The Game: Towson (4-8, 2-2 CAA) @ Monmouth (5-7, 1-3 CAA)
When: Sat., Apr. 22 – 2:30 p.m.
Where: Kessler Stadium – West Long Branch, N.J.
Broadcast: FloSports
Radio Broadcast: Towsontigers.com
Series: First Meeting
 
TOWSON, Md. – For the second Saturday in a row, the Towson University men's lacrosse team will take on an opponent for the first time ever, going to New Jersey to take on Monmouth on Saturday, April 22 at 2:30 p.m.
 
This contest will also be broadcast online on FloSports.  Visit https://flosports.link/3PiZj24 to view the full Colonial Athletic Association schedule and sign up today.  Spiro Morekas will have the radio call on towsontigers.com live from Kessler Stadium. 
 
Towson has won its last two league games, defeating Hampton 20-1 last Saturday to stand 4-8 overall and 3-2 in the CAA.  Monmouth, a newcomer in the CAA this season, fell at Fairfield 15-14 on Saturday to be at 5-7 overall and 1-4 in the CAA.
 
This is the first all-time meeting between Towson and Monmouth.  Monmouth, which moved from the MAAC to the CAA starting this academic year, established its men's lacrosse program in 2014.
 
This is Towson's first game in the state of New Jersey since March 27, 2004, when Towson defeated then-#10 Rutgers 7-4 in Piscataway.
 
TOWSON - 2022 CAA REGULAR SEASON CO-CHAMPION
In 2022, Towson was one of three teams who earned a share of the CAA regular season title with a 3-2 league record.  The Tigers shared the regular season title with Delaware and UMass.
 
FOUR TIGERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-CAA
Four Tigers earned 2023 Preseason All-CAA recognition in the preseason coaches poll: Colby Barsz, Kyle Berkeley, Matt Constantinides and Garrett Zungailia.
 
Barsz, a First Team All-CAA LSM last season, finished with 25 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers, including three games with multiple caused turnovers.
 
Berkeley earned Second Team All-CAA last year, leading all Towson midfielders in total points with 43 off 25 goals and 18 assists, adding 19 ground balls.
 
Constantinides was the lone faceoff man on the Preseason All-CAA Team.  Earning Second Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie Team last year, he had 147 faceoff victories and 86 ground balls in 2022.
 
A starter the past three seasons, Zungailia led all Towson non-faceoff players with 40 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers, being tied for fourth in the CAA in total caused turnovers last year.
 
NADELEN EARNS 100th VICTORY
On April 15th, Shawn Nadelen earned his 100th victory at the helm of the Tigers.  Currently in his 12th season, Nadelen has a 100-81 record as Towson head coach.
 
Nadelen is the second head coach in Towson history with 100 victories.
 
Head Coach                Record            Years at Towson
Carl Runk                    262-191           1968-98
Shawn Nadelen         100-81             2012-pres.
Tony Seaman             99-93               1999-2011
 
TOWSON PREDICTED TO FINISH SECOND IN CAA
Towson has been predicted to finish second in the CAA preseason coaches poll.  Towson received a first-place vote and 42 points overall, only trailing Delaware, the reigning league champion, with seven first-place votes and 49 total points.
2023 CAA Men's Lacrosse Preseason Poll
Team (1st)                  Points
1. Delaware (7)              49
2. Towson (1)                42
3. Drexel                        35
4. Stony Brook               32
5. Hofstra                       23
6. Fairfield                      22
7. Monmouth                  14
8. Hampton                     7
 
BATTLING IN THE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Towson will have a difficult non-league slate this season, scheduled to play four non-CAA teams who are ranked in the top-20 of the preseason polls, including a rematch against Virginia, ranked in the top-3 of the USILA Coaches Poll and in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.  In addition, Delaware, Saint Joseph's, Denver and Richmond were all in the preseason top-20 of each poll while Loyola stood in the top-10 when Towson played back in March.
 
PROGRAM APPROACHING 500TH VICTORY
Towson, which established varsity men's lacrosse in 1959, is just eight wins away from 500 as a program.  Since the establishment under coach Billy Hooper in 1959, Towson has a program record of 496-378.
 
The Tigers are 346-272 since beginning DI play in 1980.
 
DEMAIO EARNS CAA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
With an 11-point week in two games, Nick DeMaio was honored as the CAA Offensive Player of the Week on April 17.
 
The senior from San Diego, California began the week with a hat trick vs. #11/12 Denver, including a behind-the-back one-handed goal scored on the doorstep.
 
