Opening Faceoff
Towson makes its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament by virtue of the CAA's Automatic Qualifying bid. The Tigers won their third-straight CAA Championship, knocking out third-seeded UMass 9-7 on Saturday. Towson squares off on Saturday with a former conference rival in Penn State, which was seeded seventh in this year's NCAA Tournament.

In The National Rankings
After winning the CAA title, Towson moved up in the national polls this week. In the final USILA Coaches' Poll, Towson was slotted 11th, finishing just outside the Top 10. In the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, Towson moved up one spot to No. 12 in the penultimate poll. The final Media Poll will be released at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament. US Lacrosse Magazine did not release its Division I Top 20 this week.

The Three-peating Tigers
For the third time in as many years, the Tigers claimed the CAA Championship and earned an automatic qualifying berth in the NCAA Tournament. First Team All-CAA selection Ryan Drenner (25-22-47) leads the Tigers' offense while classmate Joe Seider (24-8-32) is second in points. Tyler Konen (7-13-20) rounds out the Tigers' attack unit with three 20-plus point getters. Fellow senior Mike Lynch (17-5-22) leads the midfielders as Jon Mazza (14-2-16) and Brian Bolewicki (9-7-16) are the second and third midfielders. Defensively, Towson is a force to be reckoned with as Towson has allowed just eight combined goals in its last two games. Sid Ewell, Chad Patterson and Gray Bodden anchor the third-ranked scoring defense (7.43) with Matt Hoy backstopping in the last five games. Faceoffs were key for the Tigers in the CAA Tournament as Alex Woodall won 68.8 percent of his draws (22-32), including 14-of-16 in the semifinals against Drexel.

Scouting The Seventh-Seeded Nittany Lions
Penn State earned its second at-large bid in program history this season. At one point, the Nittany Lions were ranked first in the country. Grant Ament (27-29-56) is the points leader, with Nick Aponte (22-33-55) and Mac O'Keefe (48-5-53) joining him in the 50-plus points club. Nick Spillane (16-10-26) is fourth in points for an offense ranked fifth nationally in goals per game (13.67). As a team, Penn State wins 59.3 percent of its draws, with a two-headed monster in Gerard Aceri (186-296/.628) and Billy Lombardi (58-109/.532). Colby Kneese has played the bulk of time in goal with 847 minutes. He has a goals against average of 10.42 and a save percentage of .507. He has stopped 151 opponent shots to date against 511 total attempts.

Towson-Penn State History
Just three hours apart, Towson and Penn State have had some history over the years, including a conference rivalry from 2010-2014. Saturday's game will be the 22nd meeting all-time between the Tigers and the Nittany Lions, with Towson controlling the series at 14-8, all coming during the Tigers' Division I Era (1980). In Towson's last trip to University Park, the Tigers claimed an 11-10 win over top-seeded Penn State in the 2013 CAA Tournament, earning the AQ to the NCAA Tournament. Penn State won the last meeting in Towson during the 2014 season by an 8-1 count.

Towson-Penn State By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record     Towson 14-8
    at Towson     Towson 7-4
    at Penn State    Towson 6-4
    at Neutral Sites     Towson 1-0
    at Unknown Sites    n/a
First Meeting     April 8, 1981 (PSU 14, Towson 6)
Last Meeting     April 12, 2014
         Penn State 8, No. 19 Towson 1
Streak    Penn State +1

Last Time Out vs. Penn State | April 12, 2014 | Towson, Md.
In a defensive struggle, the No. 19 Tigers fell 8-1 against Penn State in what would be the final CAA meeting between the programs at Unitas Stadium. Current senior Mike Lynch scored the lone goal for the Tigers during his rookie campaign. Mike Sutton and TJ Sanders scored twice for the visiting Nittany Lions as the game's only multiple goal scorers. Tyler White made 11 saves in goal for Towson while his counterpart, Austin Kaut, also stopped 11 Tiger shots. Kaut played in 59 minutes before he was spelled for the final minute for the late Connor Darcey. It was a well disciplined game for both sides, as just two 30 second penalties were enforced, one for each team.

