Opening Faceoff
After a brief stay at Johnny Unitas Stadium, the Tigers hit the road for their next two contests, lining up on Saturday against No. 5 Denver for the nonconference finale. After that, Towson kicks off CAA action on March 31 at Hofstra.

In The National Rankings
It was a quick stay in the national rankings for the Tigers, who slipped back into the receiving votes column after a narrow 10-8 loss to No. 3 Duke. This week, Denver was ranked fifth in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. This weekend's game marks the fourth-straight week the Tigers face a ranked foe and fourth time in the last five tilts.

The Crisscrossing Tigers
Heading out on the road for a pair in the next two weeks, Towson is paced on offense by Jon Mazza (16g, 7a), including a trio of points on Saturday against No. 3 Duke. Timmy Monahan (9g,6a) is nearing the 20-point mark as well after he too turned in a three-point game against the Blue Devils. Jean-Luc Chetner (6g, 6a) is Towson's most-balanced player to date. Towson's starting attack (Mazza, Monahan, Phil Wies) all contributed points in Saturday's rally against Duke. Towson's shooters have improved their aim, putting nearly 50 percent of their total shots on goal in the last three games. The Tiger defense has been much improved as the season has progressed. Shane Brennan's goals against average is down closer to 10 after holding opponents to a combined 22 goals in the last three games. Likewise, the defense in front of him has forced 10 turnovers in the last three games. At the X, Towson has a two-headed monster in Alex Woodall (83-129) and Steven Stillwell (21-31), both of whom are winning at at least a 65 percent clip. 

Scouting the Homestanding Pioneers
Saturday's game will be the second-straight home game for Denver after the Pioneers (5-2) knocked off Ohio State 12-7 last weekend. Ethan Walker (23g, 11a) leads a balanced scoring attack for Denver while Austin French (9g, 17a) is the top feeder for the Pioneers. Colton Jackson (11g, 4a) is nearing the 20-point plateau as well. Faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste has been a one-man wrecking crew this season as he ranks second nationally with a 73.3 faceoff winning percentage, including a perfect 22-of-22 against Cleveland State. Alex Ready has been the steady hand in goal for Denver, making 41 saves in his 323 minutes of action. He has a goals against average of 8.36, but has stopped just 47.7 percent of shots on goal this year.

Towson-Denver History
Saturday's game marks the third-straight season Towson and Denver will square off, dating back to the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers lead the all-time series at 4-2, including a 2-1 mark in the Mile High City. Denver won last year's meeting, staving off a huge second-half Towson rally at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Denver has never won back-to-back games in series history. The Tigers hold the longest winning run in the all-time meetings, capturing victories in the first three meetings in 2000, 2005 and 2008.

Towson-Denver By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 4-2
at Towson Towson 2-1
at Denver Towson 2-1
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting March 19, 2000 (Towson 16-9)
Last Meeting March 25, 2017
#6 Denver 11, #16 Towson 10
Streak Denver +1

Last Time Out vs. Denver | March 25, 2017 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas Stadium
Trailing 9-4 heading into the final quarter, the Tigers rallied, outscoring the visiting Pioneers 7-3 in the final frame. But those three goals held the Tigers in check as Denver won 12-11 at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Ryan Drenner finished with six points on three goals and three assists while classmate Tyler Konen dished out three assists and had one goal for a four-point day. Brian Bolewicki and Zach Goodrich had two goals apiece off the bench for Towson. Ethan Walker had a game-high four goals along with one assist while Colton Jackson notched a hat trick. Alex Ready made 10 saves while faceoff man Trevor Baptiste won 20 of his 26 draws.

With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Cap the nonconference season with a 4-4 overall record, including a 2-2 mark on the road.
- Win back-to-back games at Denver for the first time in series history.
- Collect a third-straight win over an opponent ranked fifth in the most recent USILA Coaches' Poll.
- Improve to 5-6 since 1980 against opponents ranked fifth in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
- Win three-straight games against an opponent ranked fifth in the USILA Coaches' Poll for the first time in program history.

Careers Versus Denver
Twelve current Tigers have suited up in the Black & Gold against the Pioneers. Zach Goodrich and Jon Mazza are the only active pair with two games under their belts against Denver. Goodrich is the active points leader against Denver, striking a pair of goals last year and adding one assist. He added a pair of cuased turnovers to his line as well. Mazza scored once last against the Pioneers last year. Drew Laundry scored in the third quarter of last year's meeting. Josh Miller is the only active goalkeeper with minutes against the Pioneers, playing the first 45 last season at home, making six saves in that span.

On this Date: March 24
March 24 may be the best day for the Tigers to play a Division I lacrosse game. The Tigers are 5-0 all-time on this date during the program's Divison I Era (1980), including a 4-0 mark on the road. Towson won its first-ever March 24 game with a 10-8 decision at Washington & Lee in Lexington, Virginia. Towson played its first four March 24 games on the road. The last time Towson played on this date was the only time in the previous six seasons under head coach Shawn Nadelen, a 13-8 win over visiting Delaware during the 2012 season.

