Opening Faceoff
Thursday opens a busy weekend for Towson University and the CAA as both Men's and Women's Lacrosse Championships will be held at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Six games across four days will determine the fate of seven different institutions. Towson is the only member school with both men's and women's programs competing.

In The National Rankings
Picking up its second win over a top-10 opponent, Towson jumped several spots in all three polls this week. The Tigers jumped to No. 12 in this week's USILA Coaches' Poll, up from the No. 16 spot last week. The Tigers vaulted six spots in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll to the No. 13 slot, while jumping four in the US Lacrosse Magazine Division I Top 20 to the No. 9 hole.

The Top-Seeded Tigers
For a second-straight season, the Tigers play host to the CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship after claiming the regular season championship. The Tigers are led by First Team All-CAA selection Ryan Drenner (23g, 20a) and second teamer Joe Seider (22g, 8a). First Team midfielder Mike Lynch (13g, 4a) is the top threat in the middle with second-team pick Tyler Young (8g, 3a) coming on strong recently. The Tiger defense is ranked seventh in the country, allowing a scant 8.00 goals per game. Towson has two All-CAA picks in the back with Sid Ewell on second team and Gray Bodden on the All-Rookie team. All three of Towson's defensive midfielders garnered First Team All-CAA plaudits as Jack Adams and Zach Young were selected along with Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Mayes, thanks to 33 caused turnovers. At the X, Alex Woodall has one of the best percentages (.603) in the CAA.

Scouting The Fourth-Seeded Dragons
Drexel enters Thursday's game with a 6-7 overall record after going 3-2 in CAA games. Senior Cole Shafer (34g, 8a) leads the Dragons on offense with rookie Reid Bowering (24g, 14a) close behind. Robert Frazee (23g, 7a) is the only other Dragon with 30+ points. Faceoffs have been a struggle for Drexel this season, with Jimmeh Koita (99-249) leading the way along with 39 ground balls. Senior goalie Jimmy Joe Granito has been strong in goal for Drexel with 159 saves this season, including 64 in CAA games. He stopped 10 or more shots in four of his five league appearances, including a season-high 19 against Delaware. Drexel has the third-ranked goals per game offense (10.23) in the CAA but the sixth-best goals against average (11.27).

Towson-Drexel History
The history between Towson and Drexel is a long one, dating back to 1962. Towson leads the series with a program-best 42 wins over Drexel with just 10 losses. Towson has won four straight against the Dragons, dating back to the CAA Semifinals in 2015 at Fairfield. This season marks the fifth-straight year the Tigers and Dragons square off to open CAA Tournament play and the seventh postseason meeting all-time between the programs that are separated by just over 100 miles between respective home fields.

Towson-Drexel By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 41-10
at Towson Towson 18-3
at Drexel Towson 12-5
at Neutral Sites Towson 2-0
at Unknown Sites Towson 10-2
First Meeting 1962 (Drexel 14, Towson 7)
Last Meeting April 1, 2017
No. 14 Towson 8, Drexel 7
Streak Towson +4

Last Time Out vs. Drexel - CAA Opener | April 1, 2017 | Philadelphia, Pa.
Then ranked 14th in the country, Towson put together a second-half comeback to top the Dragons 8-7 at Vidas Field in Philadelphia. Drexel held a 4-2 lead going into halftime, but the Tigers doubled up the Dragons in goal production in the second half with six goals against three. Senior attackman Ryan Drenner finished the day with four goals on 10 shots while classmates Joe Seider, Tyler Young, Mike Lynch and Brian Bolewicki had one goal apiece. Matt Hoy made his first career start at Vidas Field, turning aside 10 Drexel shots to grab the first victory of his career. Alex Woodall had a strong showing at the X with 12 wins on 18 attempts. The eventual Defensive Player of the Year Tyler Mayes caused havoc on defense with six caused turnovers.

With a Win Thursday
- Towson would advance to its third-straight CAA Championship game and would face the winner of Thursday's second semifinal game between No. 2 Hofstra and No. 3 UMass.
- The Tigers would get their fifth-straight win over Drexel, the longest winning streak in series history since Towson won 10 straight from 1999-2008.
- Towson would end Drexel's season for a third-straight season and would improve to 6-1 in all CAA Tournament meetings against the Dragons.
- Towson would extend its CAA Tournament winning streak to five in a row dating back to the 2015 CAA Tournament hosted by Fairfield.
- Towson would reach the CAA Championship game for a 10th time in program history in its 14th CAA Tournament appearance.

Careers Versus Drexel
Ryan Drenner is the active points leader against Drexel with 19 (9g, 10a), with Joe Seider close behind with 14 points (10g, 4a). Mike Lynch (5g, 2a) is third among active players with seven points. Drenner averages 2.71 points per game in his seven meetings with the Dragons. Tyler Mayes has caused an active-best 2.33 turnovers per game in his six appearances against Drexel while faceoff linemate Alex Woodall is the top specialist against Drexel (12-18/.667).

