Towson, Delaware, Fairfield and Drexel to Battle for 2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Title
Hunter Peters
TOWSON, Md. (May 1, 2024) – The 2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship begins on Thursday as Towson, Delaware, Fairfield and Drexel battle for the conference title at Johnny Unitas Stadium on the campus of Towson University.
The semifinals begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, as top-seeded Towson takes on fourth-seeded Drexel. The second semifinal follows at 7 p.m., featuring the second-seed and two-time defending CAA Champion Delaware facing third-seeded Fairfield.
In the regular season, Towson won at Drexel 16-11 on March 16 to take a 48-13 lead in the all-time series. These two last met in the CAA Tournament in 2019, with Towson winning 16-14 in the title game in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Towson (11-3, 7-0 CAA) won its first CAA Regular Season title outright since 2017 and the sixth under three-time CAA Coach of the Year
Shawn Nadelen. The Tigers are the first team in league history to go 7-0 in CAA play, posting a +51-goal differential against conference opponents. CAA Offensive Player of the Year,
Nick DeMaio paces the ninth-ranked scoring offense in the nation, recording a league-best 66 points (29g, 37a) this spring. Meanwhile, First Team All-CAA defender,
Colby Barsz, and Second Team All-CAA goalkeeper,
Luke Downs, anchor the top-scoring defense in the NCAA. Barsz is third in the conference with 19 caused turnovers, while Downs leads the league with an 8.91 goals-against average and ranks second with a .551 save percentage.
Drexel (6-8, 3-4 CAA) is making its fifth straight appearance in the CAA Tournament and is three years removed from winning the title in 2021. The Dragons were solid at the X and between the pipes this spring, ranking third in the CAA in face-off winning percentage (.511), saves per game (13.64) and save percentage (.546).
Drew McGill led the effort on the backend, leading the CAA with 176 saves and turning away 12.57 shots per game to rank second in the league. Offensively,
Max Semple led the Dragons with 31 points and 30 goals, while freshman First Team All-CAA midfielder
Gavin Kelly was on his tail with 30 points (14g, 16a).
The Blue Hens were one of two teams to defeat the Stags in the regular season. Delaware controlled the matchup, winning 14-6, and has dominated the series, winning seven in a row. It will mark the first-ever contest between the programs in the CAA Tournament.
Delaware (8-4, 6-1 CAA) is the two-time defending CAA Champion and looks to three-peat for the first time since Towson won three straight titles from 2015-17. The Blue Hens flaunted a +48-goal differential in league play, relying on a stout backend, which ranked second in the NCAA in scoring defense. CAA Defensive Player of the Year,
Kevin Ellington, anchored the unit between the pipes, ranking first in the conference in saves per game (13.33) and save percentage (.608) while ranking second in goals-against average (8.93). Delaware also maintained a top-20 scoring offense in the NCAA, led by its duo of
JP Ward and
Mike Robinson on the attack. Ward – a First Team All-CAA selection – ranked third in the league in points per game (4.42) while Robinson – a Second Team All-CAA honoree – ranked second in goals per game (36) and broke the conference record for career goals (181).
Fairfield (8-6, 5-2 CAA) qualified for the conference tournament for the first time since 2016 after a program-best 5-2 finish in CAA play. The Stags played a competitive slate, with four games decided by two goals or fewer, and three wins by one goal. Fairfield is equipped at every level, with Second Team All-CAA selection
Bryce Ford as the top attackman, recording team highs in points (50) and goals (37). In the midfield,
Will Consoli – a First Team All-CAA honoree – tallied 38 points (25g, 13a) and the sophomore has scored in all but one game throughout his career. Defensively, CAA Rookie of the Year,
Julian Radossich, leads the way, breaking a single-season program record with 26 caused turnovers as the freshman ranks 11th nationally in caused turnovers per game (1.86).
Tickets for the 2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship can be purchased by clicking
HERE. All-session tickets –
which are good for all three games of the CAA Tournament – are $25 for adults and $15 for youth. Single-day tickets are available at $15 for adults and $10 for youth. Students who attend a CAA institution may get free tickets with a valid student ID. Students attending an institution outside the CAA may purchase tickets for $5 with a valid student ID.
Full coverage of the CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship will be streamed on Lacrosse TV (
https://streamstak.com/lacrossetv/). To stay up to date with what is happening, be sure to follow the CAA on Twitter (@CAASports), Instagram (@caasports) and join the conversation using the hashtag #CAAChamps. For live results, recaps, and more,
visit CAASports.com/MLAX.
2024 CAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship
Thursday, May 2 – CAA Championship Semifinals
Game 1: #1 Towson vs. #4 Drexel - 4 p.m., Lacrosse TV
Game 2: #2 Delaware vs. #3 Fairfield - 7 p.m., Lacrosse TV
Saturday, May 4 – CAA Championship Final
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 3:30 p.m., Lacrosse TV
Follow #CAALax on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram to get up-to-date information and learn more about CAA member institutions and their teams.