Opening Faceoff
It's been nearly a full calendar year since Towson University men's lacrosse team played outside competition at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. The Tigers return home this Saturday for a clash with Saint Joseph's University, a former CAA opponent.
In The National Rankings
The Tigers received votes in the preseason USILA Coaches' Poll, but did not receive votes in the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Media Poll. The Hawks of Saint Joseph's did not pick up votes in either poll.
The Momma I'm Coming Home Tigers
For the first time in almost a year, the Tigers return to Johnny Unitas ® Stadium. Towson's reimerged offense will be led by fifth-year senior Brody McLean (3g, 2a), who netted his first hat trick since 2019 in the opener at Virginia. James Avanzato (3g) added his first career hat trick against the Cavaliers while Andrew Milani (2g) had a career-best outing in Charlottesville. Jake McLean (2a) dished out a pair of helpers as well. Garrett Zungailia feasted on ground balls in the opener, grabbing nine while forcing one turnover. Transition weapon Koby Smith hit for one goal and one ground ball at Klöckner Stadium as well. Shane Santora won 10 of his 32 draws, picking up three ground balls along the way. Jake McLean and Greg Ey added three and four ground balls, respectively. Shane Brennan made a dozen saves in cage for Towson, including five in the first quarter. Towson's man-up unit cashed in one goal on three chances as Milani potted the chance. The Tigers will look to clean up the clearing game this weekend after a 12-of-18 showing last weekend.
Scouting the Season Opening Hawks
Saint Joseph's was off to a strong 5-2 start in 2020 before the COVID-19 Pandemic shuttered the season. The Hawks had wins over #20 Delaware, rv Drexel, rv Providence, St. Bonaventure and Monmouth. Saint Joseph's was nipped 13-12 against #9 Penn in what proved to be the season finale. The Hawks' potent offense, which scored 72 goals in seven games, was led by Levi Anderson (15g, 9a) Joe Burnham led with eight caused turnovers. Saint Joseph's will have a new starter in net, after Mike Adler (95sv, .594) graduated. Tucker Almany is the lone Hawk to have registered time, seeing six minutes of action.
Towson-Saint Joseph's History
It's a brief history between these two programs, but both shared the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) as a home for three seasons, 2011-13. Towson leads the all-time series 2-1, with either side protecting home turf. The Tigers won the first and last meetings 15-2 and 13-6, but the Hawks edged the Tigers 6-3 in the 2012 regular season finale. No current members of the Tiger progam have played against the Hawks.
Towson-Saint Joseph's By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 2-1
at Towson Towson 2-0
at Saint Joseph's SJU 1-0
at Neutral Sites n/a
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting April 30, 2011 (Towson 15-2)
Last Meeting April 27, 2013
Towson 13, SJU 6
Streak......................................................... Towson +1
Last Time Out vs. Saint Joseph's | April 27, 2013 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas ® Stadium
A fast 5-0 first quarter for the Tigers propelled Towson to a 13-6 win over the visiting Saint Joseph's Hawks. Towson used a 3-1 third quarter to seal the win, while the second and fourth quarters were tied 2-2 and 3-3. Greg Cuccinello notched a hat trick while feeder Thomas DeNapoli went for three assists and two goals. Midfielder Andrew Hodgson also had five points on the same line as DeNapoli. Andrew Wascavage made a dozen saves in the win. Kyle Williams scored three of Saint Joseph's six goals. Will Abbott won 11 of 23 faceoffs. Dustin Keen stopped nine Towson attempts.
With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Pick up its first win of the 2021 season.
- Snap an eight-game slide dating back to the 2019 season.
- Be the third win in four matchups against the Hawks.
- Be Towson's first home win since a 10-9 decision on March 30, 2019 against Hofstra.
The Steve Grossi Reunion Tour
Hop in your van and get ready for a tour. Saturday kicks off a four-part series of the Steve Grossi Reunion Tour. The Tigers will take on three institutions assistant coach Steve Grossi has a connection to. The first stop is this weekend's game against Saint Joseph's, where Grossi was the defensive coordinator for three seasons (2013-15). Next up is a trip to the University of Richmond, where Grossi was a defensive coach and recruiting coordinator for two seasons (2017-18). In league play, Towson will take on Grossi's alma mater, Drexel, twice: March 6 in Philadelphia and May 1 at Unitas ® Stadium.
The Buddy System
So far in the young season, Towson's feeders have been evenly split; no Tiger has assisted the same person twice. Towson had five assisted goals at Virginia, each with a different source.
J. McLean -> J. Avanzato: 1
J. McLean -> B. McLean: 1
B. McLean -> J. Avanzato: 1
B. McLean -> A. Milani
R. Gaeger -> B. McLean: 1
Preseason Accolades
Senior defenseman Koby Smith was honored several times during the preseason. He was selected as the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was a second team All-America pick by both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse. Additionally, Smith was selected to the Preseason All-CAA Team.
