Emmitsburg, Md. - Behind hat tricks from junior co-captain Thomas DeNapoli and junior Andrew Hodgson, Towson men’s lacrosse (2-3) recorded a 13-5 win over Mount St. Mary’s (2-3) Saturday evening at Waldron Family Stadium.

“We knew it was going to be a battle tonight,” said head coach Shawn Nadelen. “They are extremely explosive offensively and well-coached defensively. I was really proud of the way our guys came out energy-wise. We didn’t give [the Mount] easy looks or easy breaks.”

The Tigers scored six straight goals in the third and fourth quarters and kept the Mount off the board in the fourth to secure the win. DeNapoli posted a four-point night, adding an assist to his three goals.

Senior Andrew Wascavage made 12 saves on the evening, many of them point-blank.

“I think a difference in the game was Andrew Wascavage’s play,” continued Nadelen. “He was a backbone for us. He made a ton of key stops in tight. He was just fantastic. He definitely deserves a game ball for today.”

Brett Schmidt’s two goals and one assist paced the Mount. Adam Borgogelli had eight saves in net for the Mountaineers.

The Mount took an early 1-0 lead after Schmidt scored top-shelf on an extra-man opportunity at 13:21. But freshman Brian Bolewicki notched his first career goal at 11:23 on a bounce shot from distance to tie the game at 1-1. The Mount’s Andrew Scalley and Hodgson traded goals to keep the score knotted, 2-2, at 3:21.

Towson opened the second quarter with a DeNapoli goal at 14:36 to give the Tigers their first lead of the game. Junior Cory Dobyns increased Towson’s lead to 4-2 with 9:08 left in the second quarter when he ripped a shot right side as he fell to the ground for an extra-man tally. Sophomore Greg Cuccinello continued his charged offensive production this season, burying a shot past Borgogelli with 35.5 seconds left to give Towson a 5-2 cushion at the half.

Dobyns posted his sixth man-up goal of the year at 13:23 in the third after the Mount started the second half man-down due to a penalty at the very end of the second quarter. Towson led 6-2 until MSM scored three quick goals to trim the lead to 6-5. DeNapoli stemmed the tide at 9:23 to keep the Tigers out in front, 7-5, and Hodgson scored his second of the game with 43.2 seconds remaining in the third frame.

“One of the things our guys do well is not get rattled when teams go on runs,” said Nadelen. “Our guys believe in themselves. We need to work on not letting teams get those runs, getting defensive stops and face-off wins. But I’m proud of our guys tonight.”

DeNapoli recorded his third straight hat trick with his unassisted goal at 13:59 in the fourth. Sophomore Ben McCarty (two goals), senior Matt Hughes, and Hodgson all scored in the fourth quarter as part of the six-goal run.

Towson returns to action on Friday, March 8 when the Tigers host Marist at 7 p.m. in Johnny Unitas® Stadium.

NOTES:
Saturday’s win marked Towson’s biggest victory since March 24, 2012 when the Tigers defeated Delaware 13-8 at home … It is the Tigers’ largest road victory since March 5, 2011 at Mount St. Mary’s when Towson posted an 11-3 win … Towson now leads the all-time series 8-1 and is a perfect 4-0 at Mount St. Mary’s … freshman Brian Bolewicki scored his first collegiate goal and had a career-best three-point evening … sophomore Cory Dobynsnow has six man-up goals on the year … he has 10 goals total.

Towson, Md. - Junior Thomas DeNapoli scored the game winner with 1:04 left in overtime to lead Towson men’s lacrosse (1-3) to a 9-8 win over Mercer (1-2) on Sunday at Unitas Stadium.

“I’m proud of our guys for finding a way to win today,” said head coach Shawn Nadelen. “Getting win No. 1 in the books was important, and I hope this game moves us in the right direction for the rest of the season.”

Mercer went on a five-goal run over the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth to take an 8-5 lead with 9:22 left in the game. Towson regrouped and scored the final four goals of the game (including DeNapoli’s game winner) for the win. During that four-goal run, DeNapoli scored three times.

Chris Baxa led the Bears with four goals, and Zack Ward had two. Four Bears tallied an assist apiece.

The first quarter was a low-scoring affair, ending tied 1-1. Mercer took a 2-1 lead on a Baxa goal right off the first face-off of the second quarter. But senior Matt Hughes combined with sophomore Justin Mabus at 7:24 for a goal that keyed a 3-0 run to put Towson up 4-2 at the start of the third quarter.

Mercer would not go away, however. After sophomore Greg Cuccinello gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead at 5:50 in the third, the Bears scored the next five goals. In the middle of that run, Mercer took its first lead of the game on a Ward tally at 12:07 in the fourth. DeNapoli stemmed the tide with his second of a career-high-tying four goals at 9:10.

