When: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Where: Tiger Field | Towson, Md.
Time: Wednesday- 4 p.m.
Team Records: Towson (2-0) vs. #8/14Loyola (1-0)
Stream: FloLive ($)
Series: Loyola Leads Towson 36-13

TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's lacrosse team looks to upset #8/14 Loyola in the Tigers' home opener tomorrow.
 
The Tigers continued their hot start with a 13-12 win over Georgetown in the nation's capital last Wednesday. Milana Zizakovic has a career-high six points with three goals and a career-high three assists. Gabby Garrett and Blair Pearre each added a hat trick.
 
Heading into her 13th season at Towson Sonia LaMonica and the Tigers have won 130 games and earned spots in the NCAA Tournament seven times, most recently in 2021. Towson has won seven Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament titles since 2005, including four under LaMonica.  
 
Instant Impact 
Junior goalkeeper Jo Torres was selected as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Week. In her Towson debut, Torres made 12 saves as the Tigers defeated the Mount 11-4 in the season opener. The junior from Prince Frederick, Maryland, totaled a 75% save percentage on Saturday. Four goals are the fewest amount of goals allowed by Towson in a season opener since 2016. Torres made seven saves in the second half while only allowing one goal. She also added three ground balls.
 
Hard Mode Activated 
The Tigers have a tough schedule ahead of them this season. Towson plays three teams that are currently in the IWCLA Poll, including two top-ten opponents. The Tigers host #8 Loyola on Feb. 22nd in Towson's home opener. The Black & Gold head up the road to play #25 Penn State on March 14th, then host #5 Stony Brook on April 22nd. Towson plays seven teams that made the NCAA tournament last year: Mount St. Mary's, #8 Loyola, Saint Joseph's, Central Michigan, Drexel, Johns Hopkins and #5 Stony Brook.
 
Preseason Accolades
In late January, the CAA announced that Jo Torres and Blair Pearre both received Preseason All-CAA honors in addition to an honorable mention for Olivia Malamphy, Lindsay Clarke and Milana Zizakovic. The All-CAA Preseason honor marks the third of Pearre's career while Torres earns her first in the CAA. 
 
In the order of finish, the Tigers were voted to end the season in second place with 43 points. Stony Brook was picked to finish first in the league, receiving seven first-place votes and 49 total points. Defending champion Drexel was picked third, then Hofstra, Delaware, Monmouth, Elon and William & Mary in descending order. The All-CAA teams and order of finish were voted on by the conference's head coaches.  
 
Winning Tradition
Head coach Sonia LaMonica is the winningest coach all-time in Towson Women's Lacrosse history. She ended 2022 with 138 career wins and has a 130-85 record at Towson. She is also the longest-tenured coach in the CAA.
 
Returning Starters 
Towson brings back seven players that started in 14 or more games last season. The Tigers bring back their leading goal scorer in Blair Pearre and their leader in assists in Lindsay Clarke. The team also returns the top two defenders in Olivia Malamphy and Blair Goodrich.
 
Oh Captain My Captain!
Blair Pearre and Gabby Garrett were selected as team captains for the 2023 season. This is the first time that both seniors have been selected as captains.   
 
Fresh Faces  
Sonia LaMonica beings in a class of ten freshmen to Towson for the upcoming 2023 season. She brought in Savannah Safchuck (midfield), Valerie Thompson (midfield), Rory Turner (goalkeeper), Luca DeMaio (midfield), Emma Baker (midfield), Hannah Glawe (defense), Meghan Hoskins (attack), Molly Jacobson (midfield), Ocea Leavy (midfield) and Jessica Lampasone (defense). 
 
Transferring In  
The coaching staff added one transfer this season in goalkeeper Jo Torres from Navy.  Torres comes to Towson after two seasons at Navy, where she was named Second Team All-Patriot League last season after recording 155 saves across 20 games. The Prince Frederick, Maryland native registered a 47.7% save percentage, which ranked 17th in the nation and had a 9.12 GAA, eighth best in the NCAA. Torres accumulated double-digit saves in six contests, including a season-high 14 against Saint Joseph's.
 
Staying Home
The 2023 squad has 16 student-athletes that call Maryland home. Savannah Safchuck (Towson), Valerie Thompson (Sykesville), Paiton and Paige Abbott (Mount Airy), Mia Rehkemper (Catonsville), Jenna DiPeso (Forest Hill), Lindsay Clarke (Parkton), Blair Pearre (Pikesville), Blair Goodrich (Chester), Emily King (Monrovia), Lindsay Posner (Monkton), Hannah Glawe (Frederick), Meghan Hoskins (Towson), Lindsey Marshall (Columbia), Halley Koras (Lutherville) and Olivia Malamphy (Crofton) all represent their home state.
 
Climbing the Ranks   
Senior midfielder Blair Pearre continues to write her name all over the record book. Pearre became the 15th player in program history to reach 100 goals with seven goals against Elon (April 2) to tie her career high. Pearre has racked up 122 career goals to rank tied for 11th in program history with Andi Raymond. The midfielder is only three goals behind Nikki Maricinik for 10th place.
 
The former High School Under Armour All-American now has 25 career hat tricks and has scored at least two goals in 34 of 42 games at the collegiate level. Pearre also sits tied for third place with Breanna Hamm in draw controls with 171. 
 
O Canada
Milana Zizakovic represented Canada in the Super Sixes Event last October. The sophomore midfielder has continued where she left off last season leading the Tigers in goals (6) and points (9) while tied for the team lead in assists (3). Last season after starting in all 17 games and scoring in 13. She ranked fifth in goals (25), third in assists (8), second in draw controls (52) and sixth in points (29) last season. 
 
Returning to the Field
Junior midfielder Lindsey Marshall returns to action after missing her sophomore season due to an injury. The Columbia, Maryland native is tied for eighth all-time with Emily Gillingham in draw controls with 115. In her first game back for Towson, Marshall picked up where she left off scoring a first-half hat trick, tallying two assists, a team-best nine draw controls and two caused turnovers. In her first season at Towson, Marshall was named All-CAA First Team and CAA All-Rookie Team after leading the team with 102 draw controls, the second Tiger to ever accomplish that. The midfielder from Columbia, Maryland finished second on the team in goals (38) and third in points (53). Marshall totaled seven hat tricks, including a hat trick against the Mount in her collegiate debut.
 
Scouting Loyola 
The Greyhounds come in with a 1-0 record after defeating Johns Hopkins 12-10 on Saturday. Loyola currently sits eighth in the IL Women's Lacrosse Poll and 14th in Lacrosse Magazine's Poll. Katie Detwiler, Jillian Wilson, Georgia Latch and Sydni Black each garnered preseason honors from the Patriot League as the Greyhounds were picked as the unanimous preseason favorites.  
 
Looking Ahead 
Towson will host Arizona State at Tiger Field on Sunday, Feb. 26th at 11 a.m. on FloLive.