Opening Faceoff
Towson reaches its first NCAA Championship Weekend since the 2001 campaign after knocking off second-seeded Syracuse 10-7 last weekend in Newark, Delaware. The Tigers are making their third NCAA Semifinal appearance since elevating to Division I in 1980, joining the 1991 and 2001 squads. It's a rematch for the Tigers after hosting Ohio State in a bitterly cold matchup on March 14 during the Tigers' nonconference gauntlet. Towson meets Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament for a second time (2013) under Shawn Nadelen.

In The National Rankings
After winning the CAA title, Towson moved up in the national polls. 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. The final Media Poll will be released at the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament.

The Championship Weekend Tigers
Towson has been clicking on both sides of the ball in the NCAA Tournament, hitting double digits in both games (12 at Penn State, 10 vs. Syracuse). The defense has held both NCAA Tournament foes below 10 goals. Ryan Drenner (27-28-55) leads Towson, followed by fellow senior Joe Seider (32-10-42). Mike Lynch (21-6-27) and Tyler Konen (9-14-23) have each surpassed the 20-point mark. The Tigers' vaunted defense has a postseason goals against average of just 5.75, limiting all four foes in the CAA and NCAA Tournaments below 10 goals. Senior keeper Matt Hoy has stopped 67 shots this season, with a GAA of 6.99. Opponents have taken just 442 total shots, while Towson has unleashed 600. Alex Woodall, who is battling a lowerbody injury, is winning 60.1 percent of his draws.

Scouting The Third-Seeded Buckeyes
Ohio State reached its first-ever Championship Weekend by virtue of a 16-11 thrashing of Duke in Hempstead, New York last weekend. The Buckeyes' offense is a two-headed monster with Eric Fannell (34-29-63) and Tre Leclaire (45-14-59). Colin Chell (20-12-32) is third on the team in points. Ohio State's defense has held opponents to 8.26 goals per game this season, ranking ninth in the country. Faceoff specialist Jake Withers has been a force at the X all season, winning 66.1 percent of his draws along with 142 ground balls. He ranks fourth in the country in winning percentage. Buckeye netminder Tom Carey has stopped 54.7 percent of opponents' shots on goal, making 156 saves. He carries an 8.17 goals against average with his 12-4 record. Ohio State is a quick-starting team, out-scoring opponents 56-40 in the opening period and 64-37 in the second.

Towson-Ohio State History
In a budding rivalry, the Tigers and Buckeyes will meet for a 10th time on Saturday, with the sixth clash since 2007. The NCAA Semifinal matchup will be the second-ever NCAA Tournament meeting between the programs, both under Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen (2013). The Tigers and Buckeyes met on a 20-degree day back on March 14, a 6-3 Buckeye win at Johnny Unitas Stadium after a heavy snow the day before.

Towson-Ohio State By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Ohio State 6-3
at Towson Ohio State 2-1
at Ohio State Even 1-1
at Neutral Sites First Meeting
at Unknown Sites Ohio State 3-1
First Meeting 1962 - Towson 6-3
Last Meeting March 14, 2017
#18 Ohio State 6, # 10 Towson 3
Streak Ohio State +1

Last Time Out vs. Ohio State | March 14, 2017 | Towson, Md.
After having the game moved back a day due to heavy snow storms in the Greater Baltimore area, the Tigers and Buckeyes squared off at Johnny Unitas Stadium in 20 degree temperatures with high winds for a bitterly cold afternoon. The Buckeyes took a grinding 6-3 victory. Tyler Konen, Ryan Drenner and Mike Lynch all scored once for the Tigers while Joe Seider added the lone assist for the Tigers. Josh Miller started in goal, making 11 saves in the loss. Six different Buckeyes scored while faceoff specialist Jake Withers won 11 of his 13 draws. Tom Carey made eight saves for Ohio State. 

