Opening Faceoff
Towson reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time since 2003 after knocking off defending champion and the Tournament's number two seed Denver. The Tigers square off in Columbus, Ohio with a familiar foe in Loyola, which Towson bested 10-8 on March 2 on the road. It is the second time the teams will meet in the postseason and first since 1996.

In The National Rankings
Towson moved back into the Top 10 in two of the polls this week, sitting 10th in both the Nike Lacrosse/USILA Coaches' Poll and the Cascade/Maverik Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Tigers are ranked 11th in this week's Nike Lacrosse/Lacrosse Magazine Top 20, falling back one spot.

Updating the Quarterfinal Tigers
Towson's often unheralded offense is on the cusp of its 200th goal for the season, paced by Ryan Drenner (31g, 21a) and his 52 points. Two other Tigers, Spencer Parks (27g, 19a) and Joe Seider (35g, 5a) hit the 40-point milestone last weekend. Ben McCarty (20g, 8a) and Mike Lynch  (20g, 8a) are nearing 30 points while rookie Jon Mazza (15g, 7a) is the sixth Tiger with 20-plus points this year. Holding its 15th opponent to single digits at Denver, Towson's defense moved into first nationally, allowing just 7.11 goals per game. Goalie Tyler White has the best goals against average in the country at 6.71, edging Navy's keeper John Connors (7.00). The Tiger defense ranks 10th in the country in total caused turnovers (124), averaging nearly seven per game. Longstick midfielder Tyler Mayes has 23 of those, ranking 19th in individual total this season. Towson has given up just 40 opponent EMOs this year, ranking fourth among the eight left in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Scouting Seventh-Ranked Loyola
The Greyhounds' offense runs through one player: Pat Spencer. The rookie attackman (33g, 46a) has logged 79 points, 40 more than Zach Herreweyers (33g, 6a). Brian Sherlock (22g, 13a) is third in points while Zach Sirico (16g, 13a) is poised to join the 30-point club. Loyola is a balanced club, with 60 percent of its 174 goals coming with an assist (103). Jacob Stover took over in the goal midway through the season and has won nine of his 10 outings. He has made 105 saves at a 60.7 percent clip and holds a 7.05 goals against average. Like the Tigers, Loyola couples a 10+ goals per game average (10.88) with a defense allowing 8.06 goals per outing. Faceoffs have been a tossup for Loyola this year, winning 50.4 percent (181-358). The Greyhounds won 25.8 percent (8-23) of their draws in the first round, ranking 18th in the 18-team field of this year's Tournament.

Towson-Loyola History
Just six miles separate the home fields of Sunday's combatants, leading to the 59th game in the series. Towson and the Greyhounds first squared off in 1959 and have played nearly every year since. Loyola leads the series 30-28, but Towson closed the gap with its 10-8 win at Ridley Athletic Complex on March 2. Sunday's game is just the second postseason meeting between the teams and the first since the 1996 NCAA Tournament, a 16-11 Tiger win.

Towson-Loyola By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record  Loyola 30-28
at Towson    Loyola 11-9
at Loyola    Loyola 12-11
at Neutral Sites    Towson 1-0
at Unknown Sites    Tied 7-7
First Meeting 1959, Loyola 8-6
Last Meeting Mar. 2, 2016
#11 Towson 10, #5 Loyola 8 
Streak Towson +1

Last Time Out vs. Loyola
With Johnny Unitas Stadium and Ridley Athletic Complex separated by just six miles, the Tigers and Greyhounds met in the regular season on March 2. Then ranked 11th, Towson upended fifth-ranked Loyola 10-8 on the Greyhounds' home field. Joe Seider had five points on four goals and an assist as Ben McCarty struck twice. Ryan Drenner was a quintessential feeder, finishing with three helpers. Goalie Tyler White stopped a season-high 16 saves in the team's first win over Loyola since 2007. Three Loyola players, Pat Spencer, Romar Dennis and Jordan Germerhausen scored two goals apiece. Grant Limone made seven saves for the hosts. Towson won the faceoff battle as Alec Burckley went 12-for-21 against a pair of Greyhound foes. Graham Savio won five of his 13 chances while Mike Orefice had four wins on eight draws. Towson was afforded three man-up chances but did not score, while Loyola went two-for-two on the EMO. 

