Towson Downs Drexel, 11-9, in Regular Season Finale

Saturday, April 27

Vidas Field

12 p.m.

Drexel University

6-7, 2-3

#13 Towson

9-4, 4-1

Towson

Drexel

Towson Downs Drexel, 11-9, in Regular Season Finale

4/27/2019 3:40:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The 13th-ranked Towson Tigers scored the final three goals of the game and went on to defeat Drexel, 11-9, on Senior Day at Vidas Field. It was the final regular season game for each team. The Tigers (9-4, 4-1 CAA) scored two goals in a span of just four seconds after Drexel had tied the game to take the lead. The Dragons (6-7, 2-3) will now be the fourth-seed in the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association Championships which get underway Thursday in Amherst, Mass. Drexel will open up against top-seeded UMass.

The game was tightly contested the entire day as neither team led by more than two goals all afternoon. The Dragons, who came into the game leading the nation in man-up goals, had four extra man opportunities in the first quarter and scored on two of them. Reid Bowering scored both of them off feeds from Matt Varian. Those goals, the 33rd and 34th with the man advantage, were sandwiched around a pair of Towson goals, the first by Timmy Monahan and the second by Jake McLean as the score was even at two after one period.

Monahan, who had a big day with four goals, put the Tigers ahead briefly to start the second quarter, but Drexel responded with three straight. Varian set up the first two goals, on to Collin Mailman and the next to Marshal King, before netting his first of the day with 4:19 to play in the half, making it 5-3 Drexel. The Dragons would go to the half up just a goal as Brendan Sunday set up Monahan for his third goal of the half with 2:30 remaining. Sunday, who was held in check for most of the first half, scored two quick goals in the first five minutes of the third quarter to put the Tigers up 6-5. Four minutes later, it was Varian once again figuring in a Drexel goal. The junior, who tied his career-highs with five assists and seven points, found Ryan Genord from behind the net, and the sophomore ripped a shot home evening the score at six.

The two teams