DeNapoli’s goal was the first of three Tiger goals in the span of 40 seconds. Towson won the ensuing face-off and sophomore Cory Dobyns connected with classmate Ben McCarty score just 14 seconds later to inch the Tigers within one, 8-7, at 8:56 in the final quarter of regulation. DeNapoli knotted the score at 8-8 26 seconds later.

The teams were in a stalemate for the rest of the quarter. Despite a late Towson penalty that gave the Bears a man advantage with four seconds left in regulation, neither team was able to score until DeNapoli found the back of the cage for the game winner.

Towson out-shot Mercer 35-31, but the Bears won the ground ball and face-off battles 34-33 and 12-8,respectively. Senior Andrew Wascavage made seven saves for Towson, while Mike Nugent stopped 11 shots for Mercer.

Towson has a week off before returning to action on Saturday, March 2 when the Tigers travel to Mount St. Mary’s at 7 p.m.

Opening Face-Off
The Tigers face the No. 4 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays on Saturday, February 16 at 7 p.m. in Unitas Stadium. Towson is 0-1 after a 9-7 loss at High Point on February 8. Johns Hopkins is 1-0 after a 15-6 home win over Siena last Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and the game can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network on www.towsontigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
The Tigers traveled to High Point and dropped a 9-7 decision in their season opener Friday, Feb. 8 at Vert Stadium. Sophomore Cory Dobyns scored his first four goals as a Tiger, including two man-up tallies. Towson also got goals from Thomas DeNapoli, Andrew Hodgson, and Matt Hughes.

Scouting the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins opened 2013 with a 15-6 win over Siena on Friday, Feb. 8 at home. Eight different Blue Jays scored for JHU, including Brandon Benn and John Ranagan, who each posted hat tricks. Ranagan added an assist for four points. The Jays outshot the Saints 58-26 and outdueled them on ground balls 39-17. Johns Hopkins scored five goals in the first quarter and four in both the third and fourth quarters for the win.

Towson-Johns Hopkins Series History
The Tigers and Blue Jays first met in 1976, with JHU taking a 15-8 win home to Charles Street. Since then, the Jays have taken a commanding 37-3 lead in the all-time series. Towson’s last victory came in 1996, a 13-12 decision at Homewood Field. Hopkins has won the last 17 straight. 

Towson vs. Johns Hopkins Facts and Figures

Opening Face-Off
Towson men’s lacrosse opens the 2013 season at High Point. Last season the Tigers lost in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament, 10-3, to No. 1 UMass after finishing the regular season 7-7, 2-4 CAA.  Opening faceoff is set for 3 p.m. and all the action can be heard live on the Towson Sports Network on www.towsontigers.com with Spiro Morekas and Hunter Lochte calling the action.

Updating the Tigers
Towson Lacrosse finished 2012 with a 7-8 overall record, 2-4 in the CAA. The Tigers lost to No. 1 UMass, 10-3, in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. Towson improved its record from 3-10 overall and 1-5 in league games in 2011. The Tigers return junior Thomas DeNapoli, who started all 15 games and scored 15 goals and posted 13 assists for 28 points. Senior Matt Hughes is also back for the Tigers. He played in all 15 games, scoring 14 goals and tallying 10 assists for 24 points. Senior Andrew Wascavage is returns in goal for Towson. He started 13 games last year, posting a 9.57 goals-against-average and making 159 saves.

Scouting the Panthers
High Point men’s lacrosse came up short in its program opener against Delaware on Feb. 2 at home. The Panthers outscored Delaware in the fourth quarter, but fell to the Blue Hens, 12-10. Freshman Dan Lomas led High Point with five goals, and sophomore Matt Thistle had a team-high three assists. Redshirt sophomore goalie Austin Geisler made 14 saves in the loss.

Towson-High Point Series History
This is the first-ever meeting between the teams.

TOWSON MEN’S LACROSSE ANNOUNCES 2013 SCHEDULE

Tigers Will Face Four Programs that Made the 2012 NCAA Tournament 

TOWSON, Md. – Head coach Shawn Nadelen announced a challenging 15-game schedule for the 2013 Towson men’s lacrosse team that features a home tilt against defending NCAA champions Loyola (Md.) on February 20 at 7 p.m.

The schedule includes eight home games, including the match against the Greyhounds.

“We are very excited about our 2013 schedule and the challenges that it will bring us,” said Nadelen. “The CAA will again be a very intense conference.  Our non-conference schedule allows us to play against strong competition to get ready for our league opponents. We look forward to the opportunities that our 2013 schedule provides.”

Towson opens 2013 at High Point on February 8. The Tigers return home for three straight home matches, hosting Johns Hopkins on Saturday, Feb. 16 and Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The homestand ends with Mercer on February 23.

The Tigers play seven games in March, opening the month at Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, March 2. The Tigers hold a 7-1 advantage in that series and have won the last six straight matches. Towson returns home to host Marist on March 8 before taking a short trip south to the Naval Academy to take on the Midshipmen on Tuesday, March 12.