With a Win Sunday
- Towson would advance to Championship Weekend for the first time since 2001. The Tigers would draw the winner of Sunday's first quarterfinal match between No. 3 Notre Dame and North Carolina.
- The Tigers would collect its first neutral site victory in the NCAA Tournament since besting No. 12 Duke 12-10 at UMBC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001.
- Towson would earn its 29th overall victory over Loyola, the fourth-most wins for the Tigers over a single opponent.
- Combined with Towson's 10-8 win on March 2, the Tigers would pick up back-to-back wins over Loyola for the first time since 2006 (11-10) and 2007 (9-8).
- Towson would improve to 2-0 all-time against Loyola in the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championships, joining the Tigers' 16-11 win over the Greyhounds in 1996 in Annapolis.
- Head coach Shawn Nadelen would improve to 10-4 in elimination games, including 5-0 in 2016.
- Towson would reach the NCAA Championship Weekend for the first time under Nadelen, who took over the program prior to the 2012 season.

On the Razor's Edge
During his five-year tenure as the head coach at Towson University, Shawn Nadelen has guided the Tigers in 22 one-goal games. The head coach and his team are clutch in tight situations, winning 17 of those one-goal games. Of the five losses, three came in overtime, including a triple overtime thriller at Navy last season. Towson is a perfect 3-0 in one-goal games in 2016, including last Sunday's 10-9 win at Denver.

19th Nervous Breakdown
Sunday will mark the 19th game of the season for the No. 10 Towson Tigers. It will set the new program mark for most games in a single season, topping the previous mark of 18 games, done four times as a Division I program (2016, 2015, 2013, 2001) and once as a Division II team (1972).

Go Midwest, Young Tigers
After a trip to Denver, Colorado, the Towson Tigers head to the midwest for a showdown with a Baltimore rival, Loyola. It is the Tigers second trip west in the postseason as Towson heads 406 miles (according to the NCAA Travel Charts) to Columbus, Ohio.

Racking Up the Frequent Flyer Miles
After playing 11 of its 14 regular season games in the Greater Baltimore area, the Tigers are racking up the frequent flyer miles this postseason. During the regular season, Towson logged roughly 1,900 miles on the road and in the air. By the time Towson returns to Johnny Unitas Stadium from the NCAA Quarterfinals, the Tigers will have put up 4,200 miles round trip, including a 1,400 mile round trip to Denver, Colorado.

Spiro's Favorite Note
Towson Sports Network play-by-play man Spiro Morekas, along with SID Emeritus Pete Schler are fond of the program's note on 10-9 games. With the Tigers's 10-9 win at Denver, Towson has been part of 27 games that finished 10-9. The Tigers lost the first 15 10-9 games in its history before beating Delaware by that count in April 11, 2007. Since that game, Towson is 9-3 in 10-9 games, including a pair over the Pioneers.

Lots of Ink in the Win Column
The Tigers have racked up 16 wins this season, a four-victory improvement on last season's 12-6 year. Not only are the 16 victories a program record, surpassing two 14-win seasons (2001, 1974), but the total currently ranks in a tie for 10th place in the NCAA's record book for Single Season Wins. With a win on Sunday, Towson would move up to a seven-way tie for third at 17.

A Familiar Foe in a Familiar Place
There will be lots of familiarity in Sunday's Quarterfinal matchup between the Tigers and Greyhounds. The ranked 11th, Towson topped Sunday's opponent, Loyola, 10-8 on March 2. Not only will Sunday's game be a familiar foe, but it will be at a familiar venue as well. The Tigers topped Ohio State 10-9 (see note above) on March 15 in an overtime thriller, thanks to Ian Kirby's low-angle snipe.

Beating The Defending Champs
Towson channelled its inner Robert Baratheon last weekend and usurped the defending champion Denver Pioneers with a 10-9 win at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. It marked the first time since joining the Division I ranks in 1980 the Tigers defeated the reigning national champions at any point during the season. Towson was 0-14 in previous meetings with the defending title holders.

The Friendly Confines
On Wednesday, Towson logged its 11th win from the Friendly Confines of Johnny Unitas Stadium, extending the program's single-season record for home wins. The previous highwater mark was eight. The Tigers have the most home wins in Division I this season, with Saint Joseph's ranking second with eight at Sweeney Field. With its 11 home wins this season, Towson has more wins at home than 75 percent of the Division I teams had total wins.