With a Win Saturday
- Towson would reach the NCAA Division I Championship game for the second time in program history, joining the 1991 campaign.
- The Tigers would collect their 13th win of the 2017 campaign, the second-most wins in a season under head coach Shawn Nadelen, who took over the program in 2012.
- Towson would eliminate a third team seeded in this year's NCAA Tournament after knocking off No. 7 Seed Penn State and No. 2 Seed Syracuse. The combined total of seeds Towson bested would be 12.
- The Class of 2017 would collect its 49th win since stepping on campus for the fall of 2013 and the spring 2014 season. That mark would extend the class's program record 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.
- Towson would either draw a second-straight rematch against Denver, or face No. 1 Maryland for the first time since 2010.
- The Tigers would beat Ohio State at a neutral site for the first time since elevating to Division I in 1980.
- Towson would improve to 1-1 in NCAA Division I Tournaments against Ohio State after falling 16-6 in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament, host at Ohio Stadium.
- The Tigers would improve to 13-13 all-time in the NCAA Division I Tournament and 5-3 in neutral site games. Towson would improve to 19-19 in all NCAA Tournament games, including the program's Division II Era.

Careers Versus Ohio State
Joe Seider is the active points leader against Ohio State, burying five goals and one assist for six career points. Ryan Drenner and Mike Lynch are second with three goals and one assist each. Seider has scored on half of his 10 career shots on goal against the Buckeyes while attempting 13 total shots. Drenner is the active shots leader with 19 while Lynch has 10 attempts. Tyler Mayes is the active career caused turnovers leader with a trio of forces. Brian Bolewicki and Zach Goodrich have six career ground balls apiece against the Buckeyes while Seider is close behind with five. Jack Adams has snagged four grounders in his all-time meetings against Ohio State.

How to Say It: TOWSON
As the Tigers advance to their first NCAA Division I Semifinal since 2001, we ask that members of the media familiarize themselves with of our University.

TOWSON is pronounced TOW like towel + Son. 

IT IS NOT: TOE-son, Townson, Towsond, Townsend, Townsen, Towzen. One N, no Z.

We are Towson University, no longer Towson State University (and haven't been since July 1, 1997).

Our mascot is Doc The Tiger, named after Donald "Doc" Minnegan, long-time soccer coach and athletics department administrator.

Towson became the "Tigers" in 1962 after John Schuerholz (yes, the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame General Manager) pushed for the name change from the "Towson College Knights".

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.

2017 USILA All-America
Six Towson University men's lacrosse student-athletes earned USILA Lacrosse All-America announced, announced by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Wednesday morning.

Senior Jack Adams and Zach Goodrich were named USILA All-America Second Team, while Ryan Drenner (Attack), Mike Lynch (Midfield), Tyler Mayes (LSM) and Alex Woodall (Faceoff) were named to the Honorable Mention.

Deep Experience
The Class of 2017 is one of the most experienced groups in the country, with a program-tying best 48 career wins to its name and three CAA Championships. The dynamic duo of Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider have a combined 319 career points, the only pair in the CAA with 200-plus points. Since 2014, the 10 true seniors will be playing in their 15th career postseason game, including the CAA and NCAA Tournaments.

It's Déjà Vu All Over Again
It's Déjà Vu All Over Again
After playing an NCAA Quarterfinal game in a venue the Tigers played in during the regular season, Towson will play a foe it saw during the regular season: Ohio State. This marks the second-straight season Towson will rematch a regular season opponent during the NCAA Tournament after squaring up against Loyola in both the 2016 regular season and the NCAA Quarterfinals (Hosted, ironically, at Ohio State).

First Time for Everything
Despite the long history of the program, the Tigers are playing a Division I NCAA Quarterfinal game in back-to-back seasons for the first time since elevating to Division I for the 1980 season. Towson is making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Division I Quarterfinals. However, Towson did make back-to-back quarterfinals appearances in back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths in 1996 and 2001.

Postseason Careers - CAA and NCAA Tournaments
Entering Saturday's game, the Tigers boast a bevy of postseason experience. For the Class of 2017, this will be their 15th career postseason game, including the CAA Tournament the NCAA Tournament. Senior attackmen Ryan Drenner (15-18-33) and Joe Seider (25-7-33) lead all Tigers in points, with senior middie Mike Lynch (18-2-20) and senior attackman Tyler Konen (8-8-16) close behind. Towson's starting attack unit has a combined 82 points in the postseason, notching 48 goals and 34 assists. 

