TOWSON, Md. — The Towson University Field Hockey team is back in action over the weekend with two home matches to open the fall 2021 season.
The Tigers will welcome Georgetown on Friday at 3 p.m. before facing Appalachian State on Sunday at 1 p.m. The TU Field Hockey Complex will also be the site of a neutral site game between the Hoyas and the Mountaineers on Saturday at 2 p.m. Admission to all games is open and free to the public.
Preseason Praise
Graduate student Lena Vandam and sophomore Kaiya Townsend Sabur both earned Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) preseason praise after impressive performances in the spring. Vandam was named to the All-CAA Preseason team while Townsend Sabur earned an honorable mention.
Vandam is the returning CAA Defensive Player of the Year. She led the league 61 saves, 7.62 stops per game and a .782 save percentage. She started all eight games of the abbreviated spring slate and earned CAA Player of the Week once (3/30). A CAA All-Rookie Team selection, Townsend Sabur tied for second most points on the squad with three. She registered the first Tiger goal of the spring and the first of her collegiate career against Syracuse. The sophomore also added six shots on goal and one assist throughout the season. She was picked as CAA Rookie of the Week once (3/16).
Fresh Faces
Head coach EA Jackson welcomed seven freshmen to the squad this offseason. The group includes Lexi Bove, Cate Cook, Madisyn Howard, Analeigh Page, Haley Palmer, Maddie Dalton and Piper Sullivan.
Transferring In
The Tigers also added two transfers to the lineup in previous months. Sarah Hatfield will join the team from VCU after one year there in addition to junior Kelsey Jones from La Salle.
Where are you from?
The Tigers' roster boasts representation from six different states and two countries. While 15 student-athletes call Maryland home, Pennsylvania (5), Virginia (5), New Jersey (3), Delaware (1) and New York (1) are also represented. Vandam (Belgium) and freshman Cate Cook (South Africa) bring some international flair to the team.
2020 Spring Recap
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Towson did not play a traditional fall schedule in 2020 but instead played an abbreviated spring season. The Tigers went 2-6 with wins over La Salle and Northeastern. The win over the Huskies marked the first conference win for the team since 2011 and first league win on the road since 2010. The 3-1 victory signified the Tigers' the first in program history on the Northeastern's turf.
Scouting the Hoyas
All-time series: 9-9
Last Meeting: Oct. 31, 2019 | Towson, Maryland | Towson, 3 Georgetown, 2 (2OT)
Notes: Georgetown finished with a 6-13 record in the 2019 fall season after not seeing the pitch last year. Ali Cronin is the top returning goal scorer as she slotted the game winner against Longwood in the 2-1 victory. She started all 19 games of the campaign and added two assists.
Looking into the Mountaineers
All-time series: 5-3
Last Meeting: Aug. 30, 2019 | Towson, Maryland | Appalachian State, 3 Towson, 0
Notes: Appalachian State ended the spring slate with a 7-9 overall record. Pauline Mangold scored the most goals of any other returners in 2020, with four scores off eight shots on frame. She also added two assists to reach 10 points.
