If you are a fan of Towson athletics, there are a few teams you get extra satisfaction out of beating. In football it is Delaware or James Madison. In basketball, it's Delaware and Loyola. In lacrosse it's Loyola and Johns Hopkins.

Some of the best football games have come between the Tigers and the Blue Hens. There was 1993's 32-30 win in Newark. In 2005 Sean Schaefer outdueled Joe Flacco 35-31. The Tigers had a big overtime win over the Blue Hens in 2012, 34-27. But there have been some rough losses. In 2013 the Blue Hens came from way back to beat the Tigers 32-31 in Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. This past year, the Tigers lost another heartbreaker in Newark 40-36.

In basketball, Towson gets to play the Blue Hens twice a year. Three times if they meet in the conference tournament. Beating Loyola, in anything, is always a happy day.

In lacrosse though, there has been one yearly matchup that has always been in the craw of the Tigers. Hopkins, the New York Yankees of college lacrosse. A team Towson could never beat. The series started in 1977. It took Carl Runk's teams 13 years to get their first victory on a Glenn Smith goal to win in two overtimes 9-8. As Sports Information Director Emeritus Pete Schlehr always used to say "that's the biggest goal in Towson lacrosse history."

The Tigers would beat JHU three years later, on one of the most impressive goals you will ever see. With just seconds remaining, John Blatchley hit Joe Genevese on the crease as the clock expired. Genevese hit the game winner and the Tigers celebrated a 14-13 victory. The Tigers would beat Hopkins in 1996 and then the drought began.

Tony Seaman became the Towson head coach in 1999. He had just been let go by Hopkins. Tony is a Hall of Fame coach, taking three different schools to the NCAA Final Four, Penn, Hopkins and Towson. But Coach Seaman could never beat his former team.

For 19 years, the Tigers could not beat the Blue Jays. There were three one-goal losses and three two goal losses. Each one more excruciating than the next. The players tried so hard to get Coach Seaman the victory he so desperately wanted. But they never could.

Then it finally happened. Coach Seaman's assistant, Shawn Nadelen, was promoted to head coach when Coach Seaman stepped down after 2011. But Coach Nadelen, a standout defenseman for the Blue Jays, couldn't beat his alma mater the first three years he had a shot.

In 2015 the Tigers did it. On a cold Tuesday night in February, Towson beat the Blue Jays 7-5. The Tigers lost at Homewood in 2016. Then won at The U in 2017. Then lost at Homewood in 2018.

That brings us to this past Saturday. Trailing the series 41-5, the Tigers fell behind Johns Hopkins 4-2 at the end of the first quarter. Then the onslaught began. The Tigers drilled the Blue Jays for nine consecutive goals. I don't think any Towson fan could have been this excited since Joe Seider's brilliant goal late in the first half against Syracuse to help send the Tigers to the final four in 2017. But there was still almost a half of lacrosse left.

Leading 10-4 at the half, the Tigers never took their collective foot off the gas. They cruised to a 17-8 victory. It was by far Towson's largest margin of victory against the Blue Jays. It was the most goals the Tigers ever scored against the Blue Jays. They beat them in every phase of the game. That, has never happened.

As the broadcast was coming to an end, I said something to my great analyst and former Towson great Hunter Lochte that I never thought I would ever say. "Hunter, I kind of feel sorry for the Blue Jays." On further reflection, no I don't. But is sure is fun knowing that this has now become a true rivalry. It has been a long time coming.

Hunter and John Stark will have the call as the Tigers take on Mount St. Mary's this Friday at 3 p.m. from Emmitsburg, Maryland starting at 2:45 p.m. on TowsonTigers.com

I'll be with you Thursday night at 6:45 p.m. and Saturday at 1:45 p.m. when the Towson men's basketball team takes on the Blue Hens and then the Drexel Dragons. Don't forget, Saturday is Autism Awareness Day at SECU Arena. Both of those games will be on CBS Sports Radio 1300 and TowsonTigers,com.

Until next week, GO TIGERS!!!