Opening Face-Off
Towson returns home to Johnny Unitas ® Stadium for the first time since March 28 as the Tigers host long-time rival Hofstra. The two winningest teams in CAA history meet for the 46th time. Towson comes in on a four-game winning streak and a 3-0 mark in the league while the Pride sit at 4-8 overall and 1-2 in league play, looking to halt a three-game slide.
In The National Rankings
The Tigers jumped up several spots in this week's national polls, claiming the No. 12 spot in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Cascade/Maverik Media Poll, a move of four and three spots, respectively. It is the highest ranking for the Tigers in either poll since the 2010 season when Towson enjoyed the No. 11 spot late in the season. The Tigers are the only CAA team ranked in this weeks polls, while six 2015 opponents earned votes in the USILA Coaches' Poll and seven foes were named in the Media Poll.
Updating the Tigers
The Tiger defense once again flexed its muscle against Fairfield, holding the league's second-best scoring team to just seven goals in a Towson win. The Tiger defense ranks third in the country in goals allowed (6.92). Backstopping No. 12 Towson, Tyler White is second in goals against average (6.74), fourth in save percentage (.605) and tied for 26th in saves per game (10.08). Offensively, the Tigers are paced by Joe Seider (26-5-31) while Spencer Parks (15-12-27) nears the 30 point mark as well. Ryan Drenner (13-11-24) and Max Siskind (11-0-11) have surged lately to help Towson on offense, combining for 12 points on 11 goals and one assist in conference games.
Scouting The Pride
A bulk of the Pride offense runs through two players: Sam Llinares (28-24-52) and Mike Malave (28-4-32), both pacing the CAA in goals per game (2.33). Llinares leads the conference in points per game as well (4.33) while Malave is deadly on the extra-man, scoring 10 man-up goals. Korey Hendrickson (11-8-19) is third in points while Dylan Alderman (7-11-18) and Brier Davis (13-2-15) round out the double-figure point getters. The Pride have used three keepers this year, with Jack Concannon getting the starting Hofstra's last game against Cornell. Concannon has nine saves against 15 goals allowed. Chris Selva has seen a majority of the time, logging 640 minutes, making 88 saves and has a goals against average of 8.43.
Towson-Hofstra History
The Towson-Hofstra series is a long and storied affair, one that began back in 1961. The Pride lead 25-20 all-time in one of the most frequently played series in Towson history. The Tigers and Pride have met as league foes in three different leagues, the East Coast Conference, the America East and now the CAA. Towson has faced Hofstra at least once every year since 1996
Towson-Hofstra By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Hofstra Leads, 25-20
at Towson Towson Leads, 13-7
at Hofstra Hofstra Leads, 14-5
at Neutral Sites Hofstra Leads, 1-0
at Unknown Sites Hofstra Leads, 3-2
First Meeting 1961 - Hofstra 14, Towson 2
Last Meeting 3/29/14 - Hofstra 9, Towson 7
Streak Towson -1
Last Time Out vs. Hofstra
Freshman Joe Seider put away four goals but the Pride snapped Towson's six-game winning streak with a 9-7 victory in Hempstead. In an otherwise even game, the Pride out-scored Towson 3-1 in the third quarter while the squads went goal-for-goal in the other three periods. Three Hofstra players logged two goals each while Towson's Max Siskind, Greg Cuccinello and the since-graduated Thomas DeNapoli posted one goal each. Tyler White made seven saves for the Tigers. Seider scored the only extra-man goal of the game with Towson's defense holding the Pride scoreless on three extra-man opportunities.
Careers Against Hofstra
Justin Mabus is the active points leader for Towson against Hofstra, logging three goals and three assists, including a helper last season. The injured Andrew Hodgson has five points on two goals and three dishes, including four points in 2013 meeting. A rookie last year, Joe Seider put away four goals while Greg Cuccinello has two points on one goal and one assist last year. Ryan Drenner has one assist as injured Brian Bolewicki has one goal. Tyler White is the only keeper to log time against Hofstra, playing all 60 minutes last season and making seven saves.
Senior Day Honorees
Prior to Saturday's game, the Towson lacrosse program will honor five senior players, redshirts Andrew Hodgson and Max Siskind, and true seniors Greg Cuccinello, Justin Mabus and JoJo Ostrander. Senior athletic training student Cally Mackrell will also be honored.
The Playoff Situation
Announced last month, the CAA Tournament will be hosted at the league's top seed. The semifinals will be played on April 30 while the title contest will be on May 2 and televised on American Sports Network. The Tigers have an opportunity to host the tournament, depending on this weekend's games. A Towson win and a Drexel loss against UMass (4 p.m.) assures the Tigers the number one spot and hosting the league event.
Seven Spur Success
Saturday's 8-7 win at Fairfield was a total team effort, with the defense holding its 10th-straight opponent to single digits. Offensively, the Tigers spread the rock as seven different players scored. Redshirt senior Max Siskind was the only player in the game to score multiple goals. The seven different scorers are the most for Towson in a game this season.