How to Say It: TOWSON
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".

All-Time vs. No. 5
Since elevating to Division I for the 1980 season, Towson is 4-6 all-time against teams ranked fifth in the most recent USILA Coaches' Poll. Towson won its first two meetings against a fifth-ranked team, besting Virginia 14-13 in 1991 and Johns Hopkins 13-12 in 1996. The Tigers hit a six-game slide against fifth-ranked teams before recoving in the two most recent meetings. Towson knocked off No. 5 Johns Hopkins 7-5 to open the 2015 season before besting Loyola 10-8 on the road in 2016. Towson will be looking for its third-straight win over a No. 5 team for the first time in program history.

Nadelen vs. The Top 5
To be the best, you have to square up against the best. Head Coach Shawn Nadelen has never shied away from playing the best programs in the country, taking on teams ranked in the Top 20 of the USILA Coaches' Poll on 44 previous ocassions. Saturday's game will be the 45th time Nadelen leads the Tigers into a game against a top 20 program and will be the 14th game against a top five foe. Since taking over the program in 2012, Nadelen is 4-9 against top five schools, including a 1-3 mark at home. The win was one all Towson fans will remember as the unranked Tigers knocked off No. 5 Johns Hopkins 7-5 in the 2015 season opener. Saturday's game will be Towson's first road game against a fifth-ranked team since a 10-8 win at Loyola in 2016.

Less is More
Sometimes less is more. For junior attackman Timmy Monahan, this has been the case this season. After ripping 11 shots against Johns Hopkins in the season opener, and failing to score, Monahan has worked for higher-quality shots. Since that game, Monahan has not taken double-digit shots, but has scored all 15 of his points in the ensuing six games.

ATTACK!
Towson's starting attack unit, Jon Mazza, Timmy Monahan and Phil Wies, got their scoring together in Saturday's six-goal run against the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. The trio combined for five points in the six-goal burst, including a pair of goals from Mazza, a goal and assist from Monahan and an assist from Wies.

Start Me Up
A young offense has been paced by its starting core of attackmen and midfielders this season. Jon Mazza, Timmy Monahan and Phil Wies have accounted for 43 points (29g, 14a) as the starting attack unit while the starting midfield of Grant Maloof, Brendan Sunday and Jean-Luc Chetner have a combined 32 points (24g, 8a). Towson's starting offense has tallied a combined 75 points (53g, 22a), accounting for 88.2 percent of Towson's offense this season.

But Don't Forget the Bench
Despite nearly 90 percent of the offense coming from starters, the Tigers get points from players off the bench as well. Nine non-offensive starters have scored points this year, including two goals from short stick defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich.

Another Rookie of the Week
For a second time this season, a Towson Tiger was tapped as the CAA Rookie of the Week as redshirt freshman Shane Brennan was selected on Monday afternoon. He joined true freshman Phil Wies with the weekly honor after Brennan turned aside 16 shots in a 7-6 win at No. 13/No. 14 Ohio State on Saturday. The 16 saves reset Brennan's career-best, topping his mark of 14 set earlier this year at No. 9 Loyola. 

A program known to develop talent with only a handful of freshmen seeing significant minutes, the last time Towson had a pair of CAA Rookies of the Week was during the 2014 season as Joe Seider and Ryan Drenner earned honors.

Double the Honors
After earning CAA Rookie of the Week plaudits, Shane Brennan earned more weekly honors as he was selected as the US Lacrosse Player of the Week following Saturday's 7-6 overtime win at No. 13/No. 14 Ohio State.

Welcome to the Program, Chinny!
In advance of Saturday's game, the Tigers will add one more member to the program as Chinny Hackley signs an "NLI" and becomes an honorary member of the Towson University men's lacrosse team. The 10 year old brain cancer survivor elected to take a trip to Johnny Unitas Stadium with his grandparents as part of a family tradition. Chinny will be with the program all day sporting his jersey number, 30, on the sidelines with the Tigers.

One and Done
Since head coach Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012, the Tigers have found themselves in plenty of tight contests. Saturday's game at No. 13/No. 14 Ohio State marked the 28th time Towson was involved in a one-goal game. And the Tigers have flexed their clutch muscles in those games, improving to 20-8 in games decided by one goal thanks to a 7-6 overtime win. In overtime games, Towson is now 4-3 and has won its last two extra-stanza contests, both coming on the road at Ohio Stadium. 

Tewaaraton Watch List
On Thursday evening, the Tewaaraton Foundation announced its annual watch list, naming 50 male student-athletes from all three division and 50 female student-athletes from all three divisions as players to watch for the coveted player of the year award. 

Towson junior defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich was selected to the Watch List and is one of four CAA members to be named. The two-time captain and Second Team All-American will look to make the cut later this season when the next round of watch listers is announced on March 22.

Bringing a Piece of Home With You
Interstate 70, which traverses nearly the entire United States, makes its humble start of the I-695 loop near Towson University. Despite covering roughly 4,000 miles for its next three games, at Ohio State, home against Duke and at Denver, the Tigers will be a missed shot away from I-70. Over the next three weeks, the farthest Towson will play from I-70, ironically, will be on March 17 at home. It is roughly 20 miles from Unitas Stadium to the start of I-70. This Saturday, Towson will play roughly five miles away from I-70, while playing roughly eight miles from I-70 at Denver's Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.

EVENly Spread Out
As mentioned in the Rookie of the Week note for Shane Brennan, a Tiger has been named CAA Rookie of the Week 12 times since Towson joined the league. Of those 12, nine have been named Rookie of the Week in even-numbered years. The last Tigers to win CAA Rookie of the Week in an odd-numbered year were Eric Boyle and Cryder DiPietro.

2018 Captains
At the program's annual Face-Off Night, head coach Shawn Nadelen made the announcement of the program's captain trio for the upcoming season: Junior shortstick defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich, a two-time captain, senior midfielder Cole Robertson and senior defensive midfielder Adam Ceribelli.

Conference History
For the first time in CAA history, a midfielder was named CAA Preseason Player of the Year, according to a poll of the league's head coaches. And it was not an offensive midfielder: defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich was selected as the top player in the league. He is just the second non-attackman to be named and second defensive player to earn the honor after former Penn State goalie Austin Kaut was selected.

Youth Movement
Towson will be a young but experienced team this season. At the onset of the 2018 season, there are 21 true freshmen or redshirt freshmen on the roster. That amounts to nearly 40 percent of the roster. Below is a roster breakdown by class

Freshmen: 18 | Redshirt Freshmen: 3
Sophomores: 11 | Redshirt Sophomores: 1
Juniors: 11 | Redshirt Juniors: 2
Seniors: 7 | Redshirt Seniors: 1

No Rest for the Weary
Coming off the success of 2017, the Tigers will take on another challenging schedule in 2018. Of the 20 teams on the USILA Division I Men's Lacrosse Preseason Coaches' Poll, Towson will take on six, including five on the road. Rankings below are based on the Preseason Poll.

Feb. 10 at No. 11 Johns Hopkins | Feb. 28 at No. 13 Loyola | March 10 at No. 8 Ohio State
March 17 vs. No. 2 Duke | March 24 at No. 4 Denver | March 31 at No. 19 Hofstra

In Minto Condition
It was a busy summer for redshirt junior Dylan Kinnear. In addition to the Tigers' run to Championship Weekend and the overseas trip to Ireland, Kinnear suited up in the box for the Okotoks Raiders, Junior A Lacrosse Club.

Kinnear helped lead the Raiders to the Minto Cup Tournament after capturing the Alberta Provence championship. The Calgary native finished his nine games with 25 goals and 20 assists as a transition player.

And Miles to Go Before I Sleep
Through the first month of the 2018 season, Towson will not have very far to travel. In addition to a pair of home games against Mount St. Mary's (Feb. 17) and Georgetown (Feb. 24), the Tigers will make two quick trips down Charles Street. Between Unitas Stadium, Homewood Field and the Ridley Athletic Complex, Towson will cover just 20 miles in February.

And then March hits. 

Towson host two games in March: UMBC on March 3 and Duke on March 17. In between the games is a plane trip to Columbus to take on Ohio State (March 10), followed by a flight to Denver (March 24) and bus ride to Hofstra (March 31). 

Round trip to the three March road games covers over 4,600 miles. On April 14, Towson will head to Amherst, Massachusetts to face UMass, another 712 miles.

The Neighbors to the North
Towson's roster has three Canadians: fifth-year Richmond Transfer Jean-Luc Chetner (British Columbia), redshirt junior Dylan Kinnear (Alberta) and Brody McLean (Ontario).

Transfer Tigers
It was a busy offseason for the Towson compliance office as the Tigers welcome six transfers to the program this spring. In addition to four in the previous two seasons, the newest crop of Tigers include transfers Timmy Monahan (Maryland), Luke Fromert (Mercer), Jean-Luc Chetner (Richmond), Brody McLean (Stony Brook), Tyler Canto (UMass Lowell) and Spencer Coyle (Navy).

Previous transfers included Sid Ewell (CCBC Essex), Alex Woodall (High Point), Johnny Giuffreda (Loyola) and Dylan Kinnear (Ohio State). 

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 35-17 all-time at Minnegan Field, including a 2-2 mark this season. In 2016, the Tigers set a program record for home wins, going 11-1 at Unitas Stadium. The Tigers have never suffered a losing mark at home under Nadelen, logging three 4-3 seasons (2012, 2013, 2015) at home. During the 2014 campaign, the Tigers finished with a 6-3 mark at home. 

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 41-7 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 60-8 in that same time, including a 7-6 overtime win at No. 13/No. 14 Ohio State. On 37 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 37-0 record.