The latest news over the weekend coming out of Towson University’s athletics program was not about baseball or soccer.  Rather, this news is in regards to the football program and the fact that the 2012 CAA Football Co-Champion Tigers will not receive championship rings due to an athletics department policy.

“Our policy is that our department will provide championship rings to teams who win the ultimate conference title, or national championship for their sport” said Director of Athletics Mike Waddell.  “We do not give out rings for regular season championships when there is a postseason tournament which defines the Conference Champion.  The 2012 Football scenario was unique in a lot of ways, and in the end, we made the call to not award championship rings.”

Waddell shared that the reason for the 2012 football team not receiving rings is because the 2012 Tigers were one of four teams who finished the regular season in second place with 6-2 records, behind 7-1  Old Dominion, which came in first place. Due to ODU leaving the CAA, league officials voted last June to make the Monarchs ineligible for the CAA Championship and the automatic playoff bid.  The tiebreaker for the automatic bid went to Villanova, and ODU got an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs along with New Hampshire, despite the fact that Towson beat UNH 64-35 in the regular season finale.

”Following the 2011 season our Tiger Club donors stepped up and raised the money needed to cover all of the costs associated with the CAA Championship Rings. Without this support none of that recognition could have been possible.”

The CAA recognized Towson, along with Richmond, Villanova and New Hampshire as co-champions. Following the 2012 season Richmond and Villanova bought CAA rings for their teams, but New Hampshire and, now, Towson did not.  Old Dominion also made up CAA Championship rings recognizing the fact that they went 7-1 and actually won the CAA title on the field.  This was an unprecedented scenario in the CAA 5 of the 11 teams in the league could have purchased rings claiming to be CAA Champions.

Waddell added that “at Towson it’s our department’s policy to award rings to champions, and with that still comes the need to have our Tiger Club donors step up and answer the call to fund these projects.  This is a common practice at FCS schools.  There was a time at Towson when even Final Four Lacrosse teams did not get rings, so I feel that our policy is fair and that it is moving forward to a better place than we have ever been before.”

Football players who have given their all for the school, many of whom won back to back CAA championships will not get one of the things they feel they deserve.  These students have won championships and brought attention to the university.

Last weekend, former player Jermon Bushrod (Chicago Bear, Super Bowl Champion with the New Orleans Saints) attended Towson’s spring football game.  This is something he’s done for at least their last two Tiger Bowls.  Now, recently Towson has produced several NFL prospects who have now found their way into free agent camps.  These are the guys who will not be getting rings.  It remains to be seen whether or not these players will be hurt enough by not receiving rings to not come back or give back to the university they gave their all for.  These seniors have seen Towson at its worse with a one win season and have been an absolutely integral part in turning the program around.

One can’t forget about the players who are still there as well.  How much motivation will these guys have to play for a school who has denied them something that they feel they deserve? Towson Athletics Director Mike Waddell says he has discussed this with Head Coach Rob Ambrose and they believe it will be extra motivation for 2013 as the football team has adopted the slogan “Leave No Doubt” for the upcoming campaign.

Football is not the only team which has received rings in recent years.  Following the 2011 football season and the 2012 women’s lacrosse season the department provided championship rings to the student-athletes along with a formal banquet to present the awards.  The same practice will be repeated this year for the Towson teams that have won championships – 2013 Women’s Swimming & Diving, 2013 Women’s Lacrosse and 2013 Men’s Lacrosse.  All awards and banquet costs are covered by donor dollars.

A former football player, who asked to remain nameless, told me “all of the seniors are just honestly hurt because everybody in the athletic department can say we went back to back, but as athletes we have no rings to show for it. And if it was the money issue, where did the money from Kent State and LSU go? Not football.”

All revenues from “Guarantee Games” at Towson goes into a general revenue line in the Athletics Budget which goes back to offset costs with all sports.  One can see how the players might feel this is unfair seeing as that they were the ones who played in these games.  Prior to the 2012 season the Football Program did receive a new locker room.  Also, the Friday night prior to Tiger Bowl III the 2012 football team also received championship watches, which were provided by the CAA to all four of the football programs which shared in the 2012 co-championship.  Old Dominion did not receive watches from the CAA.

Clearly, Towson’s goal is to become a big time program.  That’s understandable with the amount of money that is in college sports today.  As a current student, I want them to have success as well.  However, on the way to this sought after success, they cannot forget the people that are getting them there.

That same anonymous player went on to say, “I will always come back to Towson and give back like most seniors will and we all have the most respect for the football program and we want to always see the program grow and get better. Coach Ambrose and his staff turned us into great young men and we will always thank them for that.”

The sense I got from the players I talked to was that they weren’t happy with not being told why they didn’t get their rings.  A different nameless former player told me, “the team, especially the captains and seniors should’ve had a say.” He continued, “I feel like it should have definitely been given in honor of our senior class because we rebuilt this program with the help of the last senior class. We are back to back CAA Champions!”

Towson football produces quality young men.  Some are upset by this latest ordeal.  However, they won’t hold a grudge.  At least not the ones I talked to.  A former player told me that despite all this he will “always come back and contribute to (his) alma mater.”

TIGERS CAPTURE CAA TITLE WITH 9-4 WIN OVER HOF

Strong Second Half Leads Towson to Second Straight CAA Title 

TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women’s lacrosse team used a 5-0 run to close out the game and claim a 9-4 victory over Hofstra University in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship game Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (10-8) claimed their second straight CAA title and fifth since 2005 with the victory.

Junior defender Kaitlin Sheridan was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Sheridan was joined on the all-tournament team by graduate attacker Jackie LaMonica, redshirt junior attacker Ashleigh Rohrback and sophomore goalkeeper Kelsea Donnelly.

“A fantastic performance from our team today and they played great lacrosse and really played as a unit,” said Towson coach Sonia LaMonica. “We said at the beginning of the year we wanted to compete in each game and we really did that today.”

Towson opened the game by scoring the first two goals. LaMonica and senior midfielder Sarah Hogan scored as the Tigers held an early lead with 22:02 to play in the half. The final 20 minutes of the first half proved to be a back and forth affair as the Tigers and Pride (11-8) traded goals. LaMonica’s second goal of the game gave Towson a 4-2 lead with 12:33 remaining in the half. However, Hofstra answered with a Brittain Altomare goal with 9:40 left, which made it a 4-3 game. Towson took that 4-3 lead into the intermission.

Hofstra outshot the Tigers 8-7 in the first 30 minutes of action as each team won four draw controls.

The Pride started the second half the same way they ended the first half with a goal from Altomare. Altomare’s goal made it a 4-4 game with 26:55 to play.

The Tigers regained their lead in the 25^th minute. Junior midfielder Rhiannon Coogle forced a Hofstra turnover on a clear attempt and scored on the play. That goal gave the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Just 3:33 later, the Tigers added to their lead as sophomore attacker Paige Duncan scored off an assist from Rohrback. Senior attacker Olivia Turner scored three times in the final 16 and a half minutes for the Tigers, which gave the home tea a 9-4 advantage. Turner’s hat trick was her third of the year as all three goals were assisted by Rohrback.

Hofstra had one last shot at a goal with 1:06 to play but Donnelly was able to come up with the save and the Tigers ran the clock out.

Donnelly made seven saves to earn the win in goal for the Tigers. Kelsey Gregerson made three saves in the loss for Hofstra.

The Tigers outshot the Pride 9-7 in the second half and finished the game with a 16-15 advantage. Towson controlled four of the seven draw controls in the second half and finished the game with an 8-7 edge.

Turner led the Tigers with three goals while LaMonica added two goals. Rohrback had a goal and matched her career-high with four assists.

Altomare finished with two goals to lead the Pride.

The Tigers receive the CAA’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament with the win. The NCAA field will be announced at 9 p.m. tonight.

University Park, Pa. – The Towson men’s lacrosse team (10-7) withstood a late rally from No. 9 Penn State (12-4) to defeat the Nittany Lions, 11-10, and claim its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title since 2005 Friday afternoon at PSU Lacrosse Field.

PSU outscored Towson 4-3 in the fourth quarter to try and rally from an 8-6 deficit at the end of the third. The game was tightly contested until late in the second quarter and into the third when the Tigers broke it open with a five-goal run.

Towson was making its first appearance in a CAA final since 2010, when the Tigers fell to Delaware, 12-9 on May 8. Today’s championship is Towson’s fourth title in its ninth appearance at the CAA Tournament. Towson’s Thomas DeNapoli, Jordan Fortmann and Ben McCarty were named to the All-Tournament team. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage received Most Outstanding Player. It is Head Coach Shawn Nadelen’s first CAA championship.

