Opening Faceoff
The first pair of back-to-back games at Johnny Unitas® Stadium concludes this weekend as the Tigers play host to top-ranked Duke Saturday afternoon. Both teams are riding wins entering Saturday for the CAA Game of the Week on Lax Sports Network.
In The National Rankings
Towson continued to receive votes, picking up selections in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The Blue Devils are the top-ranked team across all three polls, including the US Lacrosse Division I Top 20.
The Home Now, Road Trip Coming Tigers
Saturday's game concludes the first of two back-to-back home game sets for the Tigers. Towson is coming off a thrilling 8-7 overtime win against Saint Joseph's last weekend, weathering the storm (and freezing rain) after a 6-2 lead evaporated into a 7-7 tie after 60 minutes. Brody McLean (6g, 3a) has back-to-back hat tricks to open the season, with Andrew Milani (4g) notching a pair in each contest early this season, including Saturday's OT GWG. McLean has been efficient this season, scoring six goals on 12 total shots, 10 of which have been on cage. A redshirt sophomore close defenseman, the rangy Garrett Zungailia, leads with four caused turnovers along with a dozen ground balls. Mo Sillah made an immediate impact in his first appearance of 2021, forcing three Hawk miscues at the LSM spot. Close defenseman Colby Barsz, the CAA Rookie of the Week had two caused turnovers against Saint Joseph's this weekend as well. In net, Shane Brennan made 11 saves in his first victory of 2021, paired with another dozen at Virginia for 23 on the season. Towson's riding game has been strong, limiting opponents to a .657 percentage through two games.
Scouting the Top-Ranked Blue Devils
The Blue Devils arrive at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium with the number one ranking in all three college polls this week. The Blue Devils are 3-0 following a 17-8 win over Mercer at Koskinen Stadium last weekend. Saturday's game at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium will be the Blue Devils' first away from home in 2021. Princeton transfer Michael Sowers (5g, 8a) has 13 points, with Nakeie Montgomery (4g, 4a) and Brennan O'Neill (4g, 4a) tied for second. Jake Naso (31-51, .608) is Duke's top faceoff man, with Tyler Carpenter (9ct) the go-to takeaway man on defense. Saint Joseph's transfer Mike Adler has played 77 minutes goal, making 15 saves (.517) while Turner Uppgren has 69 minutes to his credit with 13 saves (.591). Adler started against Mercer last weekend.
Towson-Duke History
It's a short but frenzied series between the Tigers and the Blue Devils. Towson leads the all-time series 7-4 dating back to a 1966, 14-7 win in Towson. The Blue Devils have won the most recent three matchups, including a 12-10 win in Durham in March 2019. Towson's last victory over the Blue Devils came in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament, a 12-10 decision. Each of the last two meetings have been decided by two goals.
Towson-Duke By the Numbers
All-Time Series Record Towson 7-4
at Towson Towson 5-1
at Duke Duke 3-1
at Neutral Sites Towson 1-0
at Unknown Sites n/a
First Meeting May 6, 1966 (Towson 14-7)
Last Meeting March 16, 2019
#2 Duke 12, #5 Towson 10
Streak Towson -3
Last Time Out vs. Duke | March 14, 2020 | Towson, Md. | Johnny Unitas ® Stadium
Towson's next opponent was meant to be Duke University in mid-March of the 2020 season. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country, the difficult decision was made to cancel the remainder of the 2020 season.
Really the Last Time Out vs. Duke | March 16, 2019 | Durham, N.C. | Koskinen Stadium
It was a back-and-forth event at Koskinen Stadium between No. 5 Towson and No. 2 Duke in a mid-March showdown. Towson held an 8-6 lead early in the third quarter following a four-goal flourish, but the Blue Devils scored six of the game's next eight goals for a 12-10 decision. Brendan Sunday (4g, 1a) led Towson with five points, with Grant Maloof (1g, 2a) and Timmy Monahan (2g, 1a) right behind him. Tyler Canto made 15 saves for Towson while Alex Woodall went 19-of-24 at the X. Brad Smith (3g, 1a) and Joey Manown (2g, 2a) led Duke with four points. Turner Uppgren stopped seven Towson shots.
With a Win Saturday Towson Would...
- Win back-to-back games for the first time since four straight from April 20-May 4, 2019.
- Win its first game against Duke since the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
- Give the Tigers a home win over Duke for the first time since April 3, 1972, a 19-7 decision.
