Opening Faceoff
Saturday opens a two-game road swing for the Tigers as they continue CAA action at Delaware. Next weekend, Towson makes its longest road trip of the conference schedule with a trek to Fairfield, Connecticut. The next two weeks will feature the final two road tilts for the Tigers in the regular season.

In The National Rankings
It was steady seas for the Tigers in the polls this week. Towson slipped one spot in the USILA Coaches' Poll to the No. 16 slot, while holding firmly at No. 16 in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Tigers also stayed steady in the US Lacrosse Magazine Division I Top 20, locking down the No. 13 spot. Delaware received votes in Week 8, but did not receive any votes this week in any of the three polls.

The Two-Game Road Trip Tigers
After defending homefield against UMass, the Tigers hit the road for the next two weeks. Towson is 4-0 away from home so far in 2017. After putting up four assists last weekend, senior attackman Ryan Drenner (20-14-34) continues to pace Towson's offense. Classmate Joe Seider (14-7-21) has a more balanced line this year as he has a career-high tying seven helpers. Sophomore Jon Mazza (11-2-13) is back on the score sheet and on a two-game point streak. Senior Mike Lynch (8-3-11) is Towson's top midfield threat, tied for points with senior Brian Bolewicki (7-4-11). The Tiger offense has had a shooting gallery in league play, out-shooting foes 88-52. Towson's defense continues to be firm after holding UMass to single digits, the sixth opponent this season to be held under 10 goals. After a pair of subpar outings at the X, Alex Woodall bounced back in league play, winning 60 percent of his league draws (24-40). 

Scouting The Blue Hens
Always dangerous, Delaware is looking to fight for a berth in the CAA Tournament. The Blue Hens are 7-5 overall and 0-2 in the CAA, falling 11-9 against No. 4 Hofstra in Newark last weekend. The Blue Hens can score in bunches with six players in double-digit goals. Andrew Romagnoli (32-13-45) leads the offense, followed by Charlie Kitchen (23-13-36) and Will Hirschmann (14-14-28). The Hens are a two-headed monster at the X with Jake Hervada (73-153) and Crosby Matthews (58-102) setting the pace. Matt Deluca has played in the bulk of minutes in goal, making 103 saves at a 54.2 percent rate. He carries a 9.56 goals against average. Delaware is not afraid to pull the trigger on offense, taking 455 shots, including 237 in the first half alone. Expect a large crowd at Delaware Stadium on Saturday as head coach Bob Shillinglaw coaches his final home game in Newark.

Towson-Delaware History
There is little love lost between the longtime rivals, who meet for a 58th time since 1961. The Tigers lead the all-time series 39-18, including wins in four of the last five meetings. The Hens nipped Towson at Unitas Stadium last season, 10-7. The Tigers and Hens have met at least once a season since 1976 and have played as league foes in three conferences: the East Coast Conference (1983-91), the America East Conference (1996-2001) and the CAA (2002-Present)

Towson-Delaware By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record     Towson 39-18
    at Towson     Towson 19-6
    at Delaware    Towson 13-7
    at Neutral Sites     n/a
    at Unknown Sites    Towson 7-5
First Meeting     1961 (Delaware 6-3)
Last Meeting     April 16, 2016
         Delaware 10, No. 7 Towson 7
Streak    Delaware +1

Last Time Out vs. Delaware
Towson got off to a slow start last season against the Blue Hens as the No. 7 Tigers stumbled against Delaware 10-7. The unranked Blue Hens took a 5-2 lead into the second quarter. Ryan Drenner finished with a team-best three points on two goals and one assist while Spencer Parks had a one goal, one helper afternoon during Military Appreciation Day. Jon Mazza was the only other Tiger with multiple points as he also tallied one goal and one assist.

With a Win Saturday
- The Tigers would begin CAA play with a 3-0 mark for the first time since 2015. Towson has gone 3-0 to start the CAA on eight previous occasions.
- Towson would collect its 40th win all-time over the Blue Hens, the second team in program history the Tigers would have at least 40 wins over (Drexel - 42).
- Towson would get its third-straight win over the Hens in Newark, while winning five of the last six overall matches.
- The Tigers would have a winning season in the CAA for a third-straight year and the fourth time in head coach Shawn Nadelen's tenure.
- Towson would get its 31st win all-time against Delaware head coach Bob Shillinglaw, who retires after this season. The Tigers are currently 30-12 since 1979 against Delaware.
- Towson would extend its own CAA conference games win record to 58, one ahead of Hofstra which plays at 7 p.m. on Saturday as well.

