TOWSON, Md. – For the first time in over a decade, a Towson men's lacrosse player won the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year award, while three Tigers earned a First Team All-CAA slot.
 
Junior attackman Ryan Drenner was voted by the league's head coaches as CAA Co-Player of the Year, the first Towson player to earn the honor since Ben DeFelice was also selected as the CAA Co-Player of the Year in 2004.
 
It shows Ryan's maturity over the past couple of years here in the program," said head coach Shawn Nadelen. "Since he stepped on campus, he was a contributor right away. He played midfield his first year, and when we needed him to, he dropped back to attack. This year he really got his feet underneath him and understanding how we need him to lead and be a ball carrier, controlling the offense, and has done a good job of that. He's done a good job being a dangerous threat with the ball and a leader with the ball. … He's been one of our most consistent offensive players all year."
 
Drenner was not the only Tiger to earn a major award as fifth-year head coach Shawn Nadelen was voted CAA Coach of the Year. Nadelen is the first Towson coach to earn the award since Tony Seaman was voted so during the 2010 season.
 
Three Towson players earned a spot on the All-CAA First Team, including Drenner, junior shortstick defensive midfielder Jack Adams and longstick midfielder Tyler Mayes. Drenner earned his first CAA honor since being an All-Rookie selection in 2014 while Adams picks up his first conference plaudit. Mayes was named All-CAA second team a year ago.
 
"It's exciting for those guys, and it's exciting for our defense," continued Nadelen about the first teamers. "On both ends of the field, it's not a one-man show; everyone works together. To have Jack (Adams) and Tyler (Mayes) earn first team accolades is indicative of our defense. For Jack, a defensive midfielder, he's tough to get by and it's neat to see the other CAA coaches realize that. …Tyler has had a terrific CAA regular season and a good year all around. It's good to see those guys get recognition from opposing teams' coaches."
 
The 2016 All-CAA Men's Lacrosse Team marks a second-straight season the Tigers landed three first team selections after defenseman JoJo Ostrander, attackman Joe Seider and goalie Tyler White earned first team nods last year.
 
Additionally, Joe Seider, Mike Lynch, Mike Lowe and Tyler White earn spots on the All-CAA Second Team. Two freshmen, Zach Goodrich and Jon Mazza, were named to the All-Rookie team. Drenner picked up the All-CAA hat trick as he was named to the All-Academic team as well.
 
After capturing its first CAA Regular Season Championship since the 2010 campaign, the No. 11 Tigers (12-2) host the CAA Championship this week at Unitas Stadium. Top-seeded Towson takes on No. 4 Drexel on Thursday at 4 p.m., followed by No. 2 Fairfield against No. 3 Hofstra. The winner of the semifinal games will meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the 2016 CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, broadcasted on the American Sports Network. The CAA champion will earn the league's automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament, beginning on May 11 with the First Four.
 
The Towson Greene Turtle will have a tent set up on the Dunn Terrace, located on the south side of Unitas Stadium, with food and drink specials. The Turtle on the Terrace opens 15 minutes after the gates open and will remain open throughout the semifinal and championship games.
 
Below are capsules on each award winner and All-CAA selections.
 
Ryan Drenner (CAA Co-Player of the Year/ First Team All-CAA/All-Academic Team) – A junior attackman from Westminster, Maryland, Drenner paces the Tigers' much improved offense with 43 points (25g, 18a). Last weekend in the 8-7 win at Hofstra, Drenner reached the career century mark with his 100^th point. The psychology major has been an efficient and balanced attackman this season, scoring 25 times on 72 total shots, a 34.7 shot percentage. Drenner is ranked second in the league in assists per game (1.29) and third in points per game (3.07). Starting every game this year, Drenner carries a 3.232 grade point average.
 
Shawn Nadelen (CAA Coach of the Year) – In just his fifth season as the head coach of the program, Nadelen has won a dozen games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in the program's history since elevating to Division I in 1980. With a 4-1 CAA record this year, Nadelen guided the Tigers to their first CAA Regular Season Championship since 2010, bringing the Tournament back to Towson for the first time since that season. Under his guidance, Towson has qualified for the CAA Tournament in each season while holding a 49-31 career record.
 
Jack Adams (First Team All-CAA) – One of the top defensive midfielders not only in the CAA, but in the country, Adams has anchored a defensive unit currently ranked fourth in the country in fewest goals allowed per game (7.57). The 6-4, 220 pound specialist from Freeland, Maryland has snagged seven groundballs and forced 10 opponent turnovers, while taking just four penalties all season for three minutes. Adams has played in every game this season, running with the first defensive midfield unit. Adams was named to Inside Lacrosse's Midseason All-America second team in March.
 
Tyler Mayes (First Team All-CAA) – While not the biggest longstick midfielder in the conference Mayes makes up for size with athleticism. The pole has a team-best 18 caused turnovers, accounting for nearly 20 percent of Towson's total (97) in that category. The Bel Air, Maryland native has snapped up 24 groundballs, sitting among the leaders on team. Mayes has helped Towson clear at an 88.7 percent clip, which ranks 16^th in the country.
 
Joe Seider (Second Team All-CAA) – Seider earns a spot on an All-CAA Team for the third time in his career after being named All-Rookie (2014) and to the First Team (2015). The Sparks, Maryland native leads the Tigers with 28 goals. Like Drenner, Seider reached the 100-point mark for his career while logging his fifth hat trick of the year at Hofstra in the 8-7 victory. The junior has ripped off 106 shots while striking for six extra-man goals and one game-winner. Seider is fourth in the league in goals per game (2.00) and 10^th in points per game (2.29).
 
Mike Lynch (Second Team All-CAA) – Earning his first career All-CAA honor, Lynch is the Tigers tied for the most points by a midfielder on the team this season. Hailing from Forest Hill, Maryland, Lynch has drilled for 16 goals and eight assists for 24 points. He had a career-best outing against Fairfield, stinging the cage for five first-half goals. He earned CAA Player of the Week honors following that game.
 
Mike Lowe (Second Team All-CAA) – A two-year starter on one of the country's best defensive units, Lowe picks up his first career All-CAA accolade. The senior from Monrovia, Maryland has collected 33 groundballs, second most for the Tigers, while forcing 16 opponent turnovers. Lowe tied his career-high for points this season, notching one assist and scoring a transition goal in the Tigers' 11-8 win on the road at UMass.
 
Tyler White (Second Team All-CAA) – After another tremendous regular season, White picked up his second career All-CAA honor. The 2015 CAA Defensive Player of the Year has allowed just 97 goals this season, while ranking third in the country in goals against average (7.18), best in the CAA. The Elmira Heights, New York product has made 110 saves to date, going off for a 53.1 save percentage. He has 32 career wins, which ranks third all-time in the CAA since the league began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 2002.
 
Zach Goodrich (All-Rookie Team) – An immediate impact player in his first season, Goodrich has played in all 14 games. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Goodrich has been part of a one-two punch on the nation's fourth-best defense with Adams. The Stevensville, Maryland native has two goals this year, while snaring 32 groundballs. An all-around midfielder, Goodrich has won four of his eight faceoffs (.500) while serving just 90 seconds of penalties.
 
Jon Mazza (All-Rookie Team) – Coming on strong during CAA play, Mazza has 15 points on 10 goals and five assists. Of those 15 points, nine have come during league games as the Davidsonville, Marylander has notched five CAA goals along with four helpers. The rookie has taken 34 shots, putting 58.8 percent of those chances on frame. Mazza has four groundballs and one game-winning goal.
 
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