Coming Up on 200 - Updated May 16
The Tigers have put away 199 goals this season, averaging 11.06 per outing, nearly three goals per game more than the 2015 campaign. The Tigers' 199 goals this season are the most since Towson joined the CAA for the 2002 season. Towson has not scored 200 or more goals in a season since 2001 when Towson played 18 games and notched 236 markers en route to the 2001 NCAA Division I Championship Weekend.

A Defensive Slugfest for the Title
On May 5, the Tigers bested second-seeded Fairfield 4-2 in the 2016 CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game. It was the lowest-scoring CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game since the league began a Tournament in 2001. There was no tournament in 2002. Previously, the fewest goals scored in a CAA Championship game was No. 4 Delaware's 2011 9-7 win over No. 3 UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts. After a poll of the nation's Division I men's lacrosse sports information directors, it is believed to be the lowest-scoring conference championship game ever played.

All-Tournament Selections
After winning the program's sixth CAA Championship, Towson had three players named to the league's All-Tournament Team. Defenseman Nick Gorman and goalie Tyler White anchored a defense that surrendered just eight goals in the CAA Championships, holding No. 2 Fairfield to just two and the fourth-seeded Drexel Dragons to six. Spencer Parks was selected after scoring the final two goals of the Championship game, securing Towson's 13th Division NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship appearance. 

Senior close defenseman Mike Lowe was selected as the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, finishing with three caused turnovers, while holding Co-Player and Rookie of the Year Colin Burke without a goal in the title tilt. Lowe is just the second-ever close defenseman to be named as the CAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, joining former Tiger Adam Baxter, who was the 2003 MOP in the Tigers' first CAA Championship. Lowe is the sixth defensive player to win MOP honors, with the other four being goalies. Towson goalie Andrew Wascavage was the 2013 Most Outstanding Player, the last defensive Tiger to win the honor. 

Defense Wins Championships - Updated May 16
Towson claimed its sixth CAA Championship with the 4-2 win over Fairfield. Towson has won twice as many CAA titles as the remainder of the conference. Delaware is second with three. Entering Sunday's quarterfinal game, the 2016 Tigers are ranked first in the country in scoring defense (7.11) while the 2015 CAA Champion Tigers allowed just 7.72 goals per game, sixth-fewest in the country. After the program won the first CAA title under head coach Shawn Nadelen, Towson was ranked 16th in the country in scoring defense (8.88) in the May 5, 2013 statistical rankings. In the two seasons Towson has not won the title under Nadelen (2012, 2014), the Tigers ranked 37th (9.93) and 29th (9.73), respectively.

Gimme Who Ya Got
As top-seeded Towson claimed its sixth CAA Championship, it did so in unique fashion. Not only was it the lowest-scoring CAA Championship game, a 4-2 Towson victory over No. 2 Fairfield, but it was the first time the No. 1 seed won the Tournament since Massachusetts did it in 2012. Only five No. 1 seeds have won the CAA crown in the league's 15 Tournaments: Towson (2003, 2004, 2016), Hofstra (2006), UMass (2012).

50 Nifty Wins of Nadelen's Career
Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen won the 50th game of his career with the Tigers' 10-6 CAA Semifinal victory over Drexel. He becomes the third head coach in program history with at least 50 wins and is chasing his former boss, Tony Seaman, who won 99 games at the helm of the Black & Gold. Nadelen's first career win came in his first career game, a 12-10 victory on the road at Jacksonville on Feb. 11, 2012. His 25th victory was a 6-5 affair at UMass on April 5, 2014. He has doubled his career wins total in the last two seasons. 

Repeating as Conference Champions
The Tigers claimed their second-straight CAA crown with their defensive stand over Fairfield in a 4-2 victory at Johnny Unitas Stadium on May 5. Towson became the first CAA team to repeat as league champions since Delaware won the Tournament in 2010 and 2011. Only three CAA programs have ever repeated as champions: Loyola (2001, 2002), Delaware (2010, 2011) and the Tigers on two occasions, winning three straight from 2003-2005 and most recently in 2015 and 2016.

As the 2016 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship field was set, only three of the 10 conferences with an automatic qualifying bid repeated as league champions: Towson (CAA), Syracuse (ACC) and Yale (Ivy League). The other seven AQs were claimed by a different team in 2016 than in 2015.

Even more unique than winning it as the top seed was in who Towson played. The Stags of Fairfield made their first-ever CAA Championship game in their second season in the league. The Tigers have won all six of their league titles against different opponents: 2003 vs. Hofstra, 2004 vs. Villanova, 2005 vs. Delaware, 2013 vs. Penn State, 2015 vs. UMass and 2016 vs. Fairfield.