CAA Semifinal Games
The Tigers will take the field for their 14th CAA Semifinal game on Thursday, and seventh all-time against Drexel. The Tigers are 9-3 all-time in CAA Semifinal games, including three wins in their last four CAA Tournament Semifinals. Thursday's game will be Towson's ninth CAA Semifinal game on home turf, where the Tigers hold a 7-1 mark in CAA Semifinals.

Seniors Have a Day
Following all of the pomp of Senior Day, the then-No. 16 Tigers were led by the Class of 2017 last Saturday. Towson knocked off No. 9 Hofstra 10-8 on April 29, with all 15 points (10g, 5a) racked by the seniors. Tyler Young had a four-goal day on four shots while classmate Joe Seider notched the 19th hat trick of his career. Ryan Drenner led all point getters with five on two goals and three helpers.

Spreading the Wealth...ish
The Tigers improved to 8-4 on the year with their 10-8 win against No. 9 Hofstra on April 29. While Ryan Drenner and Joe Seider lead the offense, Towson has generated game-winning goals from five different sources. Only two players, Brian Bolewicki and Tyler Young, have 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
• Brian Bolewicki - at Delaware - April 15
• Tyler Young - vs. No. 9 Hofstra - April 29

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 44 wins since stepping on campus (though Bolewicki has been here for 53). 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. This class will compete in its fourth-straight CAA Tournament, beginning on Thursday. Should the Tigers win the CAA Tournament, the Class of 2017 will tie last season's class in both win totals and conference championships.

2016 - 46 - (3 Conference Titles)
2017 - 44 - (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 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.

Best Show in Tow(so)n
Four programs from the Old Line State will be in action on Thursday for conference tournaments. But just one of those four will be playing in Maryland: Towson. The No. 12 Tigers host fourth-seeded Drexel on Thursday. UMBC takes on Binghamton at 4:30 p.m. in Albany, New York for the America East Semifinals, No. 1 Maryland plays No. 8 Penn State at 5 p.m. in Columbus, Ohio for the first Big Ten Semifinal, followed by No. 9 Johns Hopkins against host No. 5 Ohio State at 7:30 p.m, also in Columbus.

#22 Hits #25
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 23 goals and 20 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 25 games. His 25 game streak ranks 24th in the country and is the longest active streak in the CAA.

Long Time Ranked
Thursday's game will be the 34th 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 34-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 28 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.

Rankings Percentage Index
The NCAA released its fourth set of RPI numbers this week. With an 8-4 record, the Tigers checked in at No. 11. Towson has the highest RPI of teams in the Colonial Athletic Association. The other three CAA Tournament teams rank as follows: Hofstra - 13; UMass - 25; Drexel - 33.

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 33 caused turnovers this season, bringing his career total to 86, good enough for third all-time at Towson. His 33 forced turnovers this year rank third for a single season and just five shy of Peter Mezzanotte's 2009 mark of 38. Mayes needs just seven 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.

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.

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 a year ago, Towson is currently ranked seventh in Division I in goals allowed per game (8.00). Moreover, Towson has allowed the second-fewest total goals this season (96). Of teams with at least 12 games to their credit, Towson has allowed the fewest total goals, despite four new starters in the backfield. Only two Division I teams have allowed fewer than 100 goals: Towson (96) and Richmond (85).

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 - 85 Career Goals - Shy of 10th (Bobby Griebe, Tom Wagner - 89)
Ryan Drenner - 71 Career Assists - Shy of 10th (Mark Miller, Jeff Peek - 72)
Ryan Drenner - 156 Career Points - Tied for 10th (Three Players - 156) 
Tyler Mayes - 86 Career Caused Turnovers - 3rd All-Time (Ted Turnblacer - 92, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 114 Career Goals - Ranks 3rd All-Time (Kevin Sturm - 125, 2nd)
Joe Seider - 444 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 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

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 38 goals during five CAA games, registering a 7.60 goals against average. Hofstra allowed the second-fewest goals (46) while Thursday's foe, Drexel, allowed 11.00 per CAA game (55 total). Towson is the only team in the CAA this season to hold all five foes under 10 goals.

Top 10 Wins in 2017
Last weekend, 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 111 career goals and needs just three more to catch Engelke.

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 31-15 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 3-3 at Unitas Stadium this season after last weekend's 10-8 win over No. 9 Hofstra.

Local Flare
Not only did the Tigers play nine of their 12 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.

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 headed to 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 April 8 game against UMass, head coach Shawn Nadelen is 39-23 all-time when playing games within Maryland. This season, the Tigers will play nine games in Maryland, including seven at Johnny Unitas Stadium, including the CAA Semifinals on Thursday, May 4. 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 37-5 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 54-8 in that same time, including the 10-8 win over No. 8 Hofstra (April 29). On 35 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 35-0 record.