TOWSON, Md. — It’s going to be tough to beat what happened at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Thursday but that is just what the Towson University men’s lacrosse team is going to try to do on Saturday when it plays for a ticket to the big dance.
The Tigers are in the championship game of the Coastal Athletic Association tournament. On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. top-seeded Towson (12-3, 7-0 CAA), the No. 15 ranked team in the country, hosts second-seeded, two time defending conference tourney champ, rival Delaware (9-4, 6-1 CAA), ranked 19th.
The winner automatically qualifies for the NCAA Tournament.
Head Coach Shawn Nadelen’s Tigers are coming off one of the most historic games in program history. They defeated Drexel 18-8 in Thursday’s CAA Tournament semifinal. Bode Maurer scored a CAA Tournament single game record seven goals. Nick DeMaio tied a CAA Tournament record with five assists.
They need to bring it one more time for a shot at their program’s first trip to the NCAA Tourney since 2019.
"This is the game we’ve been dreaming of since we started the season and hopefully we are peaking at the right time to win this game," said Maurer.
"Teams go on to win championships when you stay hot in March, stay hot in May and I think we’ve done that at the right time," added DeMaio. "Being able to peak and be able to be really good when it matters is definitely something we have emphasized."
Towson has won eight straight games.
"This team, they have put so much work in. The senior class has done an amazing job over their career here to earn the opportunity that we are in for [Saturday]," said Nadelen. "For those guys to be able to earn a CAA championship, that’s their focus and that’s what they are hungry for."
Towson defeated Delaware last Friday, in their lone meeting of the year, 11-10 in Newark.
This is Towson’s second time in the CAA title game in three years. Their last appearance was a loss in 2022 against Delaware. The Blue Hens also knocked the Tigers out last year in the CAA Tournament semifinals.
"Its something we have thought about a long time. Losing to [Delaware] is tough every year. Ending our season with them on top is definitely tough," said Maurer. "So, I think we want to bring it to them even more this year and hopefully flip the sript a little bit and go away with the title."
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