Golden PAWS Awards
Held annually, the Towson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) handed out its annual awards. The men's lacrosse team was well represented at the May 9 event held at SECU Arena. Below is a list of the awards Towson men's lacrosse won.
Jack Adams - Male Athlete of the Year
Brian Bolewicki - Male Comeback Player of the Year
Alec Burckley - Best Male Athlete in a Supporting Role
Dan Carder - Male Strength & Conditioning Award
Ian Kirby - Male Best Moment (Overtime game-winning goal at Ohio State)
Tyler White - Male Senior Career Achievements
Team - Bobbie Madison Award (highest increase in GPA from Fall 2014-Fall 2015)

CAA Dominance - Updated May 9
No team has left its mark on the Colonial Athletic Association like the Tigers have. Since joining the league for the 2002 campaign, Towson has picked up 55 conference victories, more than any other program in the league. Hofstra is second with 54. The Tigers have won six CAA Tournaments. Delaware is second with three titles. No program has appeared in more CAA Championship games than Towson, which made its ninth title game showing since 2002.

All-Conference Nods 
The Tigers did well in the 2016 CAA Men's Lacrosse postseason awards. Towson saw junior Ryan Drenner earn Co-Player of the Year honors, while head coach Shawn Nadelen was the league's Coach of the Year. Drenner became the first Tiger to win a share of Player of the Year since Ben DeFelice was also a Co-Player of the Year in 2004. Nadelen is the first Tiger head man to earn Coach of the Year honors since Tony Seaman won the award in 2010.

Joining Drenner on the First Team All-CAA list were juniors Jack Adams (SSDM) and Tyler Mayes (LSM). Four Towson standouts, Joe Seider (A), Mike Lynch (M), Mike Lowe (D) and Tyler White (GK) earned Second Team All-CAA plaudits. Freshmen Zach Goodrich (M) and Jon Mazza (M) were tabbed All-Rookie. Drenner was also the Tigers' selection for the All-Academic Team.

The Century Mark
Towson's starting attack line boasts three 100-point scorers. Junior Ryan Drenner notched his 100th point at 13:46 of the third quarter with a goal at Hofstra, while linemate Joe Seider utilized a hat trick to move to 101 career points, hitting the century mark at 11:56 of the third period. Junior Spencer Parks joined the 100-point club with his six point performance against Denver, notching 100 with his goal at 9:27 of the fourth quarter. 

Bouncing Back
During Shawn Nadelen's tenure at Towson, the Tigers have allowed double-digit goals in just 27 of his 79 career games coached, including Towson's 18-11 win in the regular season contest over Fairfield. Towson is 14-12 since 2012 following a game when it allows opponents double-digit markers. After allowing double digits, the defense has buckled down in the ensuing game; Towson has allowed opponents double digits just 10 times after allowing 10 or more in the previous game. Since taking over the program in 2012, Nadelen holds a 17-14 mark following a loss. Towson beat Fairfield 18-11 at home following a 10-7 setback against Delaware the week before.

Got That 36th Win - Updated May 16
Redshirt senior goalie Tyler White logged his 30th career win on April 9 in an 11-8 victory over CAA rival UMass. He now has the most for a Tiger keeper in the CAA Era.

White holds the top spot in the CAA in all-time wins since the conference first sponsored men's lacrosse in 2002. His 36 wins stand alone for the most in the CAA, passing UMass's Tim McCormack's and Drexel's Bruce Bickford, who each had 33. 

30+ Career Wins for Current CAA Teams
Tyler White (Towson) - 36 (2013-Present)
Mark Manos (Drexel) - 33 (2009-12)
Tim McCormack (UMass) - 33 (2010-12)
Bruce Bickford (Drexel) - 31 (2006-08)

White Named Senior CLASS Award Finalist
Redshirt senior goalie Tyler White was one of 10 NCAA Division I student-athletes to be named as a Senior CLASS Award Finalist, announced March 30. White is the only CAA student-athlete to make the finalist list.

The Fan Vote counts for one-third of the final total, with the remaining two-thirds decided by NCAA Division I coaches and national media members.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. CLASS is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®. 