He followed with a season-high seven-point performance in a home win vs. Hampton, tallying two goals and five assists.
 
MCDONOUGH TO PLAY FOR TEAM AUSTRALIA
Connor McDonough will be competing for Australia in the 2023 World Lacrosse Men's Championship this summer in San Diego.  McDonough, a junior also formerly played for the U19 Australia Team.  His mother is from Perth while his grandparents still live in Perth.
 
Australia plays in the Blue Division along with Team USA, which will include Towson 2019 alum Zach Goodrich. The 2023 World Lacrosse Championship will be played from June 21 to July 1.
 
FOUR TIGERS SELECTED AS CAPTAINS
Towson has picked four captains for the 2023 campaign.
Brandon Hund (Sr. A/M)
--Second-ever Tiger to be a three-time captain (Zach Goodrich '19)
Reagan McNemar (Sr. D)
--2022 Joseph Ferrante Memorial Scholarship recipient
Ryan Swain (Gr. M)
--2021 All-CAA First Team
Garrett Zungailia (Gr. D)
--2023 Preseason All-CAA Team
 
SIX TIGERS PLAYING AS GRADUATES
Six Tigers have their undergraduate degree entering the 2023 campaign, including five earning their degree at Towson.
Player                         Major
Kyle Berkeley            BS - Criminal Justice
John Kiracofe            BS - Communication & Media
     (degree earned at Michigan)
Alex Reid                   BS - Business Administration
Austin Stewart           BS - Communications Studies
Ryan Swain                BS - Business Administration
Garrett Zungailia       BS - Business Administration
 
As a team, Towson earned a 3.2 grade point average during the Fall 2022 semester.
 
CONSTANTINIDES ENTERS TOP-10 IN TOWSON HISTORY IN FACEOFFS
Towson's primary faceoff man the past two years, Matt Constantinides stands 10th in program history with 312 faceoff wins.  This includes 165 wins this year.
 
Constantinides needs 11 faceoff wins to tie for ninth in program history with Tim Lucky, who had 323 wins from 1992-95.  Towson's all-time leader in faceoff wins is Alex Woodall, who had 583 from 2017-19.
 
MORIN - USILA DI TEAM OF THE WEEK
LSM Sam Morin helped Towson nearly complete a big comeback vs. Drexel, scoring the final two goals in the final minute of regulation to complete a hat trick, adding two caused turnovers in the game on March 18.
 
His performance earned him as one of 10 players on the USILA DI Team of the Week.
 
FROM THE HOME STATE....
Of the 52-man Towson roster, 24 players reside in the home state of Maryland.  This includes seven players from Baltimore County/City: James Azbill (Catonsville), Ray Glass (Perry Hall), Brian Hoskins (Baldwin), Andy Joerres (Reisterstown), Andrew Milani (Catonsville), Alex Reid (Baltimore) and Garrett Zungailia (Timonium).
 
....AND THE WEST COAST
Four Towson players hail from the western side of North America, connecting a coastline from the Yukon Territory to Mexico.
--Austin Ducommun - New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
--Bode Maurer - Kirkland, Washington
--Chop Gallagher - Portland, Oregon
--Nick DeMaio - San Diego, California
 
TIGERS IN THE PROS
Towson alumni have made their mark in the professional lacrosse ranks this past season.
PLL - Premier Lacrosse League (PLL)
NLL - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
MLL - Major League Lacrosse (MLL, now defunct)
--Ryan Drenner '17 - Cannons, PLL
       --2019, 2021 and 2022 PLL All-Star
--Zach Goodrich '19 - Cannons, PLL
       --2021 PLL All-Star, 2020 MLL Defensive Player of the Year
--Koby Smith '22 - Atlas, PLL | Philadelphia Wings, NLL
    --Member of Atlas Sixes Team
--Alex Woodall '19 - Cannons, PLL
       --2019 MLL Rookie of the Year, All-Star
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:
Brian Fisher has been the program's only head coach, entering his 10th season.  Monmouth was the MAAC champion in 2021.
 
A freshman is the leading scorer for Monmouth: attack Ty Caffarelli has 25 goals and 17 ground balls.    Graduate student Cade Stratton is the team's point leader with 31 on 20 goals and 11 assists, adding 18 ground balls.
 
Junior goalkeeper Andrew Kuhlman has played all but 11:22 in goal for the Hawks this year, having an 11.33 goals allowed average and 47.5% save rate.  Senior Michael Quigg has tallied 13 caused turnovers and 13 ground balls.
 
Standing third in the CAA with a 56.9% faceoff rate, senior Matt Soutar also has 97 ground balls and four goals.