- Topple the number one team in the country in as many meetings.
- Towson's last win over number one was a 12-10 decision over Loyola at home in 2019.
- Be the Tigers first win over Duke head coach John Danowski since April 23, 2005, a 10-6 Towson win over visiting Hofstra University in CAA action.
Toques Off
- Fifth-year senior Brody McLean has scored a hat trick in back-to-back games for the Tigers to opener the 2021 campaign.
- He is the first Tiger to score hat tricks in back-to-back games to open the season since he himself did it to open the 2019 season.
- With a hat trick on Saturday, he would be the first Tiger to drop a hat trick of hat tricks to open a season in the Shawn Nadelen Era (2012) and first overall since Kyle Campbell scored four goals against each of Rutgers, Lehigh and Maryland to open 2002.
The Steve Grossi Reunion Tour
Hop in your van and get ready for a tour. Last Saturday kicked off a four-part series of the Steve Grossi Reunion Tour. This spring, the Tigers will take on three institutions assistant coach Steve Grossi has a connection with. The first stop was last 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 Tigers are currently 1-0 on the Steve Grossi Reunion Tour.
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 | B. McLean -> A. Beacham: 1
C. Gallagher -> B. McLean: 1 | C. Wasserman -> G. Ey: 1 | A. Beacham -> B. McLean: 1
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).
Flair for the Dramatic
Redshirt freshman Andrew Milani has a flair for the dramatic as he chose overtime to score his first collegiate game-winning goal. With 2:34 left in overtime against Saint Joseph's on February 13, Milani drove the alley, rolled back and threw a low shot on goal and scored five-hole for an 8-7 win. Per Milani, that was his first overtime game-winning goal since March 14, 2018 in his junior campaign at nearby St. Paul's School with an 11-10 on the road at Norfolk Academy in Virginia.
The Gauntlet
- Year in and year out Towson constructs one of the toughest Division I schedules.
- In this week's major polls, five 2021 opponents are ranked inside the top 20
- #1/#1 Duke | #3/#3 Virginia | #11/#11 Loyola | #13/#12 UMass | #18/#16 Richmond
- Three Towson opponents are receiving votes in this week's USILA Coaches' Poll
Drexel, Saint Joseph's, Hofstra
- 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.
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 20
- Saturday's game will be the third time Towson plays on February 20.
- Towson is 1-1 all-time on this date.
- The Tigers have never played a road game on February 20.
- Head coach Shawn Nadelen is 1-1 on this date
2013 - #2 Loyola 14, Towson 9 | 2016 - #15 Towson 9, Mount St. Mary's 5
Versus: The ACC (Current Membership): 19-44
Duke: 7-4 | North Carolina: 5-16 | Notre Dame: 0-1 | Syracuse: 3-9 | Virginia: 4-14
- Saturday's game will be the 64th all-time meeting between the Tigers and the current alignment of the ACC.
- Towson is 19-44 all-time against the league.
- 2021 marks the fourth(*ish)-straight season the Tigers will lineup against an opponent from the ACC, dating back to the 2017 season when Towson topped No. 2 Syracuse 10-7 in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
*Towson was scheduled to play Duke on March 14, 2020 before 2020 was halted).
- That NCAA Tournament win was the last time Towson beat an ACC opponent (May 21, 2017).
- Head coach Shawn Nadelen is 1-5 against current ACC opponents.
All-Time vs. No. 1
- Saturday will be the 28th time since joining Division I in 1980 that the Tigers will meet the number one team in the most recent USILA Coaches' Poll.
- Towson is 3-24 all-time against the top-ranked team in the country.
- Towson's last win was a 12-10 victory over Loyola on Feb. 27, 2019.
- This weekend will be the first time Towson takes on a No. 1 Duke squad.
- Towson is 1-0 all-time in the month of February against the number one team.
- Head coach Shawn Nadelen is 1-1 against the top-ranked team, falling 10-3 to UMass in the 2012 CAA Tournament, Nadelen's first season as a head coach.
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).
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. #1 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 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.
The Great 8
In 2019, 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 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.
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.
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 53-8 in games when Towson scores double digits. When Towson's defense limits opponents to single digits, the Tigers are a whopping 71-11 in that same time after an 8-7 overtime win over Saint Joseph's in the 2021 home opener. On 45 occasions, the Tigers have scored in double figures while holding opponents to single digits, obviously a 45-0 record.
