is enjoying her best start to a season as a Tiger. She has led the Tiger defense to four shutouts this year and has allowed just five goals in the team's first seven games. Entering this weekend's play, she leads the Colonial Athletic Association with four shutouts and ranks second in the CAA with a 0.67 goals against average and an .828 save percentage. With 24 saves in seven games, she ranks third in the CAA. Papciak made five saves in the Tigers' 0-0 double overtime draw against Manhattan on Friday before a two-save performance against Charleston Southern on Sunday afternoon as the Tigers allowed just six Buccaneer shots. 

Too Close for Comfort
All seven of the Tigers' games this season have been decided by a goal or less. After battling Loyola University Maryland to a 3-2 setback in the season opener on August 21, the Tigers earned a scoreless draw against Saint Louis. The Tigers earned their first win of the season on August 29 in a 2-1 comeback victory over Duquesne before edging Penn by a 1-0 margin. Following a 1-0 loss at Mount St. Mary's last Tuesday, the Tigers earned a 0-0 draw against Manhattan and a 1-0 victory over Charleston Southern last week at the Navy Invitational. The Tigers have also scored the game's first goal in three of their seven games.

Looking Ahead
The Tigers will finally play their first home games of the season next weekend when they open their Colonial Athletic Association schedule. On Friday afternoon, the Tigers will host William & Mary in the conference opener for both teams. Then, the Tigers will welcome Old Dominion to the Towson Center Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon.