Opening Faceoff
The No. 5 Tigers make their second trip to North Carolina in as many weekends as Towson continues its series with Duke. Last weekend, the Tigers were in Charlotte for The Crown Lacrosse Event, splitting the weekend with a win over Jacksonville, but falling to No. 3 Cornell.

In The National Rankings
After a split weekend, the Tigers remain in the top five of all three national polls, holding down the number five spot in each ranking. The Blue Devils of Duke University were slotted second in the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll while sitting in eighth in the US Lacrosse Magazine Top 20.

The Carolina-Bound Tigers
It's another weekend in the Tar Heel State for the Tigers as Towson makes its first trip to Koskinen Stadium since the 2013 season. Brendan Sunday (19-12-31) continues his scoring output with a team-best 31 points. Brody McLean (17-4-21) joined the 20-point club over the weekend while Luke Fromert (11-4-15) is inching closer. Fromert ended the Crown Lacrosse Event with a four-point outburst against No. 3 Cornell. The Tigers are averaging 13.5 goals per game in 2019 and have scored in double figures in all six games to date. At the faceoff X, Alex Woodall is winning at a prolific rate, going 117-155 (.755), ranking second in the country and just .005 percentage points behind Yale's TD Ierlan. In goal, Tyler Canto has played 330 of the 360 minutes this season. He has made 68 saves at a 54.0 percent rate. He carries a 10.55 goals against average. Shane Brennan played in relief in Sunday's game against Cornell. Gray Bodden leads Towson's defense with 12 caused turnovers while Koby Smith has forced nine while adding eight points (5g, 3a). Zach Goodrich has caused seven turnovers

Scouting the Home-Standing Blue Devils
Saturday's 1 p.m. showdown will round out a three-game home stand for Duke at Koskinen Stadium. The Blue Devils are on a six-game winning streak, with their lone loss coming on Feb. 6 against High Point. Joe Robertson (24-10-34) leads Duke's scoring efforts with 34 points with Brad Smith (11-13-24) and Joey Manown (15-6-21) close behind. Smith is the top feeder for Duke. The Blue Devils average 13.00 goals per game while limiting teams to 8.25 per outing. Cade Van Raaphorst (12) and JT Giles-Harris (11) are the only Duke players with double-digit caused turnovers, forcing 11 each. Faceoffs will likely be the X factor on Saturday. Duke's Brian Smyth has won 100 of his 155 draws, a 64.5 winning percentage with 65 ground balls. Turner Upgren has played the bulk of time in goal, starting all seven games for 406 minutes. He has 57 saves at a 47.9 percent rate. David McCann has played in 70 minutes and has 12 saves at a 63.2 percent clip.

Towson-Duke History
Towson and Duke will meet on the lacrosse field for the 11th time on Saturday and in back-to-back seasons for the first time since seven-straight in 1966-72. Towson leads the all-time series 7-3 but fell 10-8 at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium last year. The all-time series is even in Durham, with either side winning twice. Duke won the last game in Durham 12-4 in 2013.

Towson-Duke By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 7-3
at Towson Towson 4-1
at Duke Even 2-2
at Neutral Sites Towson 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting May 6, 1966 (Towson 14-7)
Last Meeting  March 17, 2018 
#3 Duke 10, Towson 8
Streak Towson -2

Last Time Out vs. Duke | March 17, 2018 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas ® Stadium
Towson held an 8-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Blue Devils scored three-straight goals to close the game for a 10-8 win at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. The Tigers got three points each from Jon Mazza and Timmy Monahan, both scoring two goals with one assist. Shane Brennan made 13 saves in goal for Towson. The Tigers split time at the X with Alex Woodall (6-10) and Steven Stillwell (7-11) to win that battle 13-21. Justin Guterding and Peter Conley scored four points each on three goals and one assist. 

With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Give Towson its first win over Duke since a 12-10 victory in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
- See Towson go 2-1 in the state of North Carolina this season.
- Be Towson's third-straight win over a team ranked second in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
- See Towson win its third game this season over a top-10 team and improve Towson to 4-1 against ranked foes.
- Improve Towson to 3-2 all-time in Durham against the Blue Devils.
- Give the Tigers an 8-3 lead in the all-time series.
- Hand Shawn Nadelen the 78th win of his career.
- Be the Tigers' first win over an ACC program since besting Syracuse 10-7 in the 2017 NCAA Quarterfinals.
- Improve the Tigers to 3-0 on the road this season with previous wins over The Mount and No. 16 Georgetown.

2019 MLL Draft Results
Three Towson University Tigers were selected in this year's Major League Lacrosse Draft, hosted at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Faceoff specialist Alex Woodall was the first overall draft pick as the Ohio Machine claimed him to begin the event. Defensive midfielder Zach Goodrich was selected third overall as the Boston Cannons claimed the two-time All-American. Breakout attackman Brendan Sunday was snagged 13th overall by the Atlanta Blaze.

February Stars
It may be cold outside, but the Tigers are a hot team in the month of February. All-time, the program is 24-19 in the second month of the calendar year, including a 17-11 mark under head coach Shawn Nadelen. This year's senior class is 10-3 all-time in the month of February, including perfect seasons in 2016 (3-0), 2017 (2-0) and 2019 (4-0). This year's squad went 4-0, the most wins for any season in the month of February.