Careers Versus Delaware
Senior attackman Joe Seider is the active points and goal leader against the Blue Hens with seven on six goals and one assist. Classmate Ryan Drenner is second with six points behind four goals and two helpers.

Third Time's a Charm in the CAA
The Tigers joined the CAA prior to the 2002 season. Since then, the Tigers have been the winningest program in league history. Towson has had plenty of success in its third conference game of the season since joining the CAA, holding a 10-5 mark in the third league game of the year. Of those 15 games, Towson has met Delaware three times in the third CAA game of the year, holding a 2-1 mark against the Blue Hens.

Spreading the Wealth
The Tigers improved to 6-3 on the year with their 11-8 win over UMass last weekend. While Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider lead the offense, Towson has generated game-winning goals from five different sources. Only one player, Brian Bolewicki, has multiple game-winning goals.
Below is a list of the five different game-winning goal scorers and the game in which they scored the decisive marker.
• Brian Bolewicki - at Mount St. Mary's - Feb. 18
• Cole Robertson - at Georgetown - Feb. 25
• Joe Seider - at UMBC - March 4
• Ryan Drenner - vs. No. 6 Johns Hopkins - March 11
• Tyler Young - at Drexel - April 1
• Brian Bolewicki - vs. UMass - April 8

Nothing But Success
The first class to go through the full recruiting process under head coach Shawn Nadelen, the class of 2017 has been integral to the Tigers' return to prominence on the national scene. The 10 true seniors and one redshirt senior have been part of 42 wins since stepping on campus (though Bolewicki has been here for 52). The class has two CAA Championships to its credit so far, along with two berths in the NCAA Tournament. Below is a list of the top five winningest classes since Towson elevated to Division I in 1980.
2016 - 46 - (3 Conference Titles)
2017 - 42 - (2 Conference Titles)
2004 - 41 - (3 Conference Titles)
1992 - 41 - (2 Conference Titles)
1991 - 40 - (2 Conference Titles)

SECURITY!
After leading the country in fewest turnovers per game last year, the Tigers got off to an uncharacteristic start this season. In the March 1 statistical rankings, the Tigers were ranked 63rd, averaging 17.33 turnovers per game. Since then, Towson has made ball control a priority. As of April 12, the Tigers ranked 23rd in the country in turnovers per game, down to 12.78. In all but one week, the Tigers have gone up in the statistical category rankings, jumping 40 spots in a month and a half.

Midseason All-American
The seventh annual Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-America list was released on March 30. Sophomore defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich was named among some of the best in the country as he was the short stick defensive midfielder named First Team Midseason All-America. Goodrich was the lone CAA student-athlete named to the first team, while three student-athletes from Hofstra were selected to the second team.

#22 Hits #22
Those watching Towson lacrosse over the last three and a half years are familiar with senior attackman Ryan Drenner. The Finksburg, Maryland native is a dynamic athlete, capable of feeding or scoring. To wit, Drenner has 20 goals and 14 assists this season. He also owns one of the longest point streaks in the country as he has at least one goal or assist in each of the Tigers' last 22 games. His 22 game streak ranks 23rd in the country and is the longest active streak in the CAA.

Long Time Ranked
Saturday's game will be the 31st straight game the Towson University men's lacrosse team will play ranked inside the USILA Coaches' Poll Top 20. The last time Towson played a game as an unranked team was on May 2, 2015 against UMass in the CAA Championship game; Towson received votes prior to the start of the league tournament. 

The 31-straight games in the USILA Coaches' Poll Top 20 is the longest such streak for the Tigers in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012) and longest stretch since 30 between April 3, 2004 and March 19, 2006. (Preseason polls did not begin until 2007. Two games were played to open 2005 and 2006 before the first poll).

Towson has been ranked inside the USILA Coaches' Poll Top 20 for 25 consecutive weeks. That is the longest stretch of rankings for the Tigers since earning a spot in the Coaches' Poll for 22 consecutive weeks from March 27, 2006-March 3, 2008.

