ANNAPOLIS, Md. – It has been three full seasons since the Towson University women's soccer team headed to the Maryland state capital for a game. That run ends on Friday as the Tigers get ready for a pair of matches at the Navy Invitational.
 
Towson (1-4-1) opens the Navy Invitational, hosted by the United States Naval Academy, on Friday with a 4 p.m. game against Bowling Green State University. The Tigers conclude play at the Invitational on Sunday with a noon tilt against Drake University.
 
The Coverage
Both Tiger games will have live stats coverage, as well as live tweeting from the program's official account, @Towson_WSOC. Unfortunately, only the games involving Navy will have live video.
 
The Series: Bowling Green
With nearly 500 miles between Towson University and Bowling Green State University, Friday's game will be the first-ever meeting between the programs. Towson will be facing an opponent from the state of Ohio for the first time since topping Xavier 2-0 on August 24, 2014 at the JMU Invitational.
 
The Series: Drake
Like Bowling Green, the Tigers have never squared off with Drake. There are over 1,000 miles between Towson, Maryland and Des Moines, Iowa. However, Sunday's game will not be Towson's first against a foe from the Hawkeye State. The Tigers topped the University of Northern Iowa 1-0 on Sept. 18, 2005 at the Delaware Tournament.
 
With a Win Friday…

• The Tigers would pick up their second-straight win after topping Temple University 1-0 last Sunday.
• Be Towson's fourth-straight victory in a neutral site game. Towson's last non-victory at a neutral site was a 1-1 draw with UMass on August 22, 2014 at the JMU Invitational.
• Towson would knock off an opponent from the state of Ohio for a second-straight time, dating back to a 2-0 victory against Xavier in 2014. 

With a Win Sunday…

• The Tigers would improve to 2-0-0 against the Hawkeye State, thanks to a 1-0 win over UNI in 2005.

 All-Time at the Navy Invitational
This weekend, the Tigers kick off their fifth appearance at the Navy Invitational since head coach Greg Paytner took over the program in 2007. The Tigers are 3-3-2 in that time. Towson is hunting its first sweep of the Invitational. In 2010 and 2013, the Tigers split results, going 1-0-1. The only season the Tigers walked out of Annapolis without a win was 2012.
 
Neutral Good
With the Navy Invitational taking place in Towson's own backyard, the Tigers will have more of a home field advantage on Friday and Sunday. But neutral field games have been kind to the Tigers over the years. Since Paynter began in 2007, the Tigers are 10-3-4 at neutral site games, a 70.6 winning percentage. The Tigers have not dropped a neutral site game since the 2012 campaign at the same event against George Washington.
 
Home is Good Too
The Tigers Soccer Complex has been good to Towson over the years. In home nonconference games since 2007, the Tigers hold a 14-9-4 record, a shade under .600 in winning percentage. Towson will have one more chance this season to add to that win total with a 2 p.m. game against George Washington on Sept. 18. A win in that game would bump the Tigers a winning percentage over 60 percent in home nonconference games.
 
The 25^th Anniversary Team
In the coming weeks, the Towson women's soccer team will release five names for the program's 25^th Anniversary Team. On Wednesday, the first five names were released. Stay tuned to TowsonTigers.com each Wednesday for the next four, culminating on Oct. 5.
 
Towson University Women's Soccer 25^th Anniversary Team (to date) – Alphabetical
Ashlee Douglas (1993-96)
Jaime Hartigan (1993-96)
Christi Landi (1994-97)
Shelley Seivert (1995-98)
Tracy Zettle (1992-95)
 
Climbing the Books
Several Tigers appear on the program's top 10 charts.
 
Senior forward Natalia Pinkney is currently tied for fourth in program history with six game-winning goals after her deciding strike at Temple. Another winning marker will move Pinkney into a three-way tie for second with Erica Marshall (2006-09) and Kaitlyn Zamroz (2005-09).
 
Pinkney also jumped into the career top 10 goals list with her pair in Philadelphia. She is tied for ninth all-time with 14 career tallies, drawing even with 25^th Anniversary Team member Tracy Zettle (1992-95).
 
Classmate Taylor Sebolao is currently ninth all-time at Towson with 147 career saves since 2013. She surpassed Megan Lumsden (1996-97), who had 141 during her career. She is also eighth all-time in goalie minutes played at 2,262. Last weekend, she passed Lumsden's 1,816 minutes. Next on the list is Michelle Robinson (1992-93) at 2,550 minutes.
 
The Silver Anniversary
The 2016 campaigns marks the 25^th anniversary for the Towson University women's soccer program. Playing its first game on September 9, 1992, the program begins its silver year on campus. A celebratory weekend is slated around a rare Saturday game for the Tigers on October 8 as Towson hosts Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival James Madison. In the coming weeks, Towson will announce its 25^th Anniversary Team, culminating around the October 8 weekend.
 
Preseason Nods
Senior speedster Natalia Pinkney was named to the Preseason All-CAA Team, announced by the league office prior to the season opener.
 
After a breakout season Pinkney was named as the team's Offensive Most Valuable Player. She finished with a team-best 15 points on seven goals, three of which were game-winners. The forward added an assist to her stats as well. Pinkney's overtime game-winning goal against Saint Francis University was shown on ESPN SportsCenter, garnering the No. 10 spot on the coveted list. Pinkney was named Third Team All-CAA at the end of the season.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –