Opening Faceoff
It's back-to-back road games for the No. 9 Tigers as Towson makes its biannual trip to our nation's capital to take on No. 16 Georgetown. Towson will be out to avenge a 12-10 loss at the hands of the eventual 2018 Big East Champion Hoyas

In The National Rankings
The Tigers moved up in two of the three polls this week, occupying the nine spot on the USILA Coaches' Poll and the eight slot in the US Lacrosse Top 20. The Tigers held firm at seventh in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Likewise, Georgetown found itself in the polls, slotting in at 16th in the Coaches' Poll and 18th in the Media Poll.

The Road-Tripping x2 Tigers
Towson makes its second road trip of the season, taking a day trip to Washington, D.C. Towson's offense has been strong in the early going, averaging 14.50 goals per game. Towson's offense is led by Brendan Sunday (7g, 3a) and his 10 points, with Brody McLean (8g, 1a) nipping at his heels with nine. Timmy Monahan (1g, 5a) has been Towson's best feeder this year, with Sunday and defenseman Koby Smith (2g, 3a) ranking second in assists. Luke Fromert (4g, 1a) turned in his first career hat trick last week at The Mount, including two extra-man tallies. Defensively, Towson has been in lockdown mode this season, forcing 20 opponent miscues. Gray Bodden has had six of those caused turnovers, with Smith causing four. At the X, Towson has been a force, with Alex Woodall (33-48) winning at a 68.8 percent clip, overcoming a slow start at The Mount. He leads with 24 ground ball. In net, the Billerica Backstop Tyler Canto has made 28 saves, including 18 last week in Emmitsburg. He carries a 7.50 goals against average and stops at a .651 rate.

Scouting the Untravelled Hoyas
Saturday's game rounds out a three-game homestand to open the season for No. 16 Georgetown (2-0). Daniel Bucaro (7g, 6a) leads the Hoyas in nearly offensive category except for shots, which is paced by 22 from Jake Carraway (6g, 5a). Bucaro has both of the Hoyas' extra-man goals to date. Patrick Aslanian has caused a team-best seven turnovers and has snarred 11 ground balls. At the X, Georgetown has struggled, with James Reilly winning 18 of his 37 draws (.486) with six ground balls. Three Hoyas have taken faceoffs so far in 2019. Owen McElroy has played all 120 minutes in goal, making 31 saves at a .596 percent rate. He enters Saturday's showdown with a 10.50 goals against average have surrendered double-digit goals in two games this season.

Towson-Georgetown History
Saturday's matchup with be the 10th meeting all-time between these DMV foes. Towson leads the all-time series at 7-2, dropping a 12-10 decision at home last season, snapping a four-game winning streak for the Tigers against Georgetown. In Towson's Division I Era (1980), the Tigers are 4-2 since a 2004 postseason game won by Georgetown 15-8. Saturday marks the seventh-straight season these competitors will meet. Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen is 4-1 all-time against the Hoyas.

Towson-Georgetown By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 7-2
at Towson Towson 2-1
at Georgetown Towson 2-1
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites Towson 3-0
First Meeting April 10, 1963 (Towson 15-3)
Last Meeting  Feb. 23, 2018 
Georgetown 12, rv/#19 Towson 10
Streak Towson -1

Last Time Out vs. Georgetown | Feb. 24, 2018 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas ® Stadium
A second-half surge by Georgetown put things out of reach for the Tigers, who fell 12-10 at home last season. After a 5-3 first quarter for Towson, the Hoyas outscored Towson 9-5 over the final 45 minutes. Timmy Monahan is Towson's top scoring returner from last season's showdown, netting two goals. Grant Maloof and Brendan Sunday potted one goal each. Alex Woodall won 17 of his 25 faceoffs while grabbing 13 ground balls. Towson served just one penalty on the day as Gray Bodden was called for a slash in the fourth quarter. Georgetown's Daniel Bucaro led the day with six points on four goals and two assists.

With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Improve to 3-0 for the first time since opening 2016 with a 5-0 record.
- See Towson go to 2-0 on the road this season.
- Hand Shawn Nadelen the 75th win of his career.
- Improve Nadelen to 5-1 all-time against Georgetown.
- Be Towson's second-straight win over a ranked opponent following a 17-8 victory over then-No. 7 Johns Hopkins.
- Level Towson's all-time record against teams ranked 16th to 7-7.
- Half Towson's four-game slide against teams ranked 16th in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
- Be Nadelen's 16th career win over a top-20 opponent.

Chrome Dome
For a third-straight week, the Tigers will break out new lids for a nonconference game. This week, the Tigers will sport matte gunmetal chrome Cascade S helmets with the Tiger head mark in chrome on the sides of the helmets.

Last week, the Tigers broke out their matte black Cascade S helmets with the new Towson University mark, TU, on one side and each players' respective numbers on the opposite side. Two weeks ago, Towson wore throwback-style decals featuring "panels" a la bucket helmets from back in the day.

CB30 Award
Over the summer, Towson Lacrosse great Carl Beernink passed away. An integral part of the program's rise to dominance in the 1990s, Carl was a leader and inspiration to the program both on and off the field. This season, Zach Goodrich will wear a CB30 patch in place of his captain's C to honor the late Carl Beernink. This annual award will be given to a Towson player who embodies the fighting spirit of Carl Beernink.

Throwing it Back
For two games this season, the Towson University men's lacrosse team will wear throwback porthole-style jerseys, including Saturday's season opener against Johns Hopkins. The second game will be Saturday, March 30 against Hofstra.

The kit harkens back to the program's golden years in the early 90s, including a run to the national championship game in 1991. The gold jerseys feature the word Towson across the chest with black and white pipping on the neck and sleeves. The CAA logo is emblazoned on the left sleeve while the American flag is on the back shoulder panel.

Towson's Cascade S helmets feature decals akin to the bucket-helmet style helmets worn back in the day. Included in the decals on the back panel are laces, a nod to the tie-back style of the helmets from yesteryear. On the side of the helmets is an old school Towson logo, similar to the style worn in the 1990s.

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".

Climbing the Charts
Senior faceoff specialist Alex Woodall is in his third season with the program after transfering from High Point University following his rookie season. The Annapolis, Maryland has made a lasting impact already with his 389 faceoffs in the Black & Gold. He currently ranks fourth all-time in program history, surpassing Mark Goers (375) in the win over Johns Hopkins. Up next on the list is Scott Mullins, who won 411 draws from 1983-86. Towson Hall of Famer Justin Berry holds the program record with 507 from 1998-2001.

All-Time Faceoff Leader Board
1. 507 Justin Berry 1998-01
2. 466 Matt Eckerl 2004-07
3. 411 Scott Mullins 1983-86
4. 389 Alex Woodall 2017-Pres. (Career at Towson)
5. 375 Mark Goers 1993-95

Rack 'em Up x2 (maybe 3?)
In the Tigers' season opener, Towson hung 17 goals against No. 7 Johns Hopkins. It was the most goals scored by the Tigers against the Blue Jays in series history. Noted by Spiro Morekas, it was also the most goals scored by the Tigers in a season opener since tagging UMBC for 18 to open the 1998 season. It marked the second time in the last four games at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium the Tigers scored 17 goals after besting CAA rival Drexel 17-9 on April 6, 2018.

With the 12-7 win over Mount St. Mary's last Friday, the Tigers surpassed the 10-goal mark in back to back games. It is the first time since besting The Mount 15-13 and falling to Georgetown 12-10 that Towson scored double-digit goals in back-to-back games.

Towson had not scored double-digit goals in the first two games of the season since the 2017 campaign, sticking The Mount for 13 before hanging 11 at Georgetown.

The Tigers have not scored double-digit goals in the first three games of the year since 2002, logging games of 15, 23 and 10.

X Marks the Spot
With his dominate performance at the X against Hopkins, going 21-of-28 and a 12-of-20 showing at The Mount, senior faceoff expert Alex Woodall has won double-digit draws in each of this last six games. Over that stretch, he has won 96 of his 133 draws, a remarkable 72.2 winning percentage at the X. Woodall has grabbed 62 ground balls in that span.

Hats Off!
Entering the 2018 season, Towson's active roster had combined for six hat tricks. Brendan Sunday had three, Matt Sovero had two and Timmy Monahan had one.

Kicking off the 2019 campaign, the Tigers have already turned in four hat tricks. Brody McLean has a pair while Brendan Sunday and Luke Fromert have one apiece. Sunday had a "sock trick" with six goals the season opener on Feb. 9.

Sunday on a Saturday
Brendan Sunday had himself a nice little Saturday against Johns Hopkins as he scored a "sock trick" with six goals. He added two assists for a tidy little eight-point afternoon. He became the first Towson player to score six goals in a game since Jon Mazza notched the equal number against Mount St. Mary's in 2017. He is the first Tiger to score six goals at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium since Jonathan Engelke hit for eight against Villanova on April 3, 2004, a 20-11 Tiger victory.

We Have the Need for Speed
Six times in the win over Johns Hopkins, the Tigers scored within one minute of the game's previous goal. Three times the Tigers did it off a Hopkins goal to eliminate the threat of a scoring run. 

The Alex Woodall to Brendan Sunday goal in the fourth quarter tied the NCAA record for fastest goals between opponents as the duo combined three seconds after Hopkins' goal at 7:35.

Wearing the C
This season, head coach Shawn Nadelen and his staff announced four student-athletes that will serve as captains for the 2019 season.

Senior defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich is the program's first-ever three-time captain.

Senior attackman Brendan Sunday will be a first-time captain.

Senior defensive midfielder Jimmie Wilkerson will be a first-time captain.

Senior faceoff specialist Alex Woodall will be a first-time captain.

Sunday, Wilkerson and Woodall will wear captains' Cs on their jerseys while Goodrich will have the CB30 patch in lieu of the captains letter.

Weekly Honors: Week of Feb. 18
It was another solid showing for the Towson University men's lacrosse team in its second game of the season as Towson topped Mount St. Mary's 12-7.

One Tiger earned weekly honors.
Koby Smith: NewDay USA Male Student-Athlete of the Week on TowsonTigers.com.

Towson vs. The DMV
Competition among the eight Division I Men's Lacrosse teams in the Greater DMV is always fierce. Since head coach Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012, the Tigers are 24-15 against a combination of Maryland, Loyola, Hopkins, Georgetown, UMBC, Navy and Mount St. Mary's. 

Team Record Winning Percentage
Maryland 20-6 .769
Loyola 24-8 .750
Johns Hopkins 26-15 .634
Towson 25-15 .625
Georgetown 9-14 .390
Navy 6-20 .230
UMBC 5-20 .200
The Mount 3-20 .130

Home Cooking
As the 2019 season got underway, the Tigers have some home cooking to look forward to. The Tigers opened the 2019 home slate with a dominating 17-8 win over No. 7 Johns Hopkins on Feb. 9 after capping last year's regular season with back-to-back home games at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium, which is a good thing. Since head coach Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012, no current member of the CAA has won more home games than the Tigers. 

Team: Home Record Since 2012
Towson: 40-18
Hofstra: 35-22
Drexel: 30-18
UMass: 30-22
Fairfield: 30-23
Delaware: 23-31 

Near. Far. Wherever You Are.
Playing for the home crowd is always a pleasure for any team. But the Tigers have had success on the road in the Shawn Nadelen Era as well. Since taking over the program in 2012, the Tigers have racked a 29-25 (.537) record in road games.

Community Service National Champions
In the fall 2018 semester the Towson University athletic teams completed the most community service hours among all schools in the NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Competition. Tiger student-athletes and staff completed 5,583 hours of community service from September to November in the Greater Baltimore Area. Towson's national championship in community service was celebrated at the Feb. 14th men's basketball game against Delaware.

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 63 total wins in the CAA, four 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 10 times, bringing home the trophy on a league-record six occasions.

Team: Wins (CAA Titles, Last)
Towson: 63 (7, 2017)
Hofstra: 59 (2, 2008)
Drexel: 50 (1, 2014)
Delaware: 35 (3, 2011)
UMass: 26 (2, 2018)
Fairfield: 11 (0) 

How Big is a Tiger?
Not only has the roster size gotten larger this year, but the student-athletes that comprise have gotten bigger as well. Since Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012, the Tigers have gotten bigger and heavier. As researched by former Media Relations Student Intern Zoë Winslow, below are the average heights (in inches) and weights (in pounds) for the last seven Towson University men's lacrosse teams.
2012: 71.2 / 182.3
2013: 71.4 / 182.3
2014: 71.5 / 182.7
2015: 71.5 / 184.2
2016: 71.4 / 183.9
2017: 72.0 / 187.9
2018: 72.0 / 187.2
2019: 72.4 / 190.3

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 45-7 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 66-10 in that same time after a 12-7 win at Mount St. Mary's. On 41 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 41-0 record.