FARMVILLE, Va. — In its first road test of the season, the Towson University field hockey team will travel to Virginia for contests against Longwood and the University of Virginia.
The Tigers will first take on the Lancers on Friday, Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. That matchup will be streamed on ESPN+. The team will then travel to Charlottesville to face the No. 8-ranked Cavaliers on Sunday, Sept. 5 at noon. The contest will be streamed on the ACC Network.
Last Time Out
After being delayed for over two hours pregame due to lightning in the area, the game between Georgetown and Towson scheduled for Friday, Aug. 27 was ultimately called off. Just before play was suspended, Hannah McKeon scored to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, the goal does not count until the contest is finished. The two programs will look to reschedule for a later date.
The Tigers saw the pitch again on Sunday, Aug. 29 against Appalachian State. Towson got out to a hot start with another score from McKeon in the eighth minute of play to take the 1-0 lead. The Tigers led for 40 minutes of Sunday's contest before the Mountaineers scored three goals in the final five minutes of the third quarter to secure the 3-1 win. Vandam came up with seven stops in the third to add to her 12 save total on the day. App State outshot Towson 20-9.
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. Bove, Palmer and Dalton all saw playing time in their first collegiate match against App State.
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. Hatfield saw time on the pitch at forward against the Mountaineers.
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.
Looking into the Lancers
Longwood is 1-1 after earning a 1-0 victory over Drexel and suffering a 3-2 loss to Lehigh last weekend. Three different scorers found the back of the net for the Mountain Hawks including defenders Luna Lopez and Kolbey Donahue along with forward Katie Frey. Goalkeeper Madison Nuckols registered seven saves in net during the opening games.
Scouting the Cavaliers
Virgina is also off to a 1-1 start after welcoming Penn State and Delaware to Charlottesville. UVA lost a 3-2 overtime thriller to the Nittany Lions before defeating the Blue Hens, 3-1. Five unique Cavaliers have scored so far this season, including Amber Ezechiels. In addition to the goal, the senior back has also earned two assists and three shots. Virginia has used all three goalkeepers on its roster for at least 30 minutes of play. Lauren Hausheer has played the most minutes in net (64:01), allowing three goals and making two saves.
Coaching Connections
Prior to making the leap to the college level, Towson head coach EA Jackson spent several years coaching in the Charlottesville area. Jackson served as the Albemarle High School head coach for five years in addition to teaching for 15 years. She was named District Coach of the Year following her first season. The Mary Washington aluma was also the USA Futures Elite Coach at the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond in 2016. In addition, Jackson ran and worked several camps in the surrounding area, often working with UVA Associate head coach, Ole Keusgen.