It's Been Awhile
The Tiger defense this season has been tremendous, allowing just one double-digit game to opponents, a 15-11 loss to then-No. 8 Loyola in February. Since then, Towson has run off 10 straight contests holding foes to single digits. The last time Towson allowed just one double-digit goal in the first 12 games was 1968, a year the Division II Tigers did not allow double-digits in their 14 games. (h/t Spiro Morekas)
Red Hot Starts
The Tigers like to jump out early on opponents. So far this season, Towson has scored first in eight of the 11 games. Not only that, but the Tigers have out-scored opponents 40-18 in the first 15 minutes, including three first-quarter shutouts. Those quick starts have paid dividends for Towson this season; the Tigers are 7-1 when scoring the first goal of the game. The lone loss under that criteria was a 7-6 defeat against No. 17 Ohio State. No other team in the CAA scores as many goals in the first quarter as the Tigers, with Fairfield coming in second with 32.
On This Date in the Nadelen Era
This weekend's game will be the first time Towson plays on April 18 in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012). The last time Towson played on this date was during the 2009 season, resulting in a 10-8 win at Delaware. All-time in the Division I era (1980) Towson is split on April 18 with a 4-4 overall record.
Seider Named CAA Player of the Week (April 6)
Sophomore attackman Joe Seider paced Towson to a 1-0 week as the Tigers (8-3, 2-0 CAA) topped league rival Delaware 12-7 Saturday night. Seider tied a career-high in points, goals and assists with a four-goal, one-assist evening at Delaware Stadium. Seider was efficient, scoring on 40 percent of his shots while also collecting two groundballs. Seider was credited with the game-winning goals, his second of the season, while also increasing his scoring streak to 13 games.
Hat Trick of Hat Tricks
In the 12-7 win at Delaware on April 4, three Tigers posted hat tricks, led by four goals from Joe Seider, and three apiece from Max Siskind and Justin Mabus. They trio of hat trickers became the first Towson players to score hat tricks in the same game since March 21, 2012 in a 17-8 Tiger win over visiting Mercer. Towson got hat tricks from Matt Lamon (4), Sean Maguire (3) and Matt Hughes (3).
White Named USILA Division I Defensive Player of the Week (April 1)
Redshirt junior Tyler White was named the USILA Division I Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday, following a 14-save effort against UMass in the Tigers' 6-3 win over the visiting Minutemen. White allowed just three goals, the fewest in a conference game for Towson in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012). White is the first Tiger to win the award and first Towson lacrosse player to earn national weekly plaudits since Ben McCarty was tabbed Inside Lacrosse Cascade Rookie of the Week in 2013.
Ostrander Named Inside Lacrosse Mid-Season All-America Second Team
Senior close defenseman JoJo Ostrander was named to Inside Lacrosse's Midseason All-America Second Team, which released Thursday morning. Ostrander anchors a defense the is ranked third in country, allowing just 6.90 goals per game, including eight straight games allowing single-digit goals. Ostrander has started every game this season, recording 22 groundballs and forcing eight turnovers. He was one of two CAA players named to the Midseason All-American list.
Four Former Tigers on MLL Rosters
Four Towson Tigers have been named to rosters for Major League Lacrosse, with two on the 25-man roster for the Charlotte Hounds while another pair have been tabbed on the practice roster for the New York Lizards. Casey Cittadino '06 and Thomas DeNapoli '14 were selected to the Hounds' 25-man roster while Will Harrington '10 and Andrew Wascavage '13 earned spots on the Lizards' practice roster. The 2015 MLL season kicked off last weekend. Charlotte hosts the Rochester Rattlers while the Lizards welcome the Ohio Machine. Weekly updates on the Tigers' professional players will be available throughout the season on TowsonTigers.com.
#BallSecurity
The Tigers understand how important ball security is. Through games played on April 15, Towson is ranked first among the 69 Division I programs in turnovers per game, committing just 11.08 per game. The Tigers rank first in the CAA in turnovers per game.
Brick in the Wall
Redshirt junior Tyler White and his defense have been venerable this season, holding opponents to single digit goals in 10 of the 11 games. The Tigers have the best goals against average in the CAA (6.79). Towson's defense is picky about which shots get through, with White seeing 335 total shots (30.5 per game), only 181 of which have been on cage.
New York State of Mind
The Tigers played their only game of the 2015 regular season in New York last weekend, taking a 9-8 victory at Binghamton. CAA foe Hofstra visits Towson on April 18 for the Tigers' only other game against a New York school for the remainder of the season. The Tigers are now 2-0 against New York this season, including a 9-6 win over Hobart on March 14. In the Shawn Nadelen era, the Tigers are 6-2 all-time against New York schools.
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.
Parks Named CAA Player of the Week
Junior attacker Spencer Parks was named CAA Player of the Week on February 24. It marked the second straight week a Tiger earned the league honor as redshirt junior Tyler White took home the award the week before. Parks recorded 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. 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.
Towson Vs. Ranked Opponents
When Towson defeated then-No. 5 Johns Hopkins on February 10, the Tigers recorded the 66th win over a nationally ranked opponent in program history. Overall, Towson is 66-159 against nationally ranked opponents. The Tigers have a 24-110 record against top 10 teams and an 8-70 mark against top 5 teams. Towson is 32-81 at home, 30-73 on the road and 4-5 on neutral fields against ranked teams. In 2013, the Tigers defeated three ranked foes.
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.