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 48 wins since stepping on campus (though Bolewicki has been here for 58). 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 - 48 - (3 Conference Titles)
2016 - 46 - (3 Conference Titles)
2004 - 41 - (3 Conference Titles)
1992 - 41 - (2 Conference Titles)
1991 - 40 - (2 Conference Titles) 

Spreading the Wealth...ish
The Tigers improved to 12-4 on the year with their 10-7 win against second-seeded Syracuse on May 21. While Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider lead the offense, Towson has generated game-winning goals from seven different sources. Four players, Brian Bolewicki (3), Tyler Young (2), Ryan Drenner (2) and Joe Seider (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
• Mike Lynch - at No. 7 Seed #8 Penn State - NCAA First Round - May 13
• Joe Seider - vs. No. 2 Seed #2 Syracuse - NCAA Quarterfinals - May 21

Wear Sunscreen
On Wednesday, Towson University began its Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2017. Ten Towson men's lacrosse players participated in Wednesday's graduation at SECU Arena: Jack Adams (Sport Management), Brian Bolewicki (Sport Management) Alec Burckley (Finance), Ryan Drenner (Pyschology), Nick Gorman (Environmental Science), Matt Hoy (Business Administration), Tyler Konen (Biology), Mike Lynch (Sport Management), Tyler Mayes (Business Administration), Matt Wylly (International Business).

Lockdown Midfield
Towson's bread and butter under head coach Shawn Nadelen has been its defense. This season is no different, despite the need to replace all four starters on close defense and in the goal. With some growing pains down low early, the Tigers' rope unit of defensive midfielders, Jack Adams, Zach Goodrich and Tyler Mayes, have been the anchor. So far in the postseason, just four opposing midfielders have scored against the Tigers, combining for just six goals. Penn State's entire midfield corps was held off the board in University Park. Overall, just 29 different midfielders have scored a combined 46 goals. Of those 29, just 18 have been starting middies. Only two starting midfielders have scored against the Tigers' defense. All three of Towson's defensive midfielders were not only named First Team All-CAA, but earned mention on the first-ever Inside Lacrosse Media All-America list. Goodrich was a second teamer, Adams was on the third team while Mayes earned honorable mention on inaugural team.

All-ECAC Selections
On Tuesday, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) announced its 2017 Division I Men's Lacrosse All-ECAC Awards. 

Senior longstick midfielder Tyler Mayes was named as the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-ECAC Honors. Classmate and fellow Rope Unit member Jack Adams was also a First Team All-ECAC Selection. Senior attackman Ryan Drenner collected Second Team All-ECAC honors.

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.

CAA 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.

Venn Diagram of CAA 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).

#22 Hits #29
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 27 goals and 28 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 29 games. His 29 game streak ranks 13th 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 38th 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 38-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 39 caused turnovers this season, bringing his career total to 92, tying him with ted Turnblacher for second all-time in program history. His 39 forced turnovers this year rank second for a single season. Mayes needs just two 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 (7.44). 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 - 89 Career Goals - Tied for 10th All-Time (Brad Reppert - 92, 8th)
Ryan Drenner - 79 Career Assists - 7th All-Time (Ryan Obloj - 85, 6th)
Ryan Drenner - 168 Career Points - 8th All-Time (Mike Burke - 180, 7th) 
Tyler Mayes - 92 Career Caused Turnovers - Tied 2nd All-Time (Ted Turnblacer - 92, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 124 Career Goals - 3rd All-Time (Kevin Sturm - 125, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 475 Career Shots - First All-Time (Glenn Smith - 458, 2nd)

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 179 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 .601 percentage topping the list in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012).

Top 10 Wins in 2017
First Towson beat No. 6 Johns Hopkins 13-8 on March 11. Then the Tigers knocked off No. 9 Hofstra 10-8 on April 29. On May 13, No. 11 Towson topped No. 8 Penn State by a 12-8 count. Finally, the Tigers bested No. 2 Syracuse 10-7 in the NCAA Quarterfinals. It marked the fourth time this season the Tigers bested an opponent ranked in the top 10 of the USILA Coaches' Poll. 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.

This season, the Tigers have out-scored their five USILA Top 10 opponents 56-43 while going 4-1 against top 10 foes. Only one Top 10 team, No. 6 Denver, scored more than 10 goals against the Tigers this season.

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 120 career goals and needs five 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 the 9-4 win over third-seeded UMass on May 6

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 40-5 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 58-8 in that same time, including the 10-7 win over second-seeded Penn State (May 21). On 37 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 37-0 record.