New coach, new season meant new beginnings and a new perception for the Tigers as they entered the 1996 year.

The Tigers were determined to finish above .500.   The moment they hit four wins, the goal for the team was to seize the moment and go for it all.

Coach Rainey always told the girls that "a journey of 1,000 miles starts with one step" and the team used that inspiration throughout the season.

The Tiger Throwback series is presented by Hollenshades.  

Back story
Only four teams made it to the America East Tournament. The Tigers had to beat Hofstra to make it to the tournament. That Thursday they played Loyola and decided to rest some of the players. That weekend they beat Hofstra 3-0 to make it into the conference tournament.

The Tigers headed off to Vermont on one mission, to win a championship. The four-seeded team knew it would not be easy, but did not expect multiple overtimes to claim the title.

"It was a fun weekend for sure," said head coach Ron Rainey. "It was some good talent with the group. We were short on goalkeepers and had someone step in. The ladies wanted to change the perception from the year before after only winning three games."

First in the match, the Tigers faced Vermont for what they thought would be a regular 150-minute regulation game; to much surprise that game ended with a shootout that took two days.

Yes, TWO DAYS.

"This was the only time I played a soccer game that took two days to finish," said senior Jamie Hartigan.

As the sun was fading away, time wasn't on either side to finish the game, so the Tigers went back to the hotel. The next day, the Tigers ultimately won 4-2 with the help from Hartigan, junior Christi Landi, freshman Bridget Harthausen and sophomore Shelly Seivert.  Goalkeeper Megan Lumsden, who was the team's manager just the season prior, stopped Vermont's last shot to seal the win.

The team during the game showed so much fight and determination. They had two players who went up for headers, got hurt and had to leave to get stitches. That did not slow them down though, they still played the rest of the games that weekend.

"It was a crazy finish to end in penalty kicks after 150 minutes of soccer," said Hartigan.

"Against Vermont we did play in a formation where we played a little defensive," said Rainey. "We had our attacks but we played defensive, they had a really solid team. The girls asked are we going to play like that against

Delaware and we said we are going to play them straight up."

And that is just how the Tigers played them, straight up.

On to championship day on Nov. 10, 1996, against a team who was no stranger to the Tigers, the Delaware Blue Hens. Belief was what the Tigers went on throughout the entire season, and this game was no different. The Tigers just knew they were taking the trophy back to Towson.

"We are not losing this tournament," Landi recalled coach Rainey telling them. She said he stated "We will hold our ground, and from that we knew we were going to win."

Before they knew it, the Tigers were witnessing déjà vu, the game was not going to end in regulation.

Landi scored in the fourth overtime, the 142nd minute to give Towson a 2-1 victory over Delaware after a nice throw in from Jamie Hartigan and Ashlee Douglas had wiped out a 1-0 deficit with 5:12 left in regulation, allowing her to tie the school record for career scoring with 18 goals and 26 assists.
 
"We definitely were a team," Landi said. "It was not just one person who was the superstar we collectively came together to win."

So what next, Landi scored the goal and came back the next semester with a car.

"This was always the running joke of the team," Landi said. "It just so happened my parents said if I scored a goal I would get a car for my senior year. Well I scored twice, car me please!"

The Tigers knew they belonged, underdog or not. Their determination and belief that they could win it all was showed that weekend and the proof was in the pudding as they bought the championship trophy back to Towson.  Though the Tigers did not get an invite to the NCAA Tournament, Towson still earned the program's first DI conference title.

Keep the accolades coming
Four Tigers were named to the All-Championship team, Landi, Douglass, Hartigan and Megan Lumsden. Lumsden was also named the Outstanding Player of the Game.

Douglass finished her career as the program's all-time assist leader (27), ranked third all-time in career points (63), tied seventh for career goals (18) and fourth-most career shots.

Hartigan finished her career with 21 career points on six goals and nine assists.

Landi ranks second all-time at Towson with 70 points (27g, 16a), second all-time in goals and fifth in assists. She holds the program record for game-winning goals (10). Her 206 career shots was a school record that held for 20 years.

Lumsden held the 1996 single-season record for save percentage at .877.