Sort of Familiar
Saturday's game will be the second time this spring that the Tigers will play an ACC program, albeit, the first official contest. The Tigers scrimmaged at the University of Virginia in early February.

Rank and File
Saturday will be the Tigers' fifth game this season against an opponent ranked in the USILA Division I polls. The Tigers are currently 3-1 against the top 20. A win on Saturday would give Towson its fourth win over a ranked team just seven games in. The Tigers have not beaten four ranked teams in a single season since the 2017 campaign when Towson went 4-4 versus ranked opponents, collecting wins over No. 6 Johns Hopkins (13-8), No. 9 Hofstra (10-8), No. 13 Penn State (12-8, NCAA First Round) and No. 2 Syracuse (10-7, NCAA Quarterfinals).

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".

Yes My Queen.
Last week's games were the second and third time this season the Tigers took the field in a city named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Earlier this year, the Tigers played in an exhibition game against the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is also named for the former Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Stay on the Grass
After going nearly six years without playing a game on a natural surface, the Tigers will play their third-straight game on grass after playing a pair at a rain-soaked Sportsplex at Matthews in Charlotte, North Carolina. Towson is 1-1 on natural surfaces this season. Prior to The Crown Lacrosse Event, Towson's last game on a grass field was a March 16, 2013 in a showdown at No. 17 Duke.

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.

All-Time vs. Number Two
Saturday's game will be the third time in the last four seasons the Tigers will play an opponent ranked second in that week's USILA Coaches' Poll. The Tigers are 2-17 all-time against second-ranked foes, but have won the last two meetings, knocking off No. 2 Denver 10-9 in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament before eliminating No. 2 Syracuse 10-7 in the 2017 NCAA Quarterfinals. 

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, Marylander has made a lasting impact already with his 473 faceoffs in the Black & Gold. He currently ranks second all-time in program history, surpassing Matt Eckerl (466) in the game against No. 3/No. 2 Cornell. Up next on the list is the top spot, currently held by Justin Berry who won 507 faceoffs from 1998-2001.

All-Time Faceoff Leader Board
1. 507 Justin Berry 1998-01
2. 473 Alex Woodall 2017-Pres. (Career at Towson)
3. 466 Matt Eckerl 2004-07
4. 411 Scott Mullins 1983-86
5. 375 Mark Goers 1993-95

All-Time vs. Number One
The February 27 showdown with Loyola was the 27th meeting all-time in the Division I Era (1980) against a team ranked first in the USILA Coaches' Poll. Towson had not played the number one team in the country since the 2012 CAA Semifinals against UMass in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Tigers, in their first season under Shawn Nadelen, fell 10-3 on the road against a loaded Minutemen squad that featured Doc Schneider in goal and Will Manny at attack.

The Tigers squared off with a Loyola squad ranked first on three previous occasions. Towson is 2-1 in those match ups, win 12-10 in the most recent tussle on Feb. 27, 2019 and now has two home wins over No. 1 Loyola, including an 8-7 overtime thriller on April 4, 1992.

Towson is now 3-24 all-time against number one teams. The first win over number one in program history served as the Tigers' first-ever win over Johns Hopkins, a 9-8 overtime win on May 6, 1989.

Rack 'em Up x6 (maybe 7?)
A program noted for its defense, this season the offense has stepped up and averages 13.5 goals per game. The Tigers have hit double figures in all six games to open the 2019 campaign, scoring 17, 12, 14, 12, 15 and 11. 

Towson opened the 1994 campaign with nine-straight games in double figures, the last time the Tigers opened the season with that many double figure goal efforts.

X Marks the Spot
Alex Woodall has won double-digit draws in each of this last 10 games, including a 22-of-26 effort against No. 2 Cornell. Over that stretch, he has won 180 of his 240 draws, a remarkable 75.0 winning percentage at the X. Woodall has grabbed 122 ground balls in that span.

Hats Off!
Entering the 2018 season, Towson's active roster had combined for four 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 nine hat tricks. Brendan Sunday leads the way with three in the first four games while Brody McLean has a trio. Grant Maloof, Timmy Monahan and Luke Fromert have one apiece. Sunday had a "sock trick" with six goals in the season opener on Feb. 9.

Sunday's game against No. 2 Cornell marked the first time this season that a Tiger failed to score at least three goals.

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.

Towson vs. The DMV (as of Monday, March 13)
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 21-6 .778
Loyola 24-9 .727
Towson 27-15 .643
Johns Hopkins 27-15 .643
Georgetown 10-15 .400
UMBC 6-20 .231
Navy 6-21 .222
The Mount 3-25 .107

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 12-10 win over No. 1 Loyola on Feb. 27 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 (as of March 13)
Towson: 41-18
Hofstra: 36-24
Drexel: 31-18
UMass: 31-22
Fairfield: 31-25
Delaware: 25-31 

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 31-25 (.554) 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.

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

One and Done
Since head coach Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012, the Tigers have found themselves in some tight contests. The April 28 game against Fairfield marked the 30th time Towson was involved in a one-goal game. And the Tigers have flexed their clutch muscles in those games, sitting at 21-9 in games decided by one goal after an 8-7 win at home. In overtime games, Towson is now 4-4 and has won two of its last three extra-stanza contests, both wins coming on the road at Ohio Stadium. 

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 47-7 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 67-10 in that same time after a 14-8 win at No. 16 Georgetown. On 42 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 42-0 record.