Road Warriors
After three-straight home games, and four of the last five contests at Unitas Stadium, the Tigers will hit the road for CAA play three times this season, relying on Interstate 95 for nearly all of their travel. Last weekend, Towson traveled just over 100 miles to Vidas Field for its first road game since March 4. In the next two weeks, Towson continues further up I-95 to visit Delaware on this Saturday before doubling the distance for a trek to Fairfield, Connecticut on April 22.

Rankings Percentage Index
The NCAA released its second set of RPI numbers this week. With a 6-3 record, the Tigers checked in at No. 16. Towson had the second-highest RPI of teams in the Colonial Athletic Association, with No. 2 Hofstra (10-0) in at sixth of the RPI. This week's foe, Delaware, was slotted 26th in the RPI.

Class of the CAA
Since joining the CAA for the 2002 season, no program in league history has enjoyed more success than Towson University. The Tigers have racked up 56 total wins in the CAA, one more than rival Hofstra. Below is a list of the current members of the CAA and their win totals in conference games since joining the league. The Tigers have appeared in the conference title game a total of nine times, bringing home the trophy on a league-record six occasions.
Team: Wins (CAA Titles, Last)
Towson: 56 (6, 2016)
Hofstra: 55 (2, 2008)
Drexel: 46 (1, 2014)
Delaware: 31 (3, 2011)
UMass: 18 (1, 2012)
Fairfield: 8 (0)

Causing an Effect
Last weekend, senior longstick midfielder Tyler Mayes forced six Drexel turnovers, a career-best for the Bel Air, Maryland native. Mayes' six caused turnovers were the second-most for a Tiger behind eight from Peter Mezzanotte against Saint Joseph's on April 30, 2011. It was Mayes' second game this season with at least five caused turnovers, joining his five forces against No. 6 Johns Hopkins in a 13-8 win. He is one of just three players with at least five caused turnovers this season. Mayes has 20 caused turnovers this season, bringing his career total to 73, good enough for third all-time at Towson. His 20 forced turnovers this year rank 10th for a single season as well.

Defending the Crown
In a conference as tough as the CAA, it's no easy feat to retain the conference crown. Since 2002, only two different member institutions have successfully defended the crown: Towson and Delaware. The Tigers won the league for the first time in 2003 followed by two more titles in succession. Delaware won back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011. The Tigers successfully defended the 2015 crown last season with a 4-2 win over Fairfield. Towson is the only member institution to three-peat and will look do so for a second time this season.

Let's Get Defensive
Defense has long been the backbone of the Towson University lacrosse program. Entering the 2017 season, it was a spot many looked to as a potential weakness with the graduation of three close defenseman and a goalie, two of whom were All-Americans. Head coach Shawn Nadelen and defensive coordinator Dan Cocchi have laid those questions to rest. After owning the best defense in Division a year ago, Towson is currently ranked 14th in Division I in goals allowed per game (8.11). Moreover, Towson has allowed the second-fewest total goals this season (73). Of teams with at least nine games to their credit, Towson has allowed the fewest total goals, despite four new starters in the backfield.

Best in Baltimore
Local rivalries are always important. For a second-straight season, the Tigers squared off against the three Greater Baltimore schools, Johns Hopkins, Loyola and UMBC, in three consecutive games. This season, Towson went 2-1 against local rivals, beating UMBC 8-6 and No. 6 Johns Hopkins 13-8. Towson dropped an 11-7 decision against then-No. 12 Loyola. As of April 3, Towson was the second-ranked team in Greater Baltimore, ranking 15 in the USILA Coaches' Poll and 16 by the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Johns Hopkins and Loyola are ranked 11th and 19, respectively, in the Coaches' Poll.

Over the last three regular seasons, Towson has controlled the Baltimore Area.
Towson: 6-3
Johns Hopkins: 5-3
Loyola: 3-2
UMBC 3-2.

The Century Club
In the Tigers' 13-8 win over No. 6 Johns Hopkins, senior attackman Joe Seider joined an elite club in the Tigers' program history. At 14:02 of the second quarter, Seider potted the 100th goal of his Tiger career. He became the seventh player in program history to hit the 100-goal mark, joining the likes of Glenn Smith (154), Kevin Sturm (125), Jonathan Engelke (113), Matt Clune (108), Mike Burke (106) and Tom Nelson (105). Seider has 102 career goals and needs just three more to catch Nelson.

