Opening Faceoff
For the first time in the program's history, the Tigers will take the field as the number one team in the country this weekend at The Crown Lacrosse Event, hosted at the Sportsplex at Matthews in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In The National Rankings
For the first time in program history, the Towson University men's lacrosse team was ranked first in all three national polls, collecting 14 first-place votes in the USILA Coaches' Poll, while earning 25 of the 28 first-place nods in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Towson's first opponent this weekend, a scrappy Jacksonville team, was not mentioned in any of the polls.

The Top-Ranked Tigers
After knocking off the number one team in the country, Loyola, by a 12-10 count, the Tigers ranked first in all three national polls. Towson's red hot offense is led by Brendan Sunday (15-9-24), who has already surpassed his point total from last season. Brody McLean (12-4-16) is closing in on the 20-point club with a breakout season. Timmy Monahan (6-5-11) is second on the team in assists and leads Towson's midfield unit. Luke Fromert (7-2-9) is Towson's top threat on the man-up with two goals while Sunday, McLean and Monahan have all contributed one EMO goal apiece. Towson's vaunted defense continues to live up to the hype, allowing just 8.25 goals per game. Dynamic close defenseman Koby Smith leads Towson with seven caused turnovers. A key component to Towson's offense has been Alex Woodall at the X, winning nearly 75 percent of his draws (72-97) along with 51 ground balls and five points (2g, 3a). In net, Tyler Canto has been solid, making 56 saves in his 240 minutes of action. He enters the weekend with a 62.9 save percentage and an 8.25 goals against average.

Scouting the SoCon's Jacksonville
Jacksonville snapped a four-game season-opening slide with a 19-12 win over Towson's conference foe, Drexel, over the weekend. Despite the 1-4 record, Jacksonville has hung tough, with three of those losses coming by two goals or less. The Dolphins have a balanced offense with four players north of 10 points. Eric Applegate (6-10-16) leads the way with pure scorer Evan Tyler (14-1-15) close behind. Tyler leads the team with 14 goals. Jack Dolan and Bo BowHunter are the top threats on the EMO with a pair of tallies each. In goal, Hunter Sells has played all 300 minutes to date, making 54 saves at a .470 percentage. He has a goals against average of 12.20 as well. Hunter Turner is near the 50 percent mark at the X, winning 52 of his 107 faceoffs and is second in ground balls with 15, one behind Dixon Smith.

Towson-Jacksonville History
It's a brief history between the Tigers and the Dolphins. The sides have met just once previously as Towson took down a 12-10 win at D.B. Milne Field, the first victory for Towson head coach Shawn Nadelen at the helm of the program. Friday night's game will be the first-ever neutral site meeting between the schools, separated by nearly 800 miles. Charlotte is roughly halfway between the two schools.

Towson-Jacksonville By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 1-0
at Towson n/a
at Jacksonville Towson 1-0
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting Feb. 11, 2012 (TU 12, JU 10)
Last Meeting  Feb. 11, 2012 
Towson 12, Jacksonville 10
Streak Towson +1

Last Time Out vs. Jacksonville | Feb. 11, 2012 | Jacksonville, Fla. | Ridley Athletic Complex
A 4-2 fourth quarter made the difference for the Tigers in their first-ever game under head coach Shawn Nadelen. Sean McGuire scored twice in the final frame to seal the program's first win under Nadelen. The Tigers battled back after trailing 7-5 at halftime. McGuire and Thomas DeNapoli scored three goals apiece to lead Towson while the former turned in an assist for a four-point day. Justin Mabus threw in three assists for the game-high. Andrew Wescavage made eight saves in the victory.

With a Win Friday Towson Would...
- Improve to 5-0 for the first time since opening 2016 with a 5-0 record.
- See Towson go 1-0 at neutral sites this season.
- Hand Shawn Nadelen the 77th win of his career.
- Improve Towson to 2-0 all-time over Jacksonville.
- Be Towson's fourth win over a marine-based mascot (3-2 currently).
- See Towson win its seventh-straight regular season game dating back to last season.
- Be the third different State/Territory in which Towson has won a game this season (Maryland x3, Washington DC).

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.

Yes My Queen.
Friday night's game will be the second time this season the Tigers take 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
Friday night's game surface will have a different feel under the cleats of the Towson Tigers. The Sportsplex at Matthews boasts a natural surface, AKA, grass. Friday's game will be the Tigers' first game on a natural surface since 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.

Throwing it Back (Again)
For a second time this season the Towson University men's lacrosse team wore throwback porthole-style jerseys, including Saturday's 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 third 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, Marylander has made a lasting impact already with his 428 faceoffs in the Black & Gold. He currently ranks third all-time in program history, surpassing Scott Mullins' (411) in the win over #1 Loyola. Up next on the list is Matt Eckerl, who won 466 draws from 2004-07. 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. 428 Alex Woodall 2017-Pres. (Career at Towson)
4. 411 Scott Mullins 1983-86
5. 375 Mark Goers 1993-95

All-Time vs. Number One
Last Wednesday's 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 x4 (maybe 5?)
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 on Friday, Feb. 17 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.

After besting Loyola 12-10 last Wednesday, Towson reached double-digit goals in the first four game for the first time since 2002, logging games of 15, 23 and 10. Towson has not hit double digits in the first five games of the year since the 1994 campaign, stinging games of 20, 14, 15, 16 and 12. Towson opened that campaign with nine-straight games in double figures.

X Marks the Spot
With his dominate performance at the X against Hopkins, going 21-of-28 followed by a 12-of-20 showing at The Mount, senior faceoff expert Alex Woodall has won double-digit draws in each of this last eight games, including a 20-of-26 effort against No. 1 Loyola. Over that stretch, he has won 135 of his 182 draws, a remarkable 74.2 winning percentage at the X. Woodall has grabbed 89 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 seven hat tricks. Brendan Sunday leads the way with three in the first four games while Brody McLean has a pair. Timmy Monahan and Luke Fromert have one apiece. Sunday had a "sock trick" with six goals the season opener on Feb. 9.

Nine Times? NIIINE TIMES.
Senior attackman Brendan Sunday continued his torrid scoring pace this season, adding another nine points to his season total last weekend at No. 16 Georgetown. The 6-4 tower scored all four of his goals in the decesive fourth quarter while dishing out two helpers in that frame. Sunday had a hand in five-straight goals in the final 18 minutes for the Tigers.

Weekly Honors: Week of March 4
It was another solid showing for the Towson University men's lacrosse team in its second game of the season as Towson unseated No. 1 Loyola 12-10 on last week.

Several Tigers earned two weekly honors while a third collected a TowsonTigers.com award.
Tyler Canto: USILA DI Team of the Week, NewDay USA Student-Athlete of the Week
Alex Woodall: CAA Player of the Week
Brendan Sunday: Baltimore Sun National Player of the Week

Towson vs. The DMV (as of Monday, March 4)
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 26-15 .634
Georgetown 10-15 .400
UMBC 6-20 .231
Navy 6-21 .222
The Mount 3-24 .111

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 5)
Towson: 41-18
Hofstra: 35-23
Drexel: 30-18
UMass: 30-22
Fairfield: 31-24
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 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.