Opening Face-Off
The Tigers return to Johnny Unitas ® Stadium for the first time in nearly a month after playing their last four games on the road. The road swing was successful for Towson, which went 3-1 with the lone loss coming in triple overtime at Navy. Today's game is the first time the Statesmen have been to Towson since April 5, 1980, a 14-12 Hobart win at Towson Stadium.
In The National Rankings
The Tigers remain in the poll, the fourth-straight week Towson has been ranked. In the USILA Coaches' Poll, Towson checks in at No. 17 while ranking 19th in the Inside Lacrosse Cascade/Maverik Media Poll. The four consecutive weeks mark Towson's longest run in the USILA Coaches Poll since the Tigers were ranked in all 12 Coaches' Polls during the 2007 season.
Updating the Tigers
The Tigers went 3-1 on a four-game road swing, splitting their games at Navy (L, 7-8 3OT) and topping local rival UMBC (W, 11-7). Towson has four players with double-digit points, paced by Joe Seider (15-2-17). Andrew Hodgson is second (13-3-16), followed closely by Spencer Parks (9-6-15). Ryan Drenner (6-6-12) is a newcomer to the double digit club after a three-point game at UMBC. Towson boasts one of the best defenses in the country, ranking eighth in scoring defense (7.50), backed by Tyler White. The senior keeper is ranked sixth nationally with a goals against average of 7.26. His 196 career saves ranked him 37th among active Division I players.
Scouting The Statemen
Hobart is coming off a 10-4 win against in-state foe Canisius on Wednesday. It was the first home game for the Statesmen this season. Alex Love (9-2-11) leads the scoring for Hobart while tied in points with Matt Opshal (8-3-11). Zach Reed (5-5-10) and Brendan Saylor (8-2-10) round out the double digit point getters. J. Andrew Spallanzani (27-74) and Jake Shapiro (18-43) have taken the bulk of the faceoffs for Hobart, collecting five and eight groundballs, respectively. Jackson Brown has played every minute in goal for the Statesmen, making 67 saves and carrying a goals against average of 10.60.
Towson-Hobart History
The Tigers and Statesmen have an old series, but its one that hasn't seen action since 1980. The two schools first met in 1968, an 8-6 Hobart win. The schools competed against one another nearly every year during the 70s, including twice in the NCAA Division II playoffs. They two schools last met in 1980, the first year Towson played at the Division I level. It would be another 15 years before the Statesmen were elevated to Division I.
Towson-Hobart By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Hobart Leads, 10-2
at Towson Hobart Leads, 5-1
at Hobart Hobart Leads, 3-0
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites Hobart Leads, 2-1
First Meeting 1968 - Hobart 8, Towson 6
Last Meeting April 5, 1980 - Hobart 14, Towson 12
Streak Towson -8
Last Time Out vs. Hobart
April 5, 1980 (Hobart 14, Towson 12)
It's been 35 years since the Tigers and Statemen clashed, dating back to the 1980 season, Towson's first year as a Division I program. Towson out-shot Hobart 40-27, with scoring paced by Greg LaCour (3-1). Terry McDonnell had a team-high five points on two goals and three helpers. Tim Hastings made 11 saves in goal for Towson. It was a penaltyfest, with Hobart serving nine penalties for six and half minutes while Towson was booked five times for four minutes. The Statesmen won the contest 14-12 at Towson Stadium, now know as Johnny Unitas ® Stadium, in a game broadcast by a startup sports station called ESPN.
Something Called ESPN
The last time Towson and Hobart got together was April 5, 1980, a 14-12 Statesmen win at Towson Stadium. The game was carried by a startup broadcasting station called Entertainment and Sports Production Network, known now as ESPN. The Bristol, Conn. based station was just 212 days old when it carried the game during Towson's first Division I season.
That name Looks Familiar...
It doesn't matter if it's 1979 or 2015. There's a Siskind playing for Towson against Hobart. Redshirt senior Max Siskind is a member of the Tigers' lacrosse team, just as his father, Jules, was in the late 70s. The elder Siskind played for Towson in the 1979 edition of the Hobart series, finishing with three points on two assists and one goal, taking four shots on the day in Geneva, N.Y.
State of Affairs - As of March 11
So far this season, the State of Maryland is a combined 22-19, with No. 17 Towson and No. 8 Maryland setting the pace at 4-2 and 4-1, respectively. Navy is in a close third at 4-3 while another two programs, No. 14 Loyola and No. 17 Johns Hopkins, have records at .500, both sitting at 3-3.
Quite the Outing
Alec Burckley went 15-of-21 at the faceoff X on Saturday at UMBC. He is the first Tiger to win 15 or more faceoffs on the road since Matt Thomas did it on April 23, 2011 at Drexel. The last Towson player to win 15 draws was Ian Mills against Delaware on March 24, 2012.
Hodgson Named Towson Athlete of the Week
Redshirt senior Andrew Hodgson was named the male Towson Athlete of the Week on Tuesday. The West Islip, N.Y. native tucked away four goals against UMBC after putting up one goal and one assist at Navy earlier in the week. Hodgson is working a 25-game point scoring streak heading into Saturday's tilt against Hobart.
Overtime
The Tigers fell in a triple overtime heartbreaker at Navy by an 8-7 count. It was the fifth overtime in the Shawn Nadelen era (2012) and first multiple overtime game since a double OT game against Johns Hopkins during the 2009 season. The three overtimes represent the longest Towson game since April 9, 2005 at Villanova, a 10-9 victory in quadruple overtime.
Double Overtime
The Navy game was the 24th overtime game for the Tigers in their Division I era (1980). Since that time, Towson is 11-12 in overtime games, including the heartbreaker at Navy and 5-4 in multiple overtime games.
