Towson Men’s Lacrosse Vaults to Top-10 Rankings in Major Polls
March 7, 2016
TOWSON, Md. – After going 2-0 last week, including a win over a top-five opponent, the Towson men’s lacrosse team vaulted up the rankings, including a top-five position in two of the three major polls.
The Tigers were ranked sixth in this week’s United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/Nike Coaches Poll, moving up five spots from 11th last week. The Tigers (5-0) beat then-No. 5 Loyola 10-8 on the road, followed by a 14-6 victory back home over local rival UMBC. Towson picked up 306 points in this week’s Coaches’ Poll.
Towson, which is off to its best start since the 1992 campaign, is back in the top-10 of the USILA/Nike Coaches’ Poll for the first time since it finished the 2005 campaign ranked 10th. Towson’s No. 6 ranking in the Coaches’ Poll is the program’s highest since it was voted No. 5 in the March 4, 2002 poll.
In the Cascade/Maverik Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, Towson jumped up six spots from No. 11 up to a tie for the No. 5 ranking. The Tigers garnered 432 points to draw even with Brown, following the Bears’ 15-7 win over UMass. In the Media Poll, the Tigers are the highest-ranked team in the state of Maryland. Loyola, which Towson beat 10-8 on Wednesday, is ranked eighth, Maryland is 11th, Saturday’s opponent Johns Hopkins is 14th, while Navy received votes.
Towson also landed in the No. 5 spot in the Nike/Lacrosse Magazine, jumping seven spots from its 12th-place ranking last week. Again, Towson is the top-ranked team in Maryland, sitting two spots ahead of the Greyhounds.
In the USILA/Nike Coaches’ Poll, the top-five was comprised of Denver with 450 points and 13 first-place votes, Notre Dame with 447 points and 10 first-place votes, Syracuse and Yale with 409 and 392 points, respectively. Brown rounded out the top-five with 345 points.
Towson was the only Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) team ranked inside the top-10 by the USILA/Nike Coaches Poll, with Hofstra sitting at No. 14 with 172 points. The Pride were ranked eighth last week, but fell 11-6 to unranked Georgetown at home.
Continuing its run through local teams, the Tigers head down the road on Saturday to No. 11 Johns Hopkins. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Homewood Field and will be carried nationally on ESPNU, with Paul Carcaterra and Booker Corrigan on the call. The two local programs will meet as ranked opponents for the first time since No. 5 Johns Hopkins edged No. 15 Towson 9-7 at Unitas Stadium.
Media Release Courtesy of Towson University Men’s Lacrosse Team