Opening Faceoff
Towson looks to climb into the win column during a Wednesday Night Rivalry road game at No. 12/No. 11 Loyola. Baltimore bragging rights are on the line as the Tigers look to win their second-straight over the Greyhounds after topping the number one team in the country last season.
In The National Rankings
Towson was not mentioned in any of the polls this week. The Greyhounds were slated in the number 12 spot in the USILA Coaches' Poll and sit in the 11th slot of the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. Loyola occupies the 13th spot in the US Lacrosse Magazine Top 20.
The One-Game-This-Week Tigers
Towson takes on No. 12/No. 11 Loyola Wednesday night at the Ridley Athletic Complex for a 7 p.m. showdown on the Patriot League Network. With Towson's regular rotation of offensive players starting to click, the Tigers are led by senior attackman Jon Mazza (7g, 1a). Close behind is midfielder James Avanzato (4g, 2a) and attackman Brody McLean (4g, 2a). Close defenseman Koby Smith (2g, 3a) has been a weapon in transition with points in two of the three games this season. Towson's offense is starting to click, with 11 different players registering at least one point against Cornell, including two points from five of the six offensive starters. On the defensive end, Garrett Zungailia paces Towson with four caused turnovers while short stick defensive midfielder Andrew O'Dare has three, including a pair Friday night against Cornell. Towson has started two different netminders this season. Tyler Canto has 105 minutes to his credit with 17 saves while Shane Brennan made his first start of the year against Cornell, playing all 60 minutes and making 13 saves.
Scouting the No. 12 Greyhounds
Loyola is fresh off a narrow 11-10 win over Rutgers last weekend, improving the Greyhounds to 2-0 at the Ridley Athletic Complex this season. Aidan Olmstead (7g, 4a) leads the way on offense with a trio of players locked at seven points: Kevin Lindley (7g), Peter Swindell (4g, 3a) and Adam Poitras (3g, 4a). Loyola is averaging 10 goals per game in 2020 and just under 50 total shots per game. Loyola's EMO unit is 3-for-12 this season, but the man-down group has not allowed an extra-man goal this season on six chances. Goalie Sam Shafer has started all three games for the Greyhounds, playing 174 minutes. He has 39 saves on his ledger at a .574 percent clip and carries a goals against average of 10.00.
Towson-Loyola History
Four and a half miles separate Towson's Johnny Unitas ® Stadium and Loyola's Ridley Athletic Complex. Wednesday's showdown on Cold Spring Lane will be the 63rd meeting all-time between the programs. The Tigers and Greyhounds have met in all but one season since 1959, unable to lineup in 1980 as the Tigers transitioned to Division I. Since that first meeting in 1959, Towson has won 29 times while the Greyhounds have 33 wins. Towson snapped a three-game skid against the rivals with a 12-10 victory over then-No. 1 Loyola at Unitas ® Stadium. Towson is looking for its first win at Ridley since a 10-8 win in 2016
Towson-Loyola By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Loyola 33-29
at Towson Loyola 16-15
at Loyola Loyola 16-13
at Neutral Sites Even 1-1
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting April 25, 1959 (Loyola 8-6)
Last Meeting Feb. 27, 2019
#7 Towson 12, #1 Loyola 10
Streak......................................................... Towson +1
Last Time Out vs. Loyola | Feb. 27, 2019 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas ® Stadium
No. 7 Towson knocked off top-ranked Loyola 12-10 during a Wednesday night rivalry game under the lights at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium, snapping a three-game slide against Loyola. The Tigers weathered a Greyhound surge midway through the game as the Greyhounds scored three straight to tie the game 6-6, but Towson put together two small runs to add distance. Brendan Sunday (4g, 1a) finished with five points while Brody McLean (2g, 1a) added three. Tyler Canto made 14 saves in the win, including a highlight reel save on the doorstep. Kevin Lindley notched six goals while eventual Tewaaraton Trophy winner Pat Spencer was "limited" to one goal and three assists. Jacob Stover stopped 13 Towson shots.
With a Win Wednesday Towson Would...
- Pick up its first win of the 2020 season.
- Snap a four-game slide dating back to last season.
