TOWSON, Md. – The #20/RV Towson University women's lacrosse team heads to Philadelphia on Friday afternoon with hopes of flipping the script against #12/#11 Drexel. Last Tuesday at Tiger Field, the Dragons jumped out to an 10-2 halftime advantage to defeat the Tigers. 
 
It is the first of two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) North Division games for Towson (8-4, 0-1 CAA North) this week. On Sunday, Sonia LaMonica's squad hosts Hofstra (4-5, 0-2 CAA North). Drexel (11-1) is undefeated in three divisional games.
 
The CAA is using a divisional format this season to reduce travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Towson is in the North Division with Drexel, Hofstra and Delaware. James Madison, Elon and William & Mary are in the South Division. Five teams – the top two in each division plus one at-large selection – will advance to the league tournament. A game featuring the fourth and fifth seeds will be played May 4 or 5 with the semifinals and championship games in Harrisonburg, Virginia on May 7 and 9.
 
Due to April 1 announcement that the Delaware women's lacrosse program has suspended its season because of COVID-19 violations, the CAA adjusted the 2021 conference schedule. Towson, which was scheduled to play the Blue Hens on March 27 and May 1, played Drexel at home on April 13 and will head to Long Island to take on Hofstra Saturday, May 1.
 
Despite losses to Drexel and James Madison last week, Towson remained in the IWLCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll for the eighth consecutive week. The Tigers are ranked No. 20 by the coaches and are just outside the Women's Division I Inside Lacrosse Media Top 20 poll at No. 21.
 
Towson is getting balance on offense with 17 players scoring at least one goal. Blair Pearre (40g, 3a), Lindsey Marshall (24g, 12a) and Nikki Sliwak (22g, 14a) are leading the way. Marshall and Pearre have also combined to control 113 draws.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Tigers are 18^th in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to 10.0 goals per game. Towson has held five opponents to less than 10 goals this season. Twice this season, the Tigers have held opponents scoreless for more than 35 minutes in a game- Loyola (February 24) and George Mason (April 4).
 
Starting defenders Sami Chenoweth, Rayna Deltuva, Erin Williams and Natalie Miller as well as defensive midfielder Olivia Malamphy and top reserve Gabby Biondi have scooped up 86 groundballs and caused 72 turnovers. In the win over Loyola, Chenoweth held All-American attacker Livy Rosenzweig to two assists. Against Stony Brook, Williams held All-American attacker Tayrn Ohlmiller to one assist.
 
CLEARING WITH CONFIDENCE
Towson has converted 230-of-247 clears (93.1%) this season, third best among all D1 teams.
 
TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
Towson has two players named to the Tewaaraton Watch List. Since 2001, the Tewaaraton Award has been awarded to the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players. On March 11, midfielder Blair Pearre was one of 57 players named. On April 2, All-American defender Sami Chenoweth was one of nine players added. The field will be narrowed to 25 nominees on April 23.
 
THE RECORD HOLDER
Sami Chenoweth has caused 24 turnovers this season, 15^th best in the nation, increasing her school and CAA record to 175. With 23 groundballs, the Manchester Valley product has moved into 8th place on the all-time list. She recorded her first two points of her career with assists versus Loyola and George Mason.
 
SCORING IN BUNCHES
Blair Pearre scored a career-best seven goals, on just seven shots, in a win over William & Mary. The sophomore has scored at least two goals in 16 of 18 games at the collegiate level, including 11 games this season. The former Under Armour All-American leads Towson in goals (40), points (43) and groundballs (25) and ranks second in draw controls (49). She leads the CAA with 22 free-position goals and ranks second nationally, averaging 1.83 free-position goals per game.
 
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Lindsey Marshall has been impressive with 36 points (24g, 12a) and a team leading 64 draw controls. The Catonsville graduate has four hat tricks, including a career-high five goals versus Georgetown. The midfielder won a season-best 10 draw controls against William & Mary and has won at least five draws on eight occasions.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Talented transfers Natalie Miller (Maryland), Nikki Sliwak (Maryland) and Olivia Malamphy (Boston College) have made an immediate impact this season. Sliwak is tied for second in scoring with 36 points (22g, 14a). The attacker scored a career-high five goals against William & Mary and handed out a career-best four assists in the first George Mason game. She has a point in all 12 games. Miller, a starting defender, ranks second on the team with 14 caused turnovers, has picked up 13 groundballs and added an assist. Malamphy, Towson's defensive midfielder, is third on the team in groundballs (17), tied for third in caused turnovers (10) and ranks fourth in draw controls.
 
ROCK SOLID IN THE CAGE
Carly Merlo ranks in the Top 20 nationally in both goals-against average (10.01) and save percentage (.484). The sophomore allowed just 19 goals and made 28 saves in wins over The Mount (10-7), UMBC (12-5) and Loyola (13-7). Freshman Lindsay Posner has a 9.95 GAA in seven appearances.
 
MISS CONSISTENCY
Kaitlin Thornton has multiple points in five games this season. The senior, who has 121 career points (88g, 33a), has produced multiple points in 36 of 55 games in a Towson uniform.
 