Triple Overtime
Despite the result at Navy, Towson can take solace in one fact: When the Tigers play at least one multiple overtime game in a season (since 1980), Towson finishes strong. In four of the six seasons that have at least one multiple overtime game, the Tigers have reached the NCAA tournament (1989, 1991, 2002, 2005), including a runner-up finish in 1991 and a semifinal appearance in 2005. In 2006, Towson did not reach the post season, but finished the year ranked 14th in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
Local Rivals
The March 7 win at UMBC improved Towson to a 2-1 mark against the Baltimore-area schools. It was the first time since 2006 the Tigers had a winning record against any combination of Johns Hopkins, Loyola and UMBC. Towson topped then-No. 5 Johns Hopkins 7-5 in the season opener, but fell to Loyola 15-11. The win at UMBC Stadium put Towson over .500 against the Baltimore schools for the first time since 2006 when the Tigers beat Loyola (11-10) and No. 13 UMBC (8-7), but fell 11-10 against No. 6 Johns Hopkins.
Streaky
Redshirt senior Andrew Hodgson is currently on a 25-game point-scoring streak, dating back to May 2, 2012 in the CAA Semifinals against UMass. Hodgson has 58 points during that streak, tallying 41 goals and 17 assists. The West Islip, N.Y. native is also on a 12-game goal streak going back to April 13, 2013 against Penn State, tucking away 25 goals in that time. Hodgson's point streak is tied for 15th in the nation in terms of length (as of March 12)
On This Date in the Nadelen Era
Saturday's game will be the first time in the Shawn Nadelen era the Tigers will play on March 14.
Helperlessness
On Feb. 27, the Tigers held host Mount St. Mary's without an assist on any of the Mountaineers' four goals. It was the first time in the Tigers' Colonial Athletic Association era (2002) that Towson held an opponent without an assist.
Tewaarton Watch List
Redshirt senior Andrew Hodgson was on of 50 men's players named to the Tewaarton Award Watch List, announced Feb. 27. To date, Hodgson has 16 points in six games this season, putting away 13 goals with three assists. The West Islip, N.Y. native has at least one goal in every game this season and has at least two points in each contest. The
Parks Named CAA Player of the Week
Junior attacker Spencer Parks was named CAA Player of the Week on February 24. It's the second straight week a Tiger has earned the league honor as redshirt junior Tyler White took home the award last Tuesday. Parks shined for Towson last week, recording nine points on five goals and four assists. He posted a career-high seven points (3g, 4a) in a loss to then-No. 8 Loyola and followed that up with a pair of goals in a Tiger win at Georgetown on Sunday. Parks' seven points against the Greyhounds made him the first Towson player in two seasons to record such an effort.
Knocking off Johns Hopkins
Towson's win over JHU was its first over a Top 5 opponent since also knocking off then-No. 5 Johns Hopkins, 13-12, on the road on April 27, 1996. It was also the first win for the Tigers over the Blue Jays since that game and the first home win for Towson over its crosstown rivals since 1989.
White Named CAA Player of the Week
Redshirt junior Tyler White was named as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Week on February 16. White held the high-powered Johns Hopkins offense, which put up 16 goals in its season opener, to just five goals as the Tigers stunned the then fifth-ranked Blue Jays, 7-5. White recorded 12 saves and scooped a groundball in the win.
Ostrander Selected Preseason All-CAA; TU 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 third. 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.
Fennessy Selected in MLL Supplemental Draft
Towson Lacrosse alumnus John Fennessy '14 was picked 33rd by the Charlotte Hounds in the 2015 Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Supplemental Draft. The supplemental draft is designed to bolster teams' rosters from 23 to 35 players and preceded the MLL's collegiate draft, which occurred on Friday, Jan. 23. The defenseman joins former teammate Thomas DeNapoli '14 and Towson alumnus Casey Cittadino '06 on the Hounds' roster. Fennessy was a second team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) honoree, CAA All-Tournament team selection, and a team captain in 2014. He led the Tigers with 15 caused turnovers and was third on the team in ground balls. The 2015 MLL season begins on Sunday, April 12 when the Hounds host the Rattlers at 1 p.m.
Ostrander, Tigers Recognized by Inside Lacrosse
The Towson men's lacrosse team ranked 19th in the 2015 Inside Lacrosse (IL) Preseason DI Top 20 poll, as released in IL's 2015 Face-Off Yearbook. Senior JoJo Ostrander received IL preseason honorable mention All-America honors.
Cuccinello, Mabus, McCarty Named Captains
Seniors Greg Cuccinello and Justin Mabus and junior Ben McCarty have been named Towson Lacrosse team captains for the 2015 season. Cuccinello will serve as a team captain for the second straight year in 2015. He has been a key contributor to Towson's success over the last two seasons, leading the Tigers to a CAA title win over No. 9 Penn State with a hat trick. Last season, he finished second on the team with 20 goals and nine assists and earned a spot on the CAA all-tournament team. The New Jersey native has been a 20-plus-goal scorer for Towson the last two seasons. Mabus has been a starter all four years for the Tigers. He earned All-CAA rookie honors as a freshman and was a second team pick last season. A mainstay in the midfield, the New York native tallied a career-best 10 goals in 2014 with 17 assists – another career best – for 27 points. McCarty bounced back after a preseason injury in 2014 to score nine goals with three assists for 12 points in the Tiger midfield. He scored the game winner against Delaware and had 14 ground balls. McCarty can be a two-way middie for Nadelen and can also serve as a wing on face-offs.
Backyard Lax
Twelve of Towson's 14 games are against opponents in the DelPaMarVa area. Towson won't leave that area until game nine when the Tigers travel to Binghamton. The only other instance where Towson will travel outside that area is when the Tigers visit Fairfield on April 11.