- Win its first game at the Ridley Athletic Complex since March 2, 2016, a 10-8 decision.
- Be the first time Towson bests Loyola in back-to-back seasons since winning three straight from 2005-2007.
- Even its record against the Baltimore schools to 1-1 after dropping the season opener at Johns Hopkins. Towson plays UMBC next week.
Discipline
- Despite playing a lot of defense this spring, Towson is one of the most disciplined teams in the country.
- Per LaxReference.com, Towson has a time of possession at 24:35 per game, ranking 69th in the country.
- But the Tigers have committed just eight penalties this year, including only one against Cornell on Friday.
- Towson is tied for 11th nationally in fewest total penalties. The Tigers are tied with Drexel, Loyola, and Navy.
Eyes On
Junior defenseman and USILA All-American Koby Smith was one of 50 men's lacrosse players named to the 2020 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch list on Thursday, Feb. 13. Smith was added to the Watch List in March last season as well. Now in his ninth season at the helm of the program, head coach Shawn Nadelen has had at least one player named to the first round of the Tewaaraton Watch List in every season: Koby Smith (2020), Zach Goodrich, Alex Woodall (2019), Goodrich (2018), Jack Adams, Ryan Drenner (2017), Tyler White (2016), Andrew Hodgson (2015), Thomas DeNapoli (2014), DeNapoli, Andrew Wascavage (2013) and Peter Mezzanotte (2012).
February Stars
Wednesday's game will be the 32nd game in the month of February under head coach Shawn Nadelen. The Tigers are 17-14 in the second month of the year since 2012, including 4-3 over the last two seasons.
On this Date: February 26
- Towson is 2-1 all-time on February 26.
- All three meetings have been against Loyola.
- Towson is 2-0 on Feb. 26 on the road against Loyola.
- The last time Towson and Loyola played on that date was during the 2011 season, a no-typo 3-2 Loyola win at Unitas Stadium.
All-Time vs. Number 12
- The clash at Unitas Stadium this Friday will be the 10th meeting for the Tigers against a team ranked 12th in the USILA Coaches Poll.
- It is the second such meeting this season; Towson dropped a 17-10 decision Friday night against No. 12 Cornell.
- Towson is 2-7 all-time against the 12th-ranked team.
- The Tigers' last win over Number 12 came as a 12-10 decision over Duke on May 12, 2001 during the NCAA Tournament.
- Towson's last home win over Number 12 came on April 23, 1983 against Hofstra, 9-8.
- The Tigers have dropped their last three games against Number 12, including Friday's setback at home against Cornell.
- Towson has played a 12th-ranked Loyola squad once, falling 11-7 at home during the 2017 campaign.
The Dirty Dozen
- Wednesday's game will be the first time in program history the Tigers play a team ranked 12th in the USILA Coaches' Poll in back-to-back tilts.
- Towson has played opponents with the same rankings in back-to-back weeks just once in the team's Division I history (1980), squaring off with 15th ranked Hofstra and Bucknell on March 21 and 25, 2008.
- Towson will be looking to split the season record against No. 12s to date after dropping the Cornell game last week.
Versus: The Patriot League (Current Membership)
Bucknell: 15-3 | Colgate: 0-0 | Holy Cross: 0-0 | Lafayette: 8-0 | Lehigh: 10-1 | Loyola: 29-33 | Navy: 6-8
- Wednesday's tilt will be the 106th meeting for the Tigers all-time against opponents currently aligned with the Patriot League Conference. Towson is 68-37 all-time against the current membership.
- Towson has played Loyola the most, going 29-33 all-time against the Greyhounds.
- The Tigers 15-3 mark against Bucknell is the most wins over a current Patriot League team.
- Towson is 8-0 all-time against Lafayette.
- Loyola is the only member of the Patriot League Towson will see in the regular season.
The Silver Lining
Under head coach Shawn Nadelen, Towson has opened a season with an 0-3 record once, dropping the first three games of the 2013 season. That Tiger team went on to capture the first of five CAA Championships under Nadelen, earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament and finished with the number 17 rank in the final USILA Coaches Poll.
Greater Baltimore is Lovely this Time of Year
- The Tigers play within 15 miles of homebase for the first month and a half of the season.