Bring Your Green Hat - Updated May 16
Junior attackman Joe Seider has been on an offensive terror lately, scoring at least one goal in his last 23 appearances. The streak began on April 25, 2015 in the regular season match up at Drexel. Since then, Seider has racked up 43 goals, averaging two per contest during the run. That scoring streak is the third-longest in the country. During that span, Seider has added seven assists and is one of 23 active players with a point streak of 20+ games. 

Tigers Among the Division I Active Leaders - Updated May 16
Redshirt senior goalie Tyler White is among one of the top active goalies in the country. As of the May 15, 2016 statistical rankings, White was tied for 9th among Division I goalies in career saves, turning aside 469 opponent attempts. 

Junior faceoff specialist Alec Burckley is currently tied at 26th on the active career groundball list, raking in 172. Wingman Pat Conroy tied for 47th on the active list with 133. Burckley is also 22nd in active faceoffs won (328) and 19th in faceoff attempts (636). 

Seider in the Towson Career Top 10 - Updated May 16
Junior attackman Joe Seider has ripped off 352 career shots in his time with the program. Seider is now alone in second-place all-time with shot attempts, passing the 327 attempts by Kevin Sturm (1995-97, 1999). Glenn Smith sits atop the leader board with 458 shots from 1988-91. The Hereford, Maryland native has 92 career goals and is tied for eighth-place with Brad Reppert (1998, 2000-02). 

Burckley in the Towson Career Top 10 - Updated May 16
With his sixth faceoff win against Johns Hopkins University on March 12, junior faceoff man Alec Burckley moved into the program's top-10 career list for faceoff wins. Burckley has 328 career wins, and is sole possession of seventh-place all-time. With his 10th faceoff win against Hobart on May 11, Burckley passed Tim Lucky (1992-95), who won 323 draws from 1990-93. Burckley is now the eighth player in program history to win 300 or more draws. Towson Hall of Famer Justin Berry holds the career record at 507 from 1998-2001 and is the only player in program history to win more than 500 faceoffs.

Tyler White's Career Numbers - Updated May 16
It's no secret that Towson's starting goalie, Tewaaraton Watch Lister Tyler White, is one of the best backstops in the country. White has the best goals against average (6.71) in the nation, a mark that would better his own single-season record of 7.57 from the 2015 campaign. Over the course of his career, White has built a 36-15 overall record. White's win over UMass was the 30th of his career, passing Reed Sothoron, who won 29 from 2002-2005. White's winning percentage is better at 70.6, edging Sothoron's 64.4 percent (29-16). With goalie minutes available from 1997 to the present, White is among seven goalies with 1,000+ minutes in the rack, logging 2,989. Sothoron played in the second-most in that span at 2,976, while John Horrigan logged 2,660 from 1998-2001.

In it for the Long Haul - Updated May 2
The Tigers' game at Ohio State was the farthest the Tigers will travel in the 2016 regular season. Towson flew out that Monday for Columbus and returned to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Wednesday. Johnny Unitas Stadium, home of the Tigers, sits roughly 415 miles from Ohio Stadium, the site of the March 15 contest. The trip was roughly 830 round-trip miles. On April 9, Towson traveled 356 miles to Amherst, Massachusetts to take on the Minutemen at Garber Field. The Tigers rounded out the regular season on April 30 at Shuart Stadium, home of the Hofstra Pride, a trip of 215 miles. Those two April games were the only CAA road trips for Towson this season.

Seider Added to Tewaaraton Watch List - Updated May 16
Junior attackman Joe Seider was added to the coveted Tewaaraton Trophy, Presented by Under Armour, Watch List, announced by the Tewaaraton Foundation. Seider is the only CAA player to be added to the list this round and joins teammate and redshirt senior goalie Tyler White on the Watch List.

Seider is third on the team in points (40) and leads the Tigers with 35 goals. He is riding a 23-game scoring streak dating back to the 2015 regular season. The Sparks, Maryland native has started in all 18 games for the No. 10/No. 10 Tigers and has taken a team-best 135 shots. He has two game-winning goals to his credit while scoring seven extra-man goals.

Defense + Offense = Success - Updated May 16
With a defense as heralded as Towson's, it's not a surprise to followers of the team that the Tigers have lots of success when the offense and defense pair well. Since head coach Shawn Nadelen took over in 2012, the Tigers are 33-5 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 48-8 in that same time, including Sunday's 10-9 win over No. 2 Denver in the NCAA First Round Game. On 30 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 30-0 record.