Opening Faceoff
After back-to-back weekends in North Carolina, the Towson Tigers return to the friendly confines of Johnny Unitas ® Stadium on Saturday to open a two-game home stand. Saturday's showdown will be the Tigers' final nonconfernece game of the regular season.

In The National Rankings
The Tigers remained in the top 10 in all three national polls this week, sitting in seventh in the USILA Coaches Poll while ranking eighth in both the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and the US Lacrosse Magazine Division I Top 20. Denver is ranked 13th in both the Coaches' and Media Polls while ranking 10th in the US Lacrosse Poll.

The Homecoming Tigers
After three-straight games in North Carolina, the Tigers return home to Johnny Unitas Stadium for a brawl with Denver. The Tigers are paced offensively by Brendan Sunday (23-13-36), who has already out-paced his career best from last season. Brody McLean (18-4-22) has joined him in the 20-point club while a balanced Timmy Monahan (9-8-17) is closing in on the mark. Luke Fromert (11-4-15) and Grant Maloof (9-4-13) represent other Tigers in double-figure points. Off the ground, Alex Woodall leads the Tigers with 100 ground balls to date. He had 101 ground balls through all 15 games of the 2018 season. He is already in the program's single-season top 10 for ground balls. He has been a force at the X as well, winning 136 of his 179 draws to date (.760). McLean leads Towson's resurgent extra-man unit with three goals after the Tigers went 3-for-4 at No. 2 Duke last week. Towson's defense has been stout this season, allowing just 34.9 shots per game and just over 10 goals allowed per game. Tyler Canto has played 390 minutes in goal and has made 84 saves to date.

Scouting the East-Coasting Pioneers
The 4-2 Pioneers are in the midst of a long stretch away from home, playing in their third-straight away from Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Denver's last game was March 9 in California, a 10-7 loss to Notre Dame. Ethan Walker (15-6-21) leads Denver's offense, with Ellis Geis (12-6-18) close behind. The Pioneers are a balanced scoring team with four players in double figures, with another three nearing that mark. Freshman Brett Boos has filled in at the X for the graduated Trevor Baptiste. Boos has won 55.2 percent of his draws, going 74-134 with a team-best 32 ground balls. Alex Ready has been the Pioneers' starter in goal, playing 339 minutes and making 46 saves at a 50.5 percent clip. He enters with a 7.99 goals against average. Denver's defense has limited opponents to just over 30 shots per game and the Pioneers allow eight goals per game, however, Denver has surrendered 10 goals in each of its last two games.

Towson-Denver History
Despite over 1,600 miles between staadiums, the Tigers and Pioneers will meet for the eighth time on Saturday, including a fourth consecutive year. Towson leads the all-time series 4-3, but will be looking for its first win over Denver since the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.Each of the last three meetings have been decided by one goal.

Towson-Denver By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson Leads 4-3
at Towson Towson 2-1
at Denver Even 2-2
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting March 19, 2000 (Towson 16-9)
Last Meeting  March 17, 2018 
#5 Denver 11, Towson 10 (OT)
Streak Towson -1

Last Time Out vs. Denver | March 24, 2018 | Denver, Colo. | Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium
It was a back-and-forth afternoon in the Mile High City. Towson jumped out to a 5-1 lead early before Denver rallied back to tie the game at 6-6 early in the fourth quarter. The Pioneers utilized a six-goal run to take a 9-6 lead before the Tigers tied the game at 10-10 with less than 30 seconds to play. Denver got the overtime game-winner halfway through the extra period for an 11-10 decision. 

With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Give Towson its first win over Denver since a 10-9 win in Colorado in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament
- Improve Towson to 3-0 at home this season.
- Be the Tigers' fourth win over a top-20 team this season.
- Give Towson its third win of the year over a top-15 opponent (No. 7 Hopkins, No. 1 Loyola).
- See Towson win its third home game in four tries against the Pioneers.
- Give the Tigers a 5-3 lead in the all-time series.
- Halt a two-game slide for the Tigers.
- Hand Shawn Nadelen the 78th win of his career.

Watch Me Now
The Tewaaraton Foundation announced its first round of additions to its watch list for the prestigious Tewaaraton Award. Two Tigers were added to the list and served as the only additional student-athletes from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). Sophomore close defenseman Koby Smith was added along with senior attackman Brendan Sunday. The pair join seniors Zach Goodrich (SSDM) and Alex Woodall (FOGO) on the previously announced watch list.

Fast Hands for a Big Man
Much has been written about the transformation undergone by Towson senior faceoff specialist Alex Woodall, but he wasn't the only Tiger to undergo a rebuild this summer. Entering the 2017-18 academic year as the team's third goalie on the depth chart, Tyler Canto has improved his game by also trimming down and working over the summer at a boxing clinic to help improve his hand speed, a development clearly shown in his highlight-reel save against No. 1 Loyola on Feb. 27 (See #LaxTwitter for details).

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.

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".

February Stars
It may have been cold outside, but the Tigers were 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.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Saturday's game marks the fourth-straight season the Tigers and Pioneers will square off, dating back to the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Each of the last three meetings have been decided by one goal, including an overtime thriller last season. 

Of note on the series, is that prior to that NCAA Tournament game, the head coaches agreed to kick off a regular season series, beginning in 2017. The Tigers return to Denver next season for the fourth game of the regular season series.

In more familiarity, Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen began his collegiate coaching career at Princeton University under Bill Tierney, now the head coach at Denver.

Even more familiarity, Aaron Droege, the Tigers' strength and conditioning coach, spent one season (2017) working with the Denver men's lacrosse program.

Rank and File
Saturday will be the Tigers' sixth game this season against an opponent ranked in the USILA Division I polls. The Tigers are currently 3-2 against the top 20. A win on Saturday would give Towson its fourth win over a ranked team just eight 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).

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 13
Saturday's game marks the second-straight season the Tigers will play a team ranked 13th in the USILA Coaches' Poll. Towson won its last outing against Number 13, a 7-6 overtime win at Ohio State last season on March 10. All-time, The Tigers are 10-3 against Number 13, with the last loss coming on Feb. 25, 2012 against Loyola, a 13-6 setback in head coach Shawn Nadelen's first season at the helm. Nadelen is 1-1 in his head coaching career against Number 13. Saturday's game will be the first time the Tigers will face a Denver program ranked 13th. 

Throwing it Back (Again)
For a third time this season the Towson University men's lacrosse team wore throwback porthole-style jerseys, including the season opener against Johns Hopkins. The Tigers improved to 2-0 in the gold jerseys and throwback helmets, knocking off two top-10 opponents along the way.

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.

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 492 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. 492 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 ocassions. 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 x7 (maybe 8?)
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, 11 and 10. 

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 11 games, including a 19-of-24 effort against No. 2 Duke. Over that stretch, he has won 199 of his 264 draws, a remarkable 75.4 winning percentage at the X. Woodall has grabbed 138 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 turned in 10 hat tricks. Brendan Sunday leads the way with four in the first seven 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 22)
Towson: 41-18
Hofstra: 36-25
UMass: 32-22
Fairfield: 32-25
Drexel: 31-18
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 31-26 (.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.