If you ask any member of the Towson University men's lacrosse team, coaches, or support staff, this team is back where it is supposed to be: The NCAA Tournament. After failing at their attempt at a CAA Tournament fourpeat last year, the Tigers are back at their familiar position as CAA Tournament champions. Four times in the last five years the Tigers have hoisted the conference champion trophy.

Towson did it by beating Delaware in the semifinals last Thursday, and then Saturday they downed the Dragons of Drexel in the championship game up in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Tigers set a CAA Tournament record by scoring 34 goals in the two games. It was a great weekend to be a Tiger.

When the 2019 men's lacrosse schedule came out, I asked head coach Shawn Nadelen what the heck he was thinking when putting it together. The Tigers played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country. It paid off. Towson knew it was in the NCAA Tournament when the selection show went on the air Sunday night. What they didn't know is who and where they would play this weekend.

By playing a rough and tumble nonconference schedule, the Tigers finished sixth in the all-important RPI. Thus, they get the sixth seed in the tournament and a home game. The opponent is one Towson used to be very familiar with, the University of Maryland. Yes the Tigers get to take on the flagship. OOOH BABY.

For Coach Nadelen, this will be his fifth trip to the NCAAs in his eighth year as head coach. Under this head coach, the Tigers have gone 5-4 in the NCAAs including a 2017 appearance in the Final Four. The Tigers have faced some big-name schools in those five trips: Ohio State, Denver, Syracuse. But they haven't faced Maryland. In the fourth quarter of the semi-finals two years ago, it looked like the Tigers may have been playing Maryland in the national championship but it just didn't work out. This is the next best thing.

Since the pairing was announced Sunday night, I have thought back to the last time Towson played Maryland in the NCAAs. It was 2001. It was in what is now called Maryland Stadium. It was the quarterfinals. The Tigers were the lacrosse world's upstart that year. By the time the two teams met on that May afternoon, the Tigers were ninth in the nation, and the Terps were sixth.

It was one of the most exciting lacrosse games you will ever see. Towson jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead, but Maryland cut it to 8-6 at halftime. After three quarters the game was tied at 10. Maryland would take an 11-10 lead late into the fourth, but then the Tigers scored when Hunter Lochte tied the game with 44 seconds left. Seventeen seconds later, Kyle Campbell scored to give the Tigers the 12-11 victory.

Earlier that season, Maryland had beaten the Tigers 9-7. The Tigers got revenge. Unfortunately, the two teams stopped playing each other after the 2011 season. The selection committee made sure this long time rivalry would be renewed.

Having seen just about every Tiger lacrosse game since 1991, I can tell you if this team is at full strength, they can beat anyone in the country. They are as strong up the middle as any team in the nation. The offense has several players that can be explosive, and they play tough physical defense. It would not surprise me one bit if this team is still working hard come Memorial Day.

We'll have the broadcast for you on Towsontigers.com, starting at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. But do your best to get out to Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. It should be a blast.
 
Until next week, GO TIGERS!!!