Sophomore Greg Cuccinello’s second hat trick of the season led the Tigers. He also had one assist. DeNapoli added two goals and two assists, while senior Matt Hughes scored his fourth and fifth goals in four games.

TJ Sanders’s three goals led the Nittany Lions. Jack Forster and Shane Sturgis each posted two goals. Goalie Austin Kaut made six saves.

McCarty opened the game’s scoring with his seventh goal in two games off a pass from DeNapoli at 11:10 in the first quarter. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead at 10:25 when sophomore Cuccinello beat PSU’s Kaut middle right.

Penn State struck back with a three-goal run starting at 9:28, getting scores from Forster, Kyle VanThof and Steven Bogert. But DeNapoli cut short the rally with his 40th goal of the season at 2:05. Hughes caused a Penn State turnover, picked up the ground ball and fed it to DeNapoli for the score. Hughes capped the quarter with his seventh goal of the year and, fourth in four games, with one second left.

The Nittany Lions started the second quarter on another three-goal rally when Forster connected with Tom LaCrosse on a fast break at 13:53. Sanders scored at 11:11 and Gavin Ahern followed at 10:18 to give PSU a 6-4 lead.

Junior Andrew Hodgson notched a goal for Towson at 6:59 when Towson worked the ball around the back of the net to Cuccinello who fed Hodgson. He dodged a defender and beat Kaut high to low from 12 yards out. His goal inched Towson to within one, 6-5, and Mabus’ tally at 4:28 pulled the Tigers even, 6-6.

Cuccinello started the third quarter with a bullet at 12:30 to put Towson up, 7-6, before Hodgson scored just over eight minutes later to give the Tigers an 8-6 advantage they carried into the fourth quarter.

The final frame was a wild one, seeing a total of seven goals – four in the final four minutes. Cuccinello posted his final goal of the game at 13:19 from 13 yards out, but the Lions showed they still had some fight when Sanders scored his 41st of the season 45 seconds later. Hughes answered with his second of the game when freshman Dan Livingston cleared the ball and passed to a waiting Hughes right in front of the goal at 6:51. That put Towson up three,10-7.

Towson was whistled for a slash at 4:54 and Penn State capitalized just 24 seconds into the penalty with a Sturgis goal at 4:31 to make it 10-8. DeNapoli posted his 41st of the year at 2:33, unassisted to increase the Tigers’ lead to 11-8. It gave Towson just enough breathing room to withstand Penn State goals from Sturgis and Sanders, at 2:14 and 1:42 respectively.

With the win, the Tigers earned the CAA’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. They will find out their opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, May 5.

College Men’s Lacrosse: Towson 11, No. 9 Penn State 10
Towson (10-7)               4-2-2-3/11
Penn State (12-4)           3-3-0-4/10

GOALS: TOW – Cuccinello 3, DeNapoli 2, Hodgson 2, Hughes, 2, Mabus, McCarty; PSU – Sanders 3, Forster 2, Sturgis 2, Ahern, VanThof, Bogert. ASSISTS: TOW – DeNapoli 2, Cuccinello, Livingston, Mabus; PSU – Ahern 2, Manley 2, LaCrosse, Zittel. SAVES: TOW – Wascavage (12, 60:00, 10 GA); PSU – Kaut (6, 60:00,11 GA). SHOTS: TOW – 32; PSU – 35. GROUND BALLS: TOW – 21; PSU – 33. FACE-OFFS: TOW –5-24; PSU – 19-24. CLEARS: TOW – 22-24; PSU – 19-23. EMO: TOW – 0-2; PSU 2-2. ATT: 796.

University Park, Pa. – Sophomore Ben McCarty scored a career-best six goals to lead Towson men’s lacrosse (9-7) over Drexel (11-4), 11-8, and into the CAA Finals Wednesday evening at PSU Lacrosse Field.

McCarty’s six goals led all scorers. Junior Andrew Hodgson contributed two goals, while sophomore Justin Mabus had three assists. Senior Andrew Wascavage made 14 saves for Towson. Robert Church led Drexel with five points (3g, 2a).

The Tigers advance to the CAA Finals for the first time since 2010 when they defeated UMass in the semifinals before falling to Delaware in the championship game.

Towson’s McCarty opened the scoring with an unassisted goal at 11:27 when he beat Drexel’s Cal Winkelman top left. Drexel quickly equalized at 10:41 when McIntosh received a feed from behind the goal and snuck a shot past Wascavage high left.