The month continues with Stony Brook at home on Saturday, March 16 before hitting the road for matches against UMBC (March 19) and Delaware (March 22). The game against the Blue Hens kicks off the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) portion of the season. The Tigers wrap up March with a home game against Hofstra on March 30.

The Tigers welcome defending CAA champion UMass to Johnny Unitas® Stadium on April 6 before traveling to Penn State on April 13 and Drexel on April 20. Towson finishes the 2013 regular season at home with St. Joseph’s University on Saturday, April 27.

The top four teams will advance to the CAA Tournament, which will be held on May 1 and 4.

TOWSON, Md. - The Towson men’s lacrosse team defeated visiting Keio University, 11-4, in an international friendly Wednesday evening at Unitas Stadium.

“It was a great evening,” said head coach Shawn Nadelen. “We were happy to welcome Keio University to Towson. They are the premier lacrosse-playing school in Japan, and we were honored to host them.”

Playing international rules did not slow down the Tigers. Towson got plenty of early shots. Junior Thomas DeNapoli scored at 16:37 in the first quarter, unassisted. Keio University displayed good ball movement and tallied an equalizer at 8:10 in the first quarter when Keisuke Ishiguro connected with Makoto Takahashi for Keio’s first goal. Playing at an up-tempo pace, Towson poured in four more goals to take a 5-1 lead at the first intermission. DeNapoli scored again off a feed from Junior Devin Grimaldi, who also fed sophomore Cory Dobyns before scoring Grimaldi off a pass from junior Andrew Hodgson. Dobyns and DeNapoli combined for the last Towson goal of the first quarter.

The final three quarters featured fewer goals as both teams settled in. Red-shirt sophomore Robby Zoppo scored two goals – one each in the second and third quarters – for Towson. Zoppo won a gold medal with the US Men’s U-19 National Team at the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) Tournament in July 2012.

“It was good to shake off the rust,” said Nadelen. “We wanted to install a few things. We have 16 fresh faces on the team this year, so it was a good experience for them to get out on the field.”

Towson outshot Keio 42-24 and won 13-of-19 faceoffs. The Tigers continue their fall season with the Play for Parkinson’s Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 6 when they face Air Force and Virginia at 10 a.m. and noon, respectively.

TOWSON MEN’S LACROSSE TO HOST KEIO UNIVERSITY SEPT. 26

Tigers will face off against the Japanese team at 7:30 p.m. at Johnny Unitas ® Stadium

TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men’s lacrosse team will host Japan’s Keio University for a friendly international game on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Johnny Unitas® Stadium, head coach Shawn Nadelen announced today.

“Towson Lacrosse is very excited to host Keio University,” said Nadelen. “It is the premier lacrosse-playing school in Japan.  Keio is very passionate for the sport of lacrosse, and it is displayed in how they perform on the field.  We are honored to have Keio at Towson, and our players will share in a great experience playing against the Japanese players.  We look forward to having a competitive game. “

Keio University is visiting Towson as part of a larger trip abroad to gain playing experience and participate in cultural exchange. The team has a long history of visiting the U.S. for friendly games and of hosting U.S. teams in Japan. Keio University students were instrumental in founding and promoting lacrosse in Japan.

The Keio University lacrosse players have experienced some success on the international level, playing for the bronze medal at the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse Championship in Manchester, England.

- TowsonTigers.com -

TOWSON, Md. - With the introduction of the Towson Sports Network on TowsonTigers.com and the planned digital broadcasts of Towson sporting events, Towson University Athletics will be continuing its partnership with WNST to extend its coverage with weekly live interviews and the station’s social media reach, the Department announced today.

WNST and Towson have signed a one-year agreement that will bring Towson head coaches and student-athletes to the station’s morning airwaves several times a week with previews, recaps, and student-athlete interviews. During the football season head coach Rob Ambrose will appear twice weekly during the 7-8 a.m. hour on Tuesdays and Fridays as he recaps the previous week’s game on Tuesday and the previews the next game on Friday. Men’s basketball coach Pat Skerry, women’s basketball coach Joe Mathews, men’s lacrosse coach Shawn Nadelen, women’s lacrosse coach Sonia LaMonica and women’s gymnastics coach Vicki Chliszczyk will also make regular weekly appearances during their seasons.

In addition to the regular radio appearances on WNST, Towson will be featured throughout the station’s social media outreach with the “Morning Roar” from Towsontigers.com appearing in the WNST Morning e-Newspaper (sign up here) and additional coverage on WNST’s Twitter and Facebook.

“In the last two years at Towson we have made a strong commitment to developing our new website and social media portals,” said Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations Michael Harris. “With continued strategic partnerships like the one we have with WNST, we are able to provide our fan base with enhanced information leading up to our expanded game programming.”