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Evan Long at No. 18 Denver
Larry Maurer
9
Towson TOWSON 3-6
12
Winner Denver DEN 5-4
Towson TOWSON
3-6
9
Final
12
Denver DEN
5-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Towson TOWSON 5 2 1 1 9
Denver DEN 1 2 4 5 12

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse | | John Stark

Men’s Lacrosse Falters in Slugfest at No. 18 Denver

DENVER –It's always a slugfest between the Towson University men's lacrosse team and the University of Denver Pioneers. ANd the 2022 edition did not disappoint.

Towson (3-6) fell 12-9 in a game that was a one-goal affair through the first 55 minutes. Denver out-scored the Tigers 9-2 in the second half but Towson got a 19-save performance from Evan Long, the third-most stops for a netminder in the Shawn Nadelen era (2012).

James Avanzato paced the Tigers with three points on one goal and two helpers while Luke Shilling and Nick DeMaio potted two goals apiece. Towson valued possession, turning the ball over just six times in the contest.

Denver (5-4) was led by six goals and an assist from Jack Hannah while Ted Sullivan had six assists. Alec Stathakis won 19 of the game's 25 faceoffs and collected 10 ground balls.

How it Happened
  • Towson struck first as Avanzato tiptoed the crease and took a lot of contact, finishing to the far side unassisted. The Pioneers tied the game 1-1 40 seconds later on a Lampert goal.
  • But the Tigers rolled the rest of the quarter with four unanswered. Shilling hit a transition goal going five hole on a feed from Avanzato after Reece Potter cleared the ball.
  • Denver transfer Austin Stewart brought the high heat for a 3-1 Tiger lead with 3:59 to play before Chop Gallagher scored on a question mark dodge five yards out and five yards up.
  • Scouting the firm turf at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, Nick DeMaio hit a high bouncer with 53 seconds left in the first quarter for a 5-1 Towson advantage. Long made nine saves in the first 15 minutes.
  • The Pioneers snapped Towson's run early in the second quarter behind goals from Johnny Marrocco and Jack Hannah. Marrocco assisted on Hannah's goal at 9:01 of the second.
  • Towson overcame the slow start to the frame as Shilling buried his second. Ryan Swain had the assist after his defender broke a stick and cleared the field. Swain drew the slide and back fed to Shilling for the finish.
  • DeMaio got his second of the day with 57 seconds left after Shilling had the ball checked from his stick. The former finished with high heat to send the Tigers into the break with a 7-3 lead. Long made another five saves in the second 15 minutes.
  • Denver scored three times in the first four minutes to trim Towson's lead down to 7-6. The first goal came with some controversy surrounding a mis-reset of the shot clock. The Pioneers scored twice more in transition.
  • The Pioneers continued the run out to four straight on Marrocco's second door-step finish from Hannah to tie the game 7-7.
  • Towson stopped the bleeding with 2:10 to play in the third quarter as Jonathan Bender hit a step down shot on an Avanzato feed, halting Denver's third-quarter run at four.
  • Denver took its first lead of the day with 9:22 to play in the fourth quarter on a Riley Curtis goal, making it two-straight marks for the Pioneers after a Hannah power play goal at 12:32.
  • The Pioneers extended their lead to 10-8 on Hannah's fifth of the day with 5:56 to play in the fourth with Richie Connell on the feed.
  • Bender ended the Tigers' drought after slipping past his defender and finishing at the far post with 5:25 to play in the fourth, cutting Denver's lead to 10-9.
  • Denver scored the final two goals of the game on the power play from Connell and Hannah at 3:52 and 1:44, respectively to finish the game 12-9.
Behind the Numbers
  • Towson had 19 saves from Evan Long, tied for the third-most stops under head coach Shawn Nadelen. Long finished with a .613 save percentage in the contest.
  • The Tigers' starting attack unit accounted for five of the Tigers' nine goals, led by two each from Shilling and DeMaio. Five other Tigers scored one goal apiece.
  • Towson put 19 shots on goal, scoring nine times. Denver's Jack Thompson made 10 saves at a .526 clip for the win.
  • The Pioneers have won the last four meetings between programs, dating back to the 2017 season.
  • Both teams were perfect in transition, with Towson gaining the zone 24 times on 24 tries while the Pioneers went 18-of-18.
  • Matt Constantinides won six faceoffs in the game.
  • Towson was hit with four penalties, three of which came in the final quarter. Denver was called for just one penalty. Denver went 3-for-4 on the power play while Towson did not score on its lone chance.
Up Next for Towson
  • The Tigers open Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) action next weekend to round out the four-game road swing.
  • Towson and longtime rival and reigning CAA champion Drexel clash at Vidas Field on Saturday, April 2 with a 4 p.m. faceoff in Philadelphia.
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