TOWSON TRAVELS TO OLD DOMINION ON WEDNESDAY
Tigers Seeking Ninth Road Win of the Season

NORFOLK, Va. - The Towson men’s basketball team will look to get back on track after three straight losses as the Tigers take on Old Dominion at the Ted Constant Convocation Center on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The game can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network with Spiro Morekas and Vince Angotti calling the action.

After winning six of seven games, Towson (10-12, 5-4 CAA) has dropped three straight, including a 63-56 loss at William & Mary on Saturday.

Despite the recent slide, Towson is still 3-1 in road CAA games this year and will be attempting to win its ninth game away from home on Saturday, its most since the 1995-96 season.

The Tigers are one of only two teams to rank in the Top 5 in the CAA in both scoring offense (65.9 ppg) and scoring defense (65.6 ppg).

Junior forward Jerrelle Benimon ranks first nationally in double-doubles (14) and third in rebounding (11.5 rpg). Benimon, along with juniors Marcus Damas and Mike Burwell and freshman Jerome Hairston are all averaging double figures since the start of CAA play.

Old Dominion, which has won two of the last three CAA Tournaments, is struggling this season. The Monarchs enter Saturday’s game with a 2-17 overall mark and are winless in seven conference games.

ODU, which is just 1-10 at home this season, is led by senior DeShawn Painter. The center leads the Monarchs in both scoring (11.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg).

Towson and Old Dominion are the two best rebounding teams in the conference. The Tigers rank first in both rebounding offense (39.2 rpg) and rebounding margin (+4.9), while the Monarchs are second in both rebounding offense (37.5 rpg) and rebounding margin (+4.3).

Norfolk, Va.- The UMBC men’s soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA College Cup as the Retrievers played Old Dominion to a 0-0 double overtime draw, but advanced, 4-2, in penalty kicks.

UMBC is now 11-4-6, while Old Dominion’s season comes to an end at 11-3-3.

UMBC junior goalkeeper Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall) played the starring role for the second consecutive game, stopping a pair of penalty kicks.

After senior Milo Kapor (Toronto, Ont./Emily Carr) converted the first kick, Saunders saved ODU goalkeeper Victor Fracoz’ attempt.  UMBC’s Mamadou Kansaye’s (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) and Monarchs’ forward Chris Harmon matched successful kicks,  but UMBC senior back Liam Paddock’s (Worcestershire, England) attempt was saved by Francoz.

But on ODU’s tying attempt, Saunders again dove to his right and stopped the effort of Jordan LeBlanc. Both UMBC’s Kadeem Dacres (Rosedale, N.Y.) and ODU’s Ivan Militar converted, setting up Retriever senior Dave Vaeth (Dundalk, Md./Patapsco) for the game-winning opportunity. Vaeth buried his attempt into the upper left corner of the goal, setting off a wild celebration by the visitors.

UMBC will advance to the second round for the second time in three years and will compete at defending national champion North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C. at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

UMBC junior forward Pete Caringi III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall) was unable to start and played only the final 26 seconds of regulation and final 20 seconds of overtime after a free kick opportunities. Caringi suffered an ankle injury early in the America East championship game vs. UNH and did not return.

The first half was evenly-played, as both teams managed only three shots each. The Monarchs’ best opportunity was their first, as Gideon Asante hit a shot wide right from eight yards out in the 18^th minute. UMBC’s best chance came late in the half, as Dacres hit a rising shot from 17 yards out on the left wing which went over just the crossbar.

In the second half, Kansaye’s 50-yard free kick had to be parried over bar, giving UMBC its first corner of the match in 58’ The Retrievers attempted four corners in the second stanza, but the best chance, an Oumar Ballo (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) header in the 59^th minute went wide of the near post.

Old Dominion outshot UMBC, 10-6. Saunders and Francoz both made three saves in 110 minutes of play. Saunders recorded his fourth consecutive shuout.

TOWSON, Md. – Coming off a 24-19 victory over the University of Maine, Coach Rob Ambrose and the Tiger football team will host explosive Old Dominion University (5-1, 2-1) at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas® Stadium in a Colonial Athletic Association game on Saturday night, October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Another large crowd is expected at Unitas Stadium as Towson University celebrates T-Club Night. Saturday night’s game will also be the Tigers’ “Black Out” game with fans encouraged to wear black to support the Tigers.

The game will also be aired on the Tigers’ web site, www.TowsonTigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Ron Meehan calling the action. The Tigers’ internet broadcast also features a one-hour pre-game show.