STACKING GOALS
Shelby Stack scored her 50th career goal one minute into the season at Mount St. Mary's. She added tallies in seven other games and has scored at least one goal in 28 of the last 34 games, dating back to 2019.
 
125 & COUNTING
Sonia LaMonica picked up her 125th victory as a head coach when Towson beat George Mason on April 4. The 8-4 start has improved her record at Towson to 118-71 (.624). In her 10 previous seasons, the Tigers have won four Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament titles and earned spots in the NCAA Tournament six times.
 
SPEED DEMONS
So far this season, 15 players have been clocked at speeds of at least 17 miles per hour during a game. Olivia Malamphy, Nicole Liucci, Blair Pearre, Rayna Deltuva, Kaitlin Thornton, Lindsey Marshall, Erin Williams, Natalie Miller, Kerri Liucci, Julia Porter, Molly Lynch, Shelby Stack, Nikki Sliwak, Sami Chenoweth and Kerri Thornton have reached the number. Malamphy has been the fastest player four times with speeds of 17.80 (The Mount), 17.46 (UMBC), 18.35 (Loyola) and 18.35 (James Madison). Nicole Liucci had the best time in the first George Mason game (17.68). Deltuva was the fastest versus Stony Brook (17.92). Porter had the top time against Temple (17.82). Pearre led the team versus Georgetown (18.04) and Drexel (18.60). Miller had the top time against St. Joe's (17.96). Chenoweth had the best time in the second George Mason game (17.84). Kaitlin Thornton was the fastest against William & Mary (17.68).
 
AWARD WINNERS
Towson has received four Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Week honors in the first 10 weeks of the season. Sophomore Olivia Malamphy was named Defender of the Week on February 16. Freshman midfielder Lindsey Marshall has earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors on March 2 and March 23. Junior Erin Williams was named Defender of the Week on March 16. Blair Pearre earned Rookie of the Week honors on April 13. For spring sports, the CAA ruled that true freshman who played a shortened season last year are eligible this season for Rookie of the Week since the league did not name an All-Rookie team in 2020.
 
PRESEASON PICKS
All-American defender Sami Chenoweth and midfielders Blair Pearre and Shelby Stack were selected Preseason All-CAA by the league coaches. Chenoweth was named Third Team preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse.
 
SISTER, SISTER, SISTER, SISTER   
Towson's roster includes four sets of sisters: Kaitlin and Kerri Thornton and three sets of twins – seniors Hannah and Madison Hobbes, juniors Kerri and Nicole Liucci and freshman Paige and Paiton Abbott. 
 
WARD MELVILLE SOUTH 
The Thornton, Hobbes and Liucci sisters all played at Ward Melville High School on Long Island during a five-year stretch between 2014-2018. The six have combined for 44 goals and nine assists so far this season.
 
ROSTER MAKEUP
Eighteen student-athletes on the 2021 roster are from the Baltimore metropolitan area. Seven played in the powerful IAAM A Conference, five are from Carroll County schools, four played for Baltimore County programs with Howard County and Kent County being represented by one player each. Twelve of the other 17 are from New York, including eight from Long Island.
 
FAMILIAR FACES
Several members of the Towson lacrosse program have connections with the Drexel team. Dragons assistant coach Kelsea Donnelly was a three-year starter at goalie for Sonia LaMonica (2013-15) at Towson and ranks 10th on the all-time saves list. She was a two-time All-CAA selection and spent the 2016 season as an assistant coach. Towson's Kamryn McNeal and Drexel's Rachel Warden were teammates at Garnet Valley.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
The brothers of Olivia Malamphy and Lindsay Posner are teammates at Salisbury, the No. 2 ranked team in Division III. Brett Malamphy is an All-American faceoff specialist, while Logan Posner runs first midfield for the Sea Gulls.
 
NEW HOME VENUE
The Towson University women's lacrosse team is playing in the newly-renovated Tiger Field. A new grandstand and press box were completed last summer. The facility also has all-new lighting, allowing for night games. The lights include the MUSCO Show-Light package for programmed light shows and effects. Tiger Field is part of the Lower Fields Complex, which also includes two practice facilities.
 
FINAL FOUR
The Tigers' former home, Johnny Unitas® Stadium, will be the home for the NCAA Division I 2021 Final Four. The semi-finals are scheduled to be played May 28 with the national championship two days later. Unitas Stadium previously hosted the Final Four in 208, 2009, 2010 and 2014.
 
TIGERS IN THE COMMUNITY    
The Towson University athletics department deems community service as one of its highest priorities to give back to the Greater Baltimore area. Towson was on track to have its 8th consecutive year of over 10,000 hours of community service in 2019-20 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all activity.  Towson finished with 7,527 hours last year, good for third in the NCAA Teamworks HelperHelper competition. Towson ranked #1 nationally for community service and won the 2018 National Championship for Community Service through the HelperHelper NCAA Team Works Competition.  Towson also won the 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award from Susan G. Komen of Maryland.