RICHMOND, Va. ? After securing second place in the Colonial Athletic Association regular season standings, the Tiger men?s lacrosse team will host Drexel University in the semi-finals of the CAA Tournament on Wednesday, April 29 at Johnny Unitas? Stadium at 7:30 p.m., it has been announced by CAA officials.
Ticket information for Wednesday?s semi-final will be announced on Monday morning.
The winner of the Towson-Drexel semi-final will face the winner of the Hofstra-Villanova semi-final in the CAA Championship Game on Saturday, May 2 at the highest remaining seed. The Tigers earned the second seed in the CAA Tournament after the Pride defeated Villanova by a 10-3 margin on Saturday night at Shuart Stadium.
The CAA champion will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA? Division I Men?s Lacrosse Championship. The 16-team field will be announced on Sunday, May 3.
The Tigers and the Dragons will be meeting for the second time this season. On March 28, the Tigers rallied to defeat Drexel by a 7-4 margin at Vidas Field, giving Towson Coach Tony Seaman the 250th win of his college career.
Wednesday?s game will also mark the 40th all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Dragons in a series which Towson leads by a 35-4 margin. The Tigers have won 11 of the last 12 meetings in the series.
Currently 6-8 on the season, the Tigers will play their regular season finale on Sunday afternoon when they travel to the University of Pennsylvania for a 2 p.m. game against the Quakers at Franklin Field.
The Tigers are coming off a tough 11-10 double overtime loss against seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins on Wednesday night at Unitas Stadium.
Senior attackman Bill McCutcheon has been the Tigers? offensive leader this season, scoring 21 goals with 13 assists. Meanwhile, junior midfielder Will Harrington has scored 19 goals with three assists, including a pair of four-goal efforts against Delaware and Sacred Heart.
In his first season as the Tigers? starting goalkeeper, junior Rob Wheeler has played well for the Tigers by posting a 9.35 goals against average while stopping 53.4 per cent of the shots he has faced.
Now 7-7 overall, the Dragons clinched a berth in the CAA Tournament after a 10-8 victory over the University of Delaware on Saturday afternoon. The Dragons scored three goals in the fourth quarter to overcome a one-goal deficit en route to their third straight win.
Junior attackman Colin Ambler scored two goals with two assists in the victory over the Blue Hens on Saturday afternoon. The Dragons? leading scorer, he has scored 20 goals with 16 assists in 14 games this year.
Freshman goalkeeper Mark Manos has started all 14 games for the Dragons this year, stopping 60.0 per cent of the shots he has faced while allowing 8.24 goals per game. A four-time selection as the CAA Rookie of the Week, he led the CAA in save percentage and ranked second in goals against average through games of April 23.
The Tigers will be making their sixth CAA Tournament appearance in seven years. They have a 7-2 all-time record in CAA Tournament play and have won three conference championships. The Tigers and the Dragons will be facing each other in CAA Tournament play for the second time. In 2003, the Tigers earned a 17-2 victory in the semi-finals before winning their first CAA title.
Tickets for Wednesday?s semi-final will be available beginning on Monday by calling the Towson University Ticket Office at 410-704-2244 or by visiting www.towsontigers.com.
2009 Colonial Athletic Association Men?s Lacrosse Championship Schedule
Semi-Finals: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
#4 Villanova at #1 Hofstra, 7 p.m.
#3 Drexel at #2 Towson, 7:30 p.m.
Championship Game: Saturday, May 2, 2009
Semi-Final Winners at highest remaining seed, Time TBA