But the Tigers reeled off two quick scores to take a 3-1 lead at 8:26 when DeNapoli notched his 39^th of the season at 9:38 and McCarty found the back of the net again. Drexel’s Hank Brown kept the Dragons in it with a tally at 7:51. Sophomore Rob Zoppo added a goal for Towson at 3:18 off a pass from classmate Cory Dobyns to increase the Tigers’ lead to two, 4-2.

Towson opened the second quarter with an EMO goal from Hodgson, assist to sophomore Mabus, after Drexel was called for delay of game – a 30-second penalty. Senior Matt Hughes extended the advantage to 6-2 with his sixth goal of the year at 11:52 when he scored from just outside the crease.

McCarty notched his first career hat trick at 5:38 in the second to give the Tigers a five-goal lead, 7-2, and continued his offensive explosion at 1:14 when an extra-man goal from just outside the crease off a dish from Mabus.

The Tigers kept rolling to start the third quarter when Hodgson took a pass from DeNapoli and fired a shot from distance past Winkelman to put Towson up 9-3 at 12:36. However, Drexel mounted a comeback over the next four minutes. The Dragons’ fourth goal came off an odd play. Drexel committed a turnover but the ball was checked out of a Tiger defender’s stick and rolled in the goal. It was credited to Church at 11:25. He scored two more times – at 8:50 when his bounce shot skidded in and then again six seconds later off a face-off.

But McCarty stopped the Dragons’ rally with his fifth goal at 8:00 to keep Towson in front, 10-6. The Dragons didn’t go away. After Towson was called for off-sides, Chris Frederick caught a pass just outside the crease and scored. McIntosh scored his second at 3:05 in the third on an EMO chance to inch the Dragons to within two, 10-8.

McCarty equaled his season goal total (6) when he scored on a man-up opportunity at 10:37 in the fourth off a Mabus pass to give Towson some more breathing room, 11-8. The Tigers’ defense held Drexel scoreless in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

The Tigers will face No. 1 Penn State in the 2013 CAA Tournament final on Friday, May 3 at 3 p.m.

Updating the Tigers
Towson finished the 2013 regular season with a 13-6 win over visiting Saint Joseph’s Saturday, April 27 at Unitas Stadium. Juniors Thomas DeNapoli and Andrew Hodgson each had two goals and three assists in the win. Junior John Fennessy scored his first career goal on a 65-yard shot off a feed from goalie Andrew Wascavage.

Towson at the CAA Tournament
The Tigers have made eight appearances in the league tournament since joining the CAA in 2002. Towson is 9-5 overall in the tournament and has won three conference tournament titles. The Tigers are 2-0 against Drexel, 3-0 against Hofstra, 1-1 versus UMass and have never played Penn State in the CAA Tournament. They are 1-1 on the road in the tournament. This season is the first time Towson has been a No. 3 seed. The Tigers’ last win in the tournament came on May 5, 2010 when the No. 1 seed Tigers defeated No. 4  seed UMass 13-6.

CAAs – Tigers vs. Dragons
Towson and Drexel have met just twice in the CAA tournament. Both times, the Tigers have come out the victors. In 2003, the No. 1-seeded Tigers handily defeated the Dragons, 17-2 in the semifinals before winning the title. In 2009, the teams played again. Towson claimed an 10-2 victory as the No. 2 seed over the No. 3 seed Drexel. Both games were in the semifinals.

A New Experience
Only 12 current Tigers have experience at a CAA Tournament game in their careers - Thomas DeNapoli,Andrew Hodgson, Matt Hughes, John Fennessy, Andrew Wascavage, JoJo Ostrander, Billy Choiniere, Rob Zoppo, Jordan Fortmann, Justin Mabus, John Paukovits, and Greg Cuccinello. Of those players, only Hughes has played in two CAA tournament games.

Towson-Drexel Series History
Towson leads the all-time series, 37-7. It began in 1962 and was contested annually until 1973 when it went on hiatus for seven years. The Tigers have separate win streaks of 23 games (1965-1997) and 10 games (1999-2007) against the Dragons.

Towson-Drexel By the Numbers

Opening Face-Off
With the loss at No. 17 Drexel last weekend, Towson secured the three seed in the 2013 CAA Tournament held at Penn State. Saint Joe’s is coming off a midweek loss to Marist, 14-6. Today’s game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network on www.towsontigers.com with Spiro Morekas and former Tiger midfielder Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
Towson’s six-goal tear in the third and fourth quarters couldn’t fully erase a nine-goal run Drexel put together on Saturday as the Tigers fell, 14-11, to the No. 17 Drexel Dragons. Junior Thomas DeNapoli scored six goals and added an assist to lead Towson. Seniors Andrew Wascavage and Jake Graves split time in net.

