TOWSON, Md. – After hitting a bump in the road last week, the No. 10/No. 12 Towson men’s lacrosse team jumped back into the driver’s seat of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), thanks to an offensive explosion not seen since the 2008 campaign. The Tigers (11-2, 3-1 CAA) topped Fairfield, previously unbeaten in CAA action, 18-11 in the first-ever meeting between the programs at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday April 23, 2016.
Junior midfielder Mike Lynch was the main spark in the offensive explosion, going off for a career-best five goals and one assist, taking just seven shots. Following senior day festivities, senior Spencer Parks logged a five-point game with three goals and two assists while junior attackman Ryan Drenner had three tallies. Even redshirt senior Tyler White got in on the scoring as he heaved a clearing pass downfield that bounced into Fairfield’s open net as time expired.
How It Happened
- After winning the first faceoff, Fairfield (7-7, 3-1 CAA) looked to start out the same as Towson’s opponent last week, Delaware, and score on its first possession as Nico Panepinto struck just 59 seconds in on a Colin Burke dish.
- The Tigers answered as Lynch drilled his 11th of the year on Parks’ 13 assist. The Stags, the 2015 CAA Regular Season Champions, took a 2-1 lead in just the first four and a half minutes on Burke’s first goal of the afternoon.
- Tides shifted for the Tigers as Steven Stillwell controlled the faceoff X, helping the Tigers open a 9-0 run between the first and second quarters. Parks got his first of the day, followed by Ryan Drenner. Lynch hit back-to-back goals, with the first coming as the clock hit 31 seconds in the first quarter. He followed two and a half minutes into the second stanza, with Brian Bolewicki drilling a shot one minute later.
- Lynch got the first hat trick of his career with 6:24 left in the first half on a Ben McCarty assist while Joe Seider extended his goal streak to 18 games with 4:02 in the second, with Jon Mazza getting the assist. Lynch hit for his fourth of the half with 1:58 to go to give the Tigers their 10th game of the year in double digits.
- Fairfield ended a scoring drought of nearly 25 minutes as Charlie Horning finished a dish from Panepinto with seven seconds left in the first 30 minutes.
- The Stags opened the second half with back-to-back goals from Burke in the first three minutes, with Horning assisting on the first. Another three-goal spurt for Towson from three different sources, Jon Mazza, Parks and Drenner, gave Towson a 13-5 advantage with 3:54 to go in the third. Seider and Konen had assists during that mini run as well.
- Burke added one more goal in the third for Fairfield with just 2:07 to go in the period, ending the quarter with a 13-6 Towson lead.
- McCarty and redshirt freshman Ian Kirby scored back-to-back 44 seconds apart to open scoring in the fourth period. Fairfield kept things interesting through the middle of the final quarter, reeling off four straight in a three minute window. Drew Murray capitalized on a Tiger penalty, followed by Conor Dalton on a Burke assist, Nico Panepinto unassisted and Burke from Dave Fleming.
- The Tigers scored three of the game’s final four goals as Ryan Drenner got his 24th of the year at 5:45 before Panepinto finished his hat trick on a Murray pass with 5:02 to play. Mazza iced the game for the Tigers with a tally at 3:58 on a Konen dish.
- Finishing with a twist, Towson’s goalie Tyler White made a save with three seconds to play, and through a clearing pass down field. The ball bounced into the Stags’ goal as time expired and after a brief meeting of the officials, the goal was deemed good.
Behind the Numbers
- With his goal, White becomes the first Tiger keeper to register a point since Rob Wheeler had an assist at Bucknell since March 24, 2009. He is the first Towson goalie to log a goal in CAA play since the Tigers joined the league for the 2002 season.
- The Tigers scored the most goals under head coach Shawn Nadelen, who took over the program in 2012. It was the most goals in a CAA game for Towson since beating Sacred Heart 17-5 on April 9, 2009.
- Lynch’s five goals represent the most by a Tiger in a home game since Thomas DeNapoli dropped five on Marist College on March 9, 2013.
- One of two faceoff specialists Towson has on its roster, Stillwell won a career-high 11 faceoffs, bettering his mark of nine from last week against Delaware. Junipr FOGO Alec Buckley went one-for-six while Patrick Conroy, a longstick midfielder, won one of his three chances. The Stags utilized two faceoff men, Will Fox (16-24) and Joe DeLasho (3-8). Fox had a team-high seven groundballs.
- A pair of Tylers were in goal at Unitas ® Stadium on Saturday; Towson’s Tyler White made five saves in his 31st career win while Fairfield’s Tyler Behring finished with four and allowed 14 goals. Brad Nordstrom played the final 13 minutes for Fairfield and did not make a save.
- Senior close defenseman Mike Lowe finished with a game- and career-high eight groundballs as the Tigers snapped up 35 against Fairfield’s 29.
- The Tigers out-shot the Stags 41-33 and had one of their most efficient days of the season, scoring on nearly half of those chances. Towson put 22 of its 41 total shots on goal, paced by seven attempts from Drenner and Lynch.
Up Next For Towson
- Towson heads to enemy territory next Saturday for the regular season finale at Hofstra.
- Opening faceoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Pride’s Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, New York.
- The Tigers will look to clinch the top seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament and avenge a 9-2 loss last season to the Pride at home.