Eyes On
Senior defenseman and USILA All-American Koby Smith was one of 50 men's lacrosse players named to the 2020 Tewaaraton Trophy Watch list early last season. Smith was added to the Watch List in March last season as well. Now in his 10th 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).
Ever See Half a Bird?
This season, the Tigers will enter in round-robin-and-a-half style conference schedule. Towson will play all five CAA opponents, while squaring off with long-time rivals Delaware, Drexel and Hofstra twice, once at home and once on the road. Towson will play eight league games this spring, three more than the normal five-game slate. Hofstra will host the 2021 CAA Men's Lacrosse Championship at Shuart Stadium in early May. The top four teams will vie for the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament.
February Stars
The concept of February lacrosse is a newer development, much to the chagrin of fans. Towson's first-ever game in amethyst birth month was February 28, 1998, an 18-15 track meet against UMBC. All-time, the Tigers are 24-24 in the month of February. Under head coach Shawn Nadelen, the Tigers are 17-16 in February. Towson and Saint Joseph's have never met in the month of February. The only three meetings between programs has come in April, which is the diamond birth stone month.
On this Date: February 13
- Towson has never played a game on February 13
- The Tigers were scheduled to play Mercer on February 13, 2016, but the game was moved to Friday, February 12, 2016 because of cold temperatures.
- The high on February 12, 2016 was 28°F. The high on February 13, 2016 was 23°F at 3 a.m.
Welcome to the Party
- Freshman Chop Gallagher made his first appearance for the Black & Gold, getting the start at attack in the Tigers' season opener at No. 5 Virginia.
- Freshman defensive midfielder Travis Maynard also made his collegiate debut at Virginia.
- LSM Ethan Ticehurst, a fifth-year senior, played in his first game for the Towson Tigers after spending the first four years of his career at Division II Saint Leo.
Home Openers
- Saturday will be the Tigers' 63rd home opener since elevating to varsity status in 1959.
- All-time, the Tigers 34-28 in their first home game of the season.
- The Tigers are 7-2 under head coach Shawn Nadelen in the home lid lifter.
- Towson has won six of its last seven home openers.
- The Tigers have two top-10 wins in home openers under Nadelen, picking up wins over No. 5 Johns Hopkins (7-5, 2015) and No. 7 Johns Hopkins (17-8, 2019).
The Top Third
- Towson University head coach Shawn Nadelen is in his 10th season at the helm of the program.
- Hired as the top man following the 2011 season, Nadelen is the 25th-longest tenured Division I head men's lacrosse in the country.
- Nadelen was one of four head coaches elevated during the 2011 offseason: Brian Brecht (Rutgers), Keegan Wilkinson (Marist) and Taylor Wray (Saint Joseph's).
Home Sweet Home
- After heading to the Commonwealth of Virginia, Towson returns home for its first game at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium.
- When Saturday's opening faceoff happens, it will be 342 days, 23 hours and seven minutes between competitive whistles at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium for Towson men's lacrosse.
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 four times as the CAA Game of the Week: Feb. 20 vs. Duke, March 13 vs. Hofstra, March 20 at Delaware, and March 27 vs. Loyola.
- The CAA Semifinals and Championship at Hofstra will also be carried on LSN.
The Gauntlet
- As of the preseason polls, the Tigers are slated to play five teams ranked in the USILA Coaches' Poll.
- 2021 Opponents Ranked (Preseason USILA): No. 1 Duke (Feb. 20), No. 5 Virginia (Feb. 6), Loyola (March 27), No. 14 UMass (April 17), Richmond (Feb. 27)
- 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.
- Towson played four ranked opponents in six games during 2020: No. 11 Johns Hopkins, No. 12 Cornell, No. 12 Loyola, and No. 13 Georgetown.
- The Tigers played five single-digit ranked opponents during the 2019 season: No. 7 Johns Hopkins, No. 1 Loyola, No. 3 Cornell, No. 2 Duke, No. 6 Maryland.
The North Americans
Towson has representation from 13 different US states and two Canadian Provinces: California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, British Columbia and Ontario.
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, Carson Gaeger will wear a CB30 badge on his jerseys to honor the late Carl Beernink. This annual award will be given to a Towson player who embodies the fighting spirit of Carl Beernink.
Cs the Day!
This season, head coach Shawn Nadelen and his staff announced three student-athletes that will serve as captains for the 2021 season.
Fifth-year senior midfielder Jake McLean and senior close defenseman Koby Smith will be captains for a second season. Sophomore Brandon Hund will be a captain for the first time in his career. He is the second-ever sophomore to be named captain for Towson.
Home is Where the Heart (and winning) Is
Johnny Unitas ® Stadium is a tough place to play for visiting opponents. 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.