Scouting the Hawks
Saint Joesph’s is being out-scored by nearly 3.5 goals per game and are just 12-58 in extra-man opportunities. Opponents are winning the ground ball battle 438-361, causing more turnovers (104-88) and taking control at the “X,” winning 169-292 face-offs (.579). The Hawks come into today’s contest on a four-game losing streak. Pat Swanick (22g, 6a), Matthew Sarcona(14g, 5a) and Michael Dougherty (13g, 7a) are the three Hawks in double figures for goals.

Last Time Out vs. Saint Joseph‘s - April 28, 2012(SJU 6, Towson 3)
Nearly one year ago, Saint Joseph’s used a three-goal third quarter to pull away from Towson and claim a 6-3 win over the Tigers in Philadelphia. Rob Zoppo, Carl Iacona and Michael Brashears each scored a goal for Towson.Ryan McGee led all players with a hat trick and one assist for four points.

Towson-Saint Joseph’s Series History
This series is one of the newest in program history, which started in 2011 when the Hawks joined the CAA. The teams have split the series, each winning at home.

Towson-Saint Joseph’s By the Numbers

PHILADELPHIA – The Towson men’s lacrosse (7-7, 3-2 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)) team scored six straight goals in the second half but the Tigers’ comeback fell short as No. 17 Drexel (10-3, 5-1 CAA) claimed a 14-11 victory on a windy Saturday afternoon at Vidas Field.

Junior Thomas DeNapoli recorded his sixth hat trick and second five-plus goal game of the season with six goals. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello added a pair of goals for Towson. Robert Church and Ryan Belka led Drexel with four goals.

“Drexel played very well offensively and took advantage of our mistakes on the defensive end,” said Head Coach Shawn Nadelen. “We had a decent first half and gave them a couple opportunities to get back in it with costly penalties. They came out firing in the third quarter, and we couldn’t earn a possession, which allowed for their run.  I was proud of how our guys battled back from down eight goals to get within three, but we just couldn’t erase such a big deficit with the way we played earlier.”

DeNapoli opened the scoring just 44 seconds into the game, when he rolled right about 15 yards out and beat Drexel’s Cal Winkelman low. He posted the game’s second goal, again unassisted, at 12:07 and netted a hat trick at 4:18 in the first quarter when he ripped a shot while curling right around the goal. Drexel got on the board with a minute left in the first frame on a goal from Church.

DeNapoli picked up where he left off at 4:37 in the second off a Brian Bolewicki pass, but the Dragons answered with three straight goals from Belka (two goals) and McIntosh to even the score at 4-4 at 1:58. The Tigers briefly retook the lead, 5-4, with 43 seconds left in the first half when senior Matt Hughes buried a shot from junior Andrew Hodgson. But the Dragons knotted it the score again with 9.5 second left on Belka’s third goal of the day.

Drexel had an explosive third quarter, scoring eight goals to take a 13-5 lead at 4:32. The Dragons held the Tigers scoreless for 12:05 before Hodgson snapped the Dragons’ rally with a goal off a feed from DeNapoli. The junior’s tally started a six-goal Towson run that continued into the fourth quarter and featured goals from DeNapoli (two goals), Cuccinello (two goals) and sophomore Justin Mabus. The run helped Towson cut Drexel’s advantage to 13-11 with 6:57 remaining in the game.

On Saturday, April 20, the Tigers host Saint Joseph’s on Senior Day at 7 p.m. at Unitas Stadium to wrap up the regular season.

NOTES: DeNapoli posted his sixth hat trick of the season … DeNapoli and Hodgson stretched points streaks to 15 games … Wascavage stretched a 10-plus saves game streak to 15 games … This was the second time in 2013 DeNapoli has scored six or more goals in a game … Drexel went on a nine-goal run over the second and third quarters while Towson scored six straight over the third and fourth quarters.

