TOWSON, Md. – For the 10^th time since 2008, the Towson University women's lacrosse team earned a spot into the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will visit eighth-seeded Stony Brook on Friday, May 14 at noon on Long Island.
 
The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Lacrosse Championships brackets were revealed during a Selection Special on Sunday night. Twenty-nine women's teams are playing for the chance to become national champions.
 
Drexel will face Rutgers in the second game at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium Friday afternoon. The winners of those matchups will play in the Second Round on Sunday, May 16 at 12 p.m.
 
Overall, this is Towson's 11^th NCAA appearance and seventh in 10 full seasons with Sonia LaMonica at the helm. The 2020 season was cut short due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Towson (9-8) was ranked in the IWLCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll for nine consecutive weeks (March 1-April 26). The Tigers were ranked as high as No. 11 in the Women's Division I Inside Lacrosse Media Top 20 poll (March 8) and spent seven straight weeks in the U.S. Lacrosse poll.
 
The season began with four consecutive victories, including a win over then #8/#10 Loyola and the Tigers were 8-2 after defeating William & Mary on April 10. Towson lost six-of-seven down the stretch, but four were by one or two goals and each loss was to a team in the NCAA field.
 
"To be able to see our name up on the board fills us with excitement to know that we get to go dancing," LaMonica said. "We talked a lot coming into the CAA Tournament that strength relies in our struggle and we have learned a lot from our losses. A lot of them have been heartbreakers and that can only make us stronger."
 
As a player, LaMonica helped Maryland win the 2000 and 2001 NCAA titles. Assistant coach Shanna Brady won a pair of national titles at Maryland in 2014 and 2015 and reached championship weekend all four years.
 
Eight members of team have NCAA Tournament experience, including graduate students Nikki Sliwak and Natalie Miller, who were members of Maryland's national championship teams in 2017 and 2019. All-American defender Sami Chenoweth has five caused turnovers, five groundballs and three draw controls in three NCAA games. Kaitlin Thornton scored five goals, including a hat trick against Northwestern, and had two assists in the 2018 tournament. Abbe Mona, Hannah Hobbes and Shelby Stack all scored goals in a win over Wagner in 2018.
 
"I am excited our season isn't over yet," Chenoweth said. "We didn't end the season the way we expected to and now we have the opportunity to compete for a national championship. That is what we came here to do."
 
Towson dropped a hard-fought 10-8 decision to Stony Brook on March 7 at Tiger Field. The Tigers are winless in seven games versus the Seawolves. Four of the losses have been by two goals or less, including the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Tournament games. The teams started playing each season in 2017.
 
Four members of the Towson women's lacrosse team received Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) honors for the 2021 regular season. Chenoweth and midfielders Blair Pearre and Lindsey Marshall were named to the All-CAA First Team. Pearre, Marshall and defensive midfielder Olivia Malamphy earned All-Rookie honors. Pearre was selected as the CAA Rookie of the Year.
 
Pearre has scored at least two goals in 15 of 17 games, including 11 hat tricks. She scored a career-best seven goals (on seven shots) in a win over William & Mary. The sophomore leads Towson in goals (58), points (66) and groundballs (33) and is second in draw controls (68). The former Under Armour HS All-American became the ninth player in program history to score 50 goals in a season. Her 31 free-position goals rank second nationally.
 
Freshman sensation Marshall has a team-best 94 draw controls. Only Hillary Fratzke, who won 107 in 2006 has more in a single-season. She ranks third on the team with 50 points (35g, 15a). 
 
Sliwak is second in points (30g, team-high 22a). She is the only player on the team with a point in every game this season.
 
Chenoweth, who anchors the defense, ranks seventh in the nation with 34 caused turnovers, increasing her school and league record to 184. With 31 groundballs, the Manchester Valley product has moved into 6th place on Towson's all-time list. She recorded the first two points of her career this season with assists versus Loyola and George Mason.
 
Johnny Unitas® Stadium will be the home for the women's NCAA Division I 2021 Final Four. The semifinals will be played May 28 with the national championship two days later. Unitas Stadium previously hosted the Final Four in 208, 2009, 2010 and 2014. Tickets went on sale on May 6 and are available through TicketMaster https://am.ticketmaster.com/towson/ism/TkNBQVdMMjE=#/ as well as NCAA.com.