With a Win Saturday
- Towson would advance to its second-straight NCAA Quarterfinal game and would play the winner of the No. 2 Syracuse/Yale game (Sunday, 7:30 p.m.). The two winners will play on Sunday, May 21 in Newark, Delaware on ESPN2.
- The Tigers would improve to 11-4 on the season, the third-straight season with at least 11 wins (12-6 - 2015, 16-3 -2016).
- Towson would win its second-straight game at Penn State's Lacrosse Field after claiming an 11-10 win in the 2013 CAA Championship game. Towson has not won back-to-back games in University Park since a 15-13 win in 1994 and a 16-8 win in 1992.
- The Tigers would reach the NCAA Division I Quarterfinals for the sixth time in program history. Towson has not reached back-to-back quarterfinals since 2001 and 2003.
- Towson would play a quarterfinal game at a site it played during the regular season for a second straight year after playing Loyola in Ohio Stadium last year when the Tigers took a spring break trip to Columbus for a 10-9 overtime night game win over Ohio State in the same venue.
- The Class of 2017 would collect its 47th win since stepping on campus for the fall of 2013 and the spring 2014 season. That mark would be the program's high-water mark since joining Division I in 1980. Only the Class of 1974 has more collective wins in program history, capturing 50 en route to the NCAA Division II Championship.

Careers Versus Penn State
Given the gap between games in the Towson-Penn State Series, only a hand full of Tigers have squared off against the Nittany Lions. Redshirt senior Brian Bolewicki will look to make his fourth appearance against Penn State, leading the Tigers in terms of experience. He and Mike Lynch are the only active players with goals against the Nittany Lions while nine current players, all seniors or redshirt seniors, have stepped on the field against Penn State. 

About Towson University - It's No Longer Towson State University
Founded in 1866, Towson University is among the nation's best regional public universities, offering more than 100 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts & sciences and applied professional fields. Nearly one-third of Maryland's teachers are Towson University grads, and the university supplies more health professionals to the state's workforce than any other Maryland school. With more than 22,300 undergraduate and graduate students, Towson University is the largest university in the Greater Baltimore Region and second largest in the University System of Maryland. Towson University combines research-based learning with practical application, and its many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked TU as one of the nation's best and most efficiently run universities. Additionally, Towson has been ranked by Kiplinger's Personal Finance as one of the 100 best values in public colleges nationwide, and TU has been named one of the best colleges in the northeast region by The Princeton Review.  An NCAA Division I school in athletics, Towson University is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, as well as the Colonial Academic Alliance.

Deep Experience
The Class of 2017 is one of the most experienced groups in the country, with a program-tying best 46 career wins to its name and three CAA Championships. The dynamic duo of Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider have a combined 201 career points, the only pair in the CAA with 200-plus points. Since 2014, the 10 true seniors will be playing in their 13th career postseason game, including the CAA and NCAA Tournaments.

Spreading the Wealth...ish
The Tigers improved to 10-4 on the year with their 9-4 win against third-seeded UMass on May 6. While Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider lead the offense, Towson has generated game-winning goals from five different sources. Three players, Brian Bolewicki (3), Tyler Young (2) and Ryan Drenner (2) have multiple game-winning goals this season.
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
• Brian Bolewicki - at Delaware - April 15
• Tyler Young - vs. No. 9 Hofstra - April 29
• Tyler Konen - vs. No. 4 Seed Drexel - CAA Semifinals - May 4
• Ryan Drenner - vs. No. 3 Seed UMass - CAA Championship - May 6

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 46 wins since stepping on campus (though Bolewicki has been here for 56). The class has three CAA Championships to its credit, along with three berths in the NCAA Tournament. Below is a list of the top five winningest classes since Towson elevated to Division I in 1980. This class competed in its fourth-straight CAA Tournament and third-straight CAA Championship game on May 6. 
2017 - 46 - (3 Conference Titles)
2016 - 46 - (3 Conference Titles)
2004 - 41 - (3 Conference Titles)
1992 - 41 - (2 Conference Titles)
1991 - 40 - (2 Conference Titles)

DOUBLE DOWN
En route to its third-straight CAA Championship, the Towson University men's lacrosse team has flexed its offensive and defensive muscles. In those three CAA Tournaments, the Tigers have not allowed a single opponent to hit double digits, despite graduating its entire starting defense and goalie following the 2016 title run. In its last three CAA Tournament games, the 2016 Championship Game and the 2017 Semifinals and Championship Game, Towson has allowed a combined 10 goals. Fairfield scored twice in the 2016 title game, while Drexel and UMass each scored four times in this year's edition. Towson has at least doubled up its last three foes, beating Fairfield 4-2, Drexel 8-4 and UMass 9-4.