College Men’s Lacrosse: Towson 11, No. 17 Drexel 14
Towson (7-7, 3-2 CAA)               3-2-3-3/11
No. 17 Drexel (10-3, 5-1 CAA)    1-4-8-1/14

GOALS: TOW – DeNapoli 6, Cuccinello 2, Hodgson, Mabus, Hughes; DRE – Belka 4, Church 4, McIntosh 2, Saputo, Frederick, Brown, Prosser. ASSISTS: TOW – Bolewicki, Hodgson, DeNapoli; DRE – Church 3, McIntosh 2, Saputo. SAVES: TOW – Wascavage (12, 40:28, 13 GA), Graves (2, 19:32, 1 GA); DRE – Winkelman (11, 60:00, 11 GA). SHOTS: TOW – 46; DRE – 42. GROUND BALLS: TOW – 27; DRE – 35. FACE-OFFS: TOW – 12-29; DRE – 17-29. CLEARS: TOW – 13-14; DRE – 13-17. EMO: TOW – 0-1; DRE – 1-3. ATT: 953.

Opening Face-Off
The Tigers come into Saturday’s contest looking to bounce back from a loss to Penn State and to pick up their first win in three tries against Drexel. The No. 17 Dragons defeated UMass 15-14 last weekend in Amherst, Mass. Today’s game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. and can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network on www.towsontigers.com with Spiro Morekas and former Tiger midfielder Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
Despite losing to first-place Penn State, Towson has secured a spot in the 2013 CAA tournament held the first week of May at the site of the highest seed in a “Final Four” format. Last weekend, Towson dropped a 10-8 decision to PSU after committing 17 turnovers. Sophomore Justin Mabus and junior Andrew Hodgson each scored two goals and an assist to lead Towson. Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage made 11 saves on the day.

Last Time Out vs. Drexel – April 21, 2012 (Drexel 13, Towson 5)
Towson goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage made a career-high 21 saves, but Drexel scored the final six goals of the game to upend the Tigers, 13-5, at Johnny Unitas® Stadium. Drexel outshot Towson 49-16 and outscored the Tigers 7-1 in the second half. Drexel’sBrendan Glynn recorded a hat trick for the Dragons, and Matt Lamon led the Tigers with two goals.

Towson-Drexel Series History
Towson leads the all-time series, 37-6. It began in 1962 and was contested annually until 1973 when it went on hiatus for seven years. The Tigers have separate win streaks of 23 games (1965-1997) and 10 games (1999-2007).

Towson-Drexel By the Numbers

University Park, Pa. - Three Tigers scored two goals each, but No. 11 Penn State (9-3, 4-0 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)) took home a 10-8 victory over Towson (7-6, 3-1 CAA) Saturday afternoon at Penn State Lacrosse Field.

Junior Andrew Hodgson and sophomores Justin Mabus and Greg Cuccinello all had two-goal games for Towson. Hodgson and Mabus each added an assist as well. Senior goalie Andrew Wascavage made 11 saves for the Tigers. TJ Sanders posted his third five-goal game of the year for Penn State.

Towson and Penn State were evenly matched. The teams split the face-offs, 10-10, and each took 33 shots. Both teams were 2-3 on extra man opportunities. But the Tigers couldn’t overcome 17 turnovers, including five in the first quarter. Penn State scored two goals directly off Towson turnovers.

Sanders got Penn State on the board first at 13:00 in the first quarter before Brian Bolewicki and Cuccinello scored back-to-back goals to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead with 4:55 in the first frame. Sanders and Hodgson traded goals to start the second quarter before the Nittany Lions reeled off four unanswered goals to take a 6-3 lead at 8:34 in the third quarter. PSU held a four-goal lead, 8-4, at 2:10 in the same frame.

Towson cut the advantage to two goals three times, 8-6 at 11:52 in the fourth on an EMO goal from Mabus, 9-7 after junior Thomas DeNapoli scored unassisted at 10:07 in the fourth and the final 10-8 after a Hodgson goal.

The Tigers return to action Saturday, April 20 at Drexel at 4 p.m.

RICHMOND - Senior goalkeeper Andrew Wascavage received Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Co-Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week after making a season-best 20 saves against UMass on Saturday.

He shares the award with Penn State attackman Jack Forster.

Wascavage posted a season-best 20 saves as Towson defeated UMass 9-5 at home to snap a three-game losing streak to the Minutemen and move to 7-5 overall and 3-0 in the CAA. He also picked up five ground balls in the win. The native of Drayden, Md. has now made double-digit saves in every game this season. UMass’ five goals tied his career low and the team’s season low for goals allowed.

Wascavage is ranked fourth in the nation this week in saves per game (14.33) and save percentage (.625). He is also 17th in the country this week in goals-against average (8.48).