Towson Opens NCAA Tournament at Syracuse on Sunday
Hunter Peters
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (May 10, 2024) – CAA Men’s Lacrosse Champion Towson opens the NCAA Tournament at Syracuse at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 12. The Tigers and Orange will play at JMA Wireless Dome on the campus of Syracuse University, and a national broadcast of the game will be on ESPNU.
Towson (13-3) is making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, while the fourth-seeded Orange (11-5) are in the big dance for the first time since 2021, hosting for the first time since 2018.
The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the country, entering the First Round on a nine-game winning streak – the fourth-longest active streak in the NCAA. Towson culminated the streak with its conference-record ninth CAA Championship last Saturday. The Tigers outscored their opponents 33-14 in the conference tournament and rank second nationally in scoring margin (6.06) this season.
Nick DeMaio was named the CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, recording 14 points on three goals and a tournament-record 11 assists. DeMaio – the CAA Offensive Player of the Year – leads the conference with 80 points (32g, 48a), ranking fifth nationally with 5.00 points per game. Bode Maurer joined the All-Tournament team, matching a team-high with 14 points, setting a tournament record with 11 goals, and adding three assists. Luke Downs and Colby Barsz – who was just selected in the 2024 PLL Draft – anchored the defensive effort, garnering All-Tournament team accolades.
As they were in the CAA Championship, the Tigers were dominant and well-balanced all season. Towson ranks first nationally in scoring defense (8.44) and seventh in scoring offense (14.50). In addition, five Tigers earned First Team All-CAA honors, including DeMaio and Barsz, and Shawn Nadelen was named CAA Coach of the Year.
Syracuse has a highly potent attack, ranking sixth nationally in scoring offense (14.81), fourth in points per game (24.38) and second in assists per game (9.56). Six players netted at least 20 goals, and three recorded 40 points or more for the Orange. They are led by Joey Spallina, who paced Syracuse in points (80), assists (47) and goals (33) this spring.
The Tigers are 12-15 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 6-9 in their previous eight appearances as a CAA member. Towson has represented the conference in the NCAA Quarterfinals three times, advancing to the Semifinals in 2017.
Towson is 3-9 all-time against Syracuse. Notably, the most recent matchup between the Tigers and Orange came in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when Towson upset second-seeded Syracuse, 10-7, in the quarterfinals.
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