No Place Like Home
Since taking over the program for the 2012 season, head coach Shawn Nadelen and the Tigers love playing at the friendly confines of Johnny Unitas Stadium. The Tigers are 30-15 all-time at Minnegan Field, including a program-record 11-1 last season. The Tigers have never suffered a losing mark at home under Nadelen, logging three 4-3 seasons (2015, 2013, 2012) at home. During the 2014 campaign, the Tigers finished with a 6-3 mark at home. The Tigers are currently 2-3 at Unitas Stadium this season.

Ground Balls Win Games
There is a long-standing adage in lacrosse that "ground balls win games". So far this season, Towson has won the ground ball battle in all but one game, out-ground balling opponents 253-199 in the early goings. Last season, Towson was a perfect 10-0 when it collected more ground balls than its opponent, and went 6-3 in games when opponents had more grounders. The Tigers' two-year record is 16-1 in games with more ground balls.

Local Flare
Not only will the Tigers play nine of their 12 games within an hour drive of Unitas Stadium, but the Tigers are bringing local talent to campus as well. On the roster this season, not only are there 26 student-athletes from Maryland, but of those 26, 25 are from within an hour of Towson University. The lone outlier is Matt Sovero, who hails from Easton, Maryland on the Eastern Shore, roughly 85 miles from Unitas.

Eight of the Tigers' 10 starters this season are from the Old Line State, including the entire starting attack and midfield units. The only two starters not from Maryland are Sid Ewell, whose hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania is 85 miles from campus, and Josh Miller, who will get to play near his hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut when the Tigers take on Fairfield on April 22.

The Down Lowe
Players come, players go. In Major League Lacrosse, a high-profile trade was made on March 3 between the Florida Launch and the Chesapeake Bayhawks. Brothers Lyle and Jeremy Thompson were traded to the Annapolis-based Bayhawks, along with the 38th pick in the upcoming Collegiate Draft. In exchange, the Launch received the number eight over all pick, defenseman Mark McNeil and former Towson standout Mike Lowe.

The former #20 for Towson played in seven games with the Bayhawks last season after an outstanding career with the Tigers. He collected 17 ground balls and served just two minutes in penalties. Chesapeake went 4-3 with Lowe on the roster, including an immediate impact as the Bayhawks won four straight games.

In the Nick of Time
Another former Towson Tiger is set to make an impact at the professional level. Nick Gorman, who played for the Tigers from 2014-16, was signed to the Denver Outlaws on March 8 after the franchise held open tryouts. Gorman impressed at the tryouts as assistant head coach/general manager Jon Cohen stated "We were very impressed not only by his on ball play at the tryout but Gorman did a fantastic job off of the ground and in his off-ball play."

Gorman was a member of two CAA championship teams (2015, 2016) while playing in 44 career games for the Black & Gold. During his time at Towson, Gorman grabbed 94 ground balls, including a career-best 40 in his first season at Towson. The University of Denver transfer scored a full-field goal on a buzzer beater against Drexel in the 2016 CAA Semifinals.

Crabcakes and Lacrosse
Maryland has long been known as a hotbed for lacrosse talent. With 26 current players from the Old Line State, Towson is certainly reaping the benefits of that. Through the March 25 game against Denver, head coach Shawn Nadelen is 37-23 all-time when playing games within Maryland. This season, the Tigers will play eight games in Maryland, including six at Johnny Unitas Stadium. February 18 and March 11 were the only two games in Maryland in which Towson was not the home team. Nadelen has a sub-.500 record in a just one season when playing in Maryland, winning four of the nine games in 2012.

50 Nifty
Last season in the CAA Semifinals, head coach Shawn Nadelen picked up the 50th win of his Towson career, eliminating Drexel with a 10-6 win at Unitas Stadium. He became the third coach in program history to hit the 50-win plateau, and became the fastest of the three to gain 50 Division I victories. That game was his 81st contest at the helm. Former head coaches Tony Seaman and Carl Runk needed 88 and 89 games, respectively, to grab 50 Division I wins. However, legendary head coach Carl Runk is the fastest Towson coach to 50 total wins, hitting the mark in 1972 in just 69 total games in the Tigers' Division II Era.

Defense + Offense = Success
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 35-5 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 52-8 in that same time, including the 11-8 win over UMass (April 8). On 33 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 33-0 record.