Towson and ODU will be meeting for the second time on Saturday night. A relatively-new program, ODU is starting its fifth season as a varsity program. Under the direction of Coach Bobby Wilder, ODU has compiled an impressive 32-9 record.

Saturday night’s game is a matchup of the top passing team in NCAA FCS against one of the top defensive teams in FCS. Led by sophomore quarterback Taylor Heinicke, ODU averages an amazing 49.2 points per game. Heinicke leads the nation by averaging 420 passing yards per game. He has completed 185 of 277 passes for 2,520 yards with 23 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. Senior Nick Mayers is ODU’s top receiver with 30 receptions for 585 yards and eight touchdowns while sophomore Antonio Vaughan has 29 catches for 436 yards and four TD’s.

ODU opened its season with five consecutive wins. After wins over Duquesne (57-23), Hampton (45-7) and Campbell (70-14), the Monarchs came from behind to edge New Hampshire, 64-61. In the win over UNH, Heinicke passed for an NCAA record 730 yards.  After a 45-37 win over Richmond, ODU was upset by Villanova last week, 38-14.

While facing one of the toughest schedules in FCS football, the Tigers have a 3-3 record. Among their losses are setbacks to a pair of FBS teams, Kent State and Louisiana State. Those two teams have a combined record of 11-2.

“I like the way we are playing right now,” says Coach Ambrose, the Tigers’ fourth-year coach. “Against Maine, we had a much better team effort in all three aspects of the game. We re-focused last week and came out with a good result. We did throw the ball more than usual but that was due to Maine. They came in here wanting to stop the run so we took advantage of the chances to throw.”

Towson counters with one of the top defensive units in NCAA FCS.. After six games, the Tigers are ranked second in the nation in pass defense, allowing 139 yards per game. Allowing 285.3 total yards per game, the Tigers are ranked fifth in the nation in total defense. Towson also leads the CAA in total defense.

“The best thing about our defense is that we have a team approach,” says Ambrose. “Everyone is playing together and working hard. They are doing a very good job.”

Five different Tigers have made at least 30 tackles this season. Sophomore cornerback Tye Smith leads the Tigers with 39 tackles and four pass breakups while junior linebacker Monte Gaddis is second on the team with 38 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for lost yardage. Freshman linebacker Bryton Barr has made 37 tackles and leads the Tigers with two fumble recoveries.

Senior safety Jordan Dangerfield, a Pre-Season All-American, has made 35 tackles with three pass breakups. Junior linebacker Telvion Clark, a transfer from Virginia Tech, has made quite an impact on the defense. He has 34 tackles, fifth on the team.

Senior quarterback Grant Enders leads the Tigers’ offense. In the Tigers’ win over Maine, he accounted for 358 yards of total offense. Enders is fifth in the CAA as he averages 239.3 yards per game.  He has completed 106 passes in 166 attempts for 1,115 yards and six touchdowns. He is also the Tigers’ second-leading rusher with 321 yards on 55 carries, a 5.8 average. He has scored two touchdowns.

Sophomore Terrance West leads the Tigers with 533 rushing yards. He has also scored a team high eight touchdowns.

Last season, the Tigers and the Monarchs met in a classic college football game. In a game with four lead changes, Towson came from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 39-35. Enders threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to senior Tom Ryan with 1:07 remaining on a fourth down-and-29 play, putting Towson ahead. Against ODU, Enders threw for a career high 314 yards and two touchdowns.

Towson won the 2011 CAA championship with 7-1 CAA record. ODU tied for second in the CAA with a 6-2 mark. Both teams advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs.

After hosting Old Dominion on Saturday night, the Tigers are back on the road for two more CAA games. On Saturday, October 27, Towson visits Villanova for a 3:30 contest. On November 3, the Tigers visit Delaware.

TIGER TALES:  Ryan became the 20th player in the history of the Tiger football program with 100 career catches when he had four receptions for 85 yards against Maine … He enters Saturday’s game with 100 receptions for 1,193 yards and six touchdowns.

Towson is ranked fourth in NCAA FCS in average time of possession … Towson averages 34:10 in time of possession this year … Defending national champion North Dakota State is ranked first (34:44) … To date, the Tigers have run 411 offensive plays while their opponents have 354 plays … Towson is also outgaining its opponents in total yards, 2,309 yards to 1,712 yards … The Tigers have also rushed for 1,194 yards while allowing 878 yards.