- Towson won't play a game outside of Baltimore County/City until heading west to Denver for a March 21 showdown, the Tigers' longest trip of 2020.
Towson Lacrosse x Lax Sports Network
- Towson men's lacrosse and Lax Sports Network will continue to enjoy the partnership the organizations have fostered over the years.
- This spring, Towson will appear on LSN five times as the CAA Game of the Week: Feb. 21 vs. Cornell, March 14 vs. Duke, April 11 at UMass, April 18 vs. Delaware and April 25 vs. Drexel.
The Gauntlet
- As of the fourth week of the 2020, the Tigers are slated to play or have played six teams ranked in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
- 2020 Opponents Ranked: No. 9 Cornell (L, 10-17), No. 11 Denver (March 21), No. 12 Loyola (Feb. 26), No. 13 Duke (March 14), No. 14 Georgetown (March 7), No. 18 Johns Hopkins (L, 7-15).
- The most ranked teams Towson has played in a single season was nine during the 2013 season (3-6), followed by eight in 2017 (4-4). Towson played seven ranked in 2019 (3-4) as well.
- Four Towson foes are receiving votes this week: Hofstra (March 28), UMass (April 11), Delaware (April 18) and Drexel (April 25).
The North Americans
Towson has representation from 12 different US states and one Canadian Province: California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Ontario.
The Great 8
Last season, Towson University men's lacrosse captured its eighth CAA championship and fifth since Shawn Nadelen took over the program in 2012. The Tigers have hoisted the trophy in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and now 2019. The rest of the current CAA alignment have combined to win the championships eight times. There have been 18 CAA Tournaments since the league began sponsoring men's lacrosse in 2001. Towson has captured nearly half of those titles.
Class of the CAA
Since joining the CAA for the 2002 season, no program in league history has enjoyed more success than Towson University. The Tigers have racked up 67 total wins in the CAA, six more than rival Hofstra. Below is a list of the current members of the CAA and their win totals in conference games since joining the league. The Tigers have appeared in the conference title game a total of 11 times, bringing home the trophy on a league-record eight occasions.
Team: Wins (CAA Titles, Last)
Towson: 67 (8, 2019)
Hofstra: 61 (2, 2008)
Drexel: 51 (1, 2014)
Delaware: 37 (3, 2011)
UMass: 29 (2, 2012, 2018)
Fairfield: 11 (0)
CB30 Award
In the summer of 2018, 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, Koby Smith will wear a CB30 badge 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.
Strength of Schedule
Entering the 2020 season, Towson has one of the toughest schedules in Division I this year. Per Lacrosse Reference, Towson has the second-toughest nonconference strength of schedule in the country, trailing only Feb. 26's opponent, Loyola. Including conference games, Towson has the sixth-toughest schedule for the 2020 campaign. UMass is the next-closest CAA team, ranking 23rd in total strength of schedule.
More Strength
As proof of the previous note, the Tigers will play five teams that have reached their respective conference championship games last season. Title game opponents for Towson include: Drexel (CAA), Denver (BIG EAST), Georgetown (BIG EAST), Johns Hopkins (Big Ten) and UMBC. Additionally, the Tigers scrimmaged Virginia (ACC) in the preseason as the Cavaliers defeated Notre Dame in the title game.
Wearing the C
This season, head coach Shawn Nadelen and his staff announced five student-athletes that will serve as captains for the 2020 season. All five will be first-time captains for the Tigers.
Senior midfielders Grant Maloof, Jake McLean and Jack McNallen, senior close defenseman Gray Bodden and junior defenseman Koby Smith.
Bodden, Maloof, McLean and McNallen will wear captains' Cs on their jerseys while Smith will have the CB30 badge in lieu of the captain's letter.
Home Cooking
As the 2019 season got underway, the Tigers had some home cooking to look forward to. After picking up a 10-9 win over Hofstra in the CAA opener, the Tigers continued their winning ways at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. 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 Feb. 22, 2020)
Towson: 42-22
Hofstra: 38-26
UMass: 36-24
Fairfield: 34-27
Drexel: 32-19
Delaware: 28-31
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 33-26 (.552) record in road games.