All-Tournament Selections
Following the 2017 CAA Championship game, the Tigers saw four players named to the All-Tournament Team. Midfielder Mike Lynch, close defenseman Chad Patterson and faceoff specialist Alex Woodall were named, while senior goalkeeper Matt Hoy was selected as the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Tournament History
For a third-straight season, the Towson University men's lacrosse team won the CAA Championship, the program's conference record seventh. Towson is not only the only program in CAA History (2002) to win the title three straight times, but the only program to do so twice. The Tigers have won as many crowns as the rest of the current members combined.

All-Time Versus the Big Ten
Since the Big Ten was formed for the 2015 season, the Tigers have had some success against the newly-formed conference. The Tigers are 3-3 against the Big Ten, spliting with Johns Hopkins (2-1) and Ohio State (1-2) since 2015. Towson is 1-1 this season against the Big Ten, besting then-No. 6 Johns Hopkins 13-8 but falling 6-3 against No. 18 Ohio State on a bitterly cold and windy day at Unitas Stadium. Towson is looking to extend its road winning streak against the Big Ten to two after beating Ohio State 10-9 in overtime last season at Ohio Stadium.

Wait... We don't have to Play Wednesday? Or Fly?
After starting the previous two NCAA Tournaments in the play-in games, the Tigers enjoy their first season without a play-in game to begin the Tournament. Towson went 2-0 in those two play-in games, beating Southern Conference Champion High Point 10-8 in 2015 and Northeast Conference Hobart 18-5 in 2016. Additionally, the Tigers will not have to hop on an airplane for the First Round after flying to South Bend, Indiana in 2015 and Denver, Colorado last season. It will take just over three hours to travel from Johnny Unitas Stadium to State College, Pennsylvania.

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 May 3, the Tigers ranked 12th in the country in turnovers per game, down to 11.75. In all but two weeks, the Tigers have gone up in the statistical category rankings, jumping 54 spots in less than two months.

Venn Diagram of Defensive Players of the Year
Towson has seen three different players named CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Dan Cocchi (2003), Tyler White (2015) and this season, Tyler Mayes was tabbed as the top defensive player in the conference. Besides coaching and playing together, the trio have a Venn Diagram of connections: Cocchi and White both wore the #2 for the Tigers, while White and Mayes share a first name: Tyler. Circling back between Towson's first Defensive Player of the Year, Cocchi, and the program's most recent, Mayes, both players were named as longstick midfielders.

Program Marks for All-CAA Selections
This season, the Tigers saw six players named First Team All-CAA: Ryan Drenner (Attack), Mike Lynch (Midfield), Jack Adams (Defense/Midfield), Zach Goodrich (Defense/Midfield), Tyler Mayes (LSM) and Alex Woodall (Faceoff). It marks the most First Team All-CAA selections for Towson since the 2003 All-CAA team also saw six First Team nods (Ryan Obloj, Brad Monaco, Dan Cocchi, Zak Smith, Adam Baxter and Reed Sothoron).

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 #27
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 25 goals and 22 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 27 games. His 27 game streak ranks 15th in the country among players still playing the NCAA Tournament or with remaining eligibility and is the longest active streak in the CAA.

Long Time Ranked
Saturday's game will be the 36th 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 36-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 41 games between March 10, 2001-March 21, 2004. (Preseason polls did not begin until 2007 (this excludes games played before the first poll of the season came out. Preseason polls began in 2007).

Towson has been ranked inside the USILA Coaches' Poll Top 20 for 29 consecutive weeks. That is the longest stretch of rankings for the Tigers since earning a spot in the Coaches' Poll for 32 consecutive weeks from March 5, 2001-March 15, 2004. The final USILA Coaches' Poll of the 2017 season was released on Monday, May 8.

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 59 total wins in the CAA, two 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: 59 (6, 2016)
Hofstra: 57 (2, 2008)
Drexel: 49 (1, 2014)
Delaware: 31 (3, 2011)
UMass: 20 (1, 2012)
Fairfield: 9 (0)

Lending a Helping Hand
The Towson University men's lacrosse team has been successful on the field. But more than that, they have been successful off the field and engaging in the community.

The Tigers finished in first place among NCAA Division I men's lacrosse programs logging community service hours, 593, in fact, through the HelperHelper program. During the 2016-17 academic year, Towson has worked closely with ZERO Prostate Cancer, the Komen Race for the Cure, HEADstrong's Mustache Madness, USO-Metro and The Baltimore Station. The men's lacrosse team's efforts helped Towson University finish sixth overall among Division I programs using HelperHelper.

Causing an Effect
On April 1, senior longstick midfielder and CAA Defensive Player of the Year 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 36 caused turnovers this season, bringing his career total to 88, good enough for third all-time at Towson. His 36 forced turnovers this year rank third for a single season and just two shy of Peter Mezzanotte's 2009 mark of 38. Mayes needs just five caused turnovers in the remainder of the season to take over first place for a single season, held by Ted Turnblacer with 40 in 2005.

Luck of the Irish
On the Tuesday after Memorial Day, the Towson Tigers will take the show on the road and head across the pond for a week in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Tigers will visit Galway and Dublin in Ireland before heading to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Between sightseeing sessions, the Tigers will host youth clinics in all three cities. Additionally, the Tigers will take on two national teams while abroad: the Irish National Team and the English National Team. A more detailed schedule of events will become available prior to the trip.

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 defensemen 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 I a year ago, Towson is currently ranked third in Division I in goals allowed per game (7.43). Moreover, Towson has allowed the second-fewest total goals in all of Division I this season (104).

Climbing the Career Charts
Several Towson student-athletes are already into or nearing career top 10s in several statistical categories.
Alec Burckley - 330 Career Faceoff Wins - 7th All-Time (Ben DeFelice - 357, 6th)
Ryan Drenner - 87 Career Goals - Shy of 10th (Bobby Griebe, Tom Wagner - 89)
Ryan Drenner - 73 Career Assists - Tied for 9th (Mark Burke - 74, 8th)
Ryan Drenner - 160 Career Points - Tied for 8th (Mike Burke - 180, 7th) 
Tyler Mayes - 88 Career Caused Turnovers - 3rd All-Time (Ted Turnblacer - 92, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 116 Career Goals - Ranks 3rd All-Time (Kevin Sturm - 125, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 456 Career Shots - Second All-Time (Glenn Smith - 458)

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 May 8, Towson was the second-ranked team in Greater Baltimore, ranking 11 in the final USILA Coaches' Poll and 12 by the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Johns Hopkins and Loyola are ranked 9th and 13, 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

CAA Defensive Efforts
With four defensive players earning first or second All-CAA plaudits, one would expect the Tigers to have the best defense in the CAA. In fact, the Tigers do. Towson allowed just 46 total goals in seven games involving CAA opponents this season, registering a 6.57 goals against average. Hofstra allowed the second-fewest goals (46) during the regular season. Towson is the only team in the CAA this season to hold seven conference opponents under 10 goals, including the postseason.

X Marks the Spot
With the addition of sophomore transfer faceoff specialist Alex Woodall, the Tigers have revamped the X this season. Woodall has 163 wins so far this season, the most for a Tiger in a single season since the 2009 campaign when Mitchell Rosensweig won 179. The Tigers have won at least 140 draws in each of the last three seasons, with Woodall's .613 percentage topping the list in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012).

Top 10 Wins in 2017
On April 29, the then-No. 16 Tigers topped No. 9 Hofstra by a 10-8 count. It marked the second time this season the Tigers bested an opponent ranked in the top 10 of the USILA Coaches' Poll. On March 11, Towson knocked off No. 6 Johns Hopkins 13-7. This season combined with last season marks the first time Towson has beaten two top 10 opponents in back-to-back seasons since 1991-92. The Tigers improved to 5-5 all-time against No. 9-ranked teams in program history and got the team's first over a No. 9 program since beating No. 9 Penn State 11-10 in the 2013 CAA Championship game in State College.

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 116 career goals and needs nine more to catch Sturm.

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 33-15 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 5-3 at Unitas Stadium this season after last Saturday's 9-4 win over third-seeded UMass.

Local Flare
Not only did the Tigers play nine of their 12 regular season games within an hour drive of Unitas Stadium, but the Tigers brought 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 Stadium.

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 made the trip near his hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut when the Tigers faced Fairfield on April 22.

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 May 6 game against UMass, head coach Shawn Nadelen is 41-23 all-time when playing games within Maryland. This season, the Tigers will have played 10 games in Maryland, including eight at Johnny Unitas Stadium, including the CAA Championship on Saturday, May 6. 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 38-5 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 56-8 in that same time, including the 9-4 win over third-seeded UMass (May 6). On 35 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 35-0 record.