Opening Face-Off
The Tigers open their 2015 campaign on Tuesday evening as local rival Johns Hopkins visits Johnny Unitas® Stadium. Towson is coming off back-to-back winning seasons under fourth-year Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. The Blue Jays reached the NCAA Quarterfinal round last year and opened their 2015 season with a 16-4 win against UMBC on Saturday.

Season Openers
Towson has won two of its last three season openers. However, the last time the Tigers opened the year against Johns Hopkins, the Blue Jays pulled out a 10-6 home victory in 2011.

Updating the Tigers
Towson is coming of an 8-7 season in 2014 and a third consecutive trip to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament. The Tigers finished in the top three in the CAA in turnovers committed per game and penalty killing percentage, and they were fifth in in the NCAA in turnovers committed per game and seventh in man-down defense.

Scouting the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins, which was selected as the favorite to win the inaugural Big Ten championship, is ranked fifth in the preseason USILA Coaches poll. Senior attackman Wells Stanwick and junior attackman Ryan Brown lead the way for the Blue Jays. The duo combined for 63 goals and 58 assists last season and fueled an offense that averaged just over 12 goals per game. Stanwick is JHU's career active leader in assists (84) and points (140), while Brown tallied 40 goals last season and scored seven in the 2015 season opener.

Last Time Out vs. Hopkins
February 15, 2014 (JHU 15, Towson 8)
Greg Cuccinello posted his third career hat trick (4g), but Johns Hopkins used a decisive third quarter to earn a 15-8 win over Towson at Homewood Field. After an even first half in which Hopkins took a 6-5 lead into the break, the Blue Jays outshot Towson 21-2 and outscored the Tigers 7-1 in the third quarter en route to the victory. Tiger goalie Tyler White recorded 18 saves in the loss.

Tigers Receiving Votes in Both Preseason Polls
Towson Lacrosse received votes in both the preseason USILA coaches and Cascade/Maverik media polls. It marks the second straight year that the Tigers open the season receiving votes in both polls. Towson was ranked once and received votes in the USILA poll on five separate occasions last year, while the Tigers were ranked once and received votes in the media poll on four separate occasions last year. Towson finished the 2013 season ranked 17th as they won their fourth CAA title and made their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Ostrander Selected Preseason All-CAA; Towson Picked to Finish Fourth
Towson senior JoJo Ostrander earned preseason All-CAA honors for the second straight year while the Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the 2014 preseason poll. Hofstra was voted atop the poll with 29 points while Drexel, the defending CAA champions, received 25 points and was predicted to finish second. Fairfield, which begins its first season as a member of the CAA for men's lacrosse, earned 21 points to edge the Tigers by just one point for the third spot. UMass (15) and Delaware (10) rounded out the predicted order of finish. Ostrander was one of six Tigers to earn All-CAA accolades last season and the only one on the league's first team. A four-year starter on close defense, Ostrander posted 22 ground balls and nine caused turnovers in 2014.

Gold Rush
Towson encourages all fans attending season openers, for all sports, to wear gold to the game. Fans wearing gold to the Towson-Hopkins men's lacrosse season opener will get tickets at group rate prices. Call 1-855-TU-Tiger for more information.

Towson-Hopkins Connection
On Tuesday, there will be a reunion between a Tiger and a Blue Jay. Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen and JHU head coach Dave Pietramala face each other for the fourth time as head coaches. Pietramala was the Blue Jays' coach in 2001 when Nadelen was a senior co-captain and earned second team USILA All-America honors.

The Return of Andrew Hodgson
The Tigers welcome the return of midfielder Andrew Hodgson in 2015. He missed all of last season with an injury after earning Second Team All-CAA honors in 2013. He started all 18 games as a junior, ranking second on the team in goals (27) and third in assists (14).

Towson Vs. Ranked Opponents
When Towson defeated then-No. 11 UMass last season, the Tigers recorded their 30th program win over a ranked team on the road. The three wins Towson posted over ranked teams in 2013 was the most the Tigers had recorded since 2010. Overall, Towson is 65-157 against nationally ranked opponents. The Tigers have a 23-109 record against top 10 teams and a 7-70 mark against top 5 teams. Towson is 31-79 at home, 30-73 on the road and 4-5 on neutral fields against ranked teams.

Transfers Look to Make Immediate Impact
Junior transfers Spencer Parks (UNC) and Joey Pfister (Jacksonville) could make in immediate impact on this year's Towson squad. Parks had 16 goals and eight assists in two years with the Tar Heels. He can move between attack and midfield, and Nadelen says his skills and abilities will give the Tigers a little bit of a different look in 2015. Pfister should push for time right away. He is impressive at the top and is a high motor guy. While at Jacksonville, he earned a place on the 2014 Atlantic Sun all-tournament team and the 2013 MAAC All-Rookie team, causing 11 turnovers as a freshman.

Seider, Drenner Look to Avoid Sophomore Slump
At attack for the Tigers, both Joe Seider and Ryan Drenner earned CAA All-Rookie honors in 2014. Seider was the team leader in goals (23) and was third in points (28). Seider totaled four hat tricks in 2014. Drenner will move to attack full-time in 2015. Last season he started in the midfield before injuries forced a change. Drenner put in good shifts all season, finishing with 12 goals and 10 assists. His five man-up goals led the team, and he scored at least one point in 13 games.

The Emergence of Max Siskind
Redshirt senior Max Siskind returns for his fifth season looking to carry over the momentum he generated in 2014. The Pennsylvania native scored one goal in 2013 – his first career goal – before tallying 12 goals and an assist as a starter in all 15 games last year. He had two game winners and four EMO goals.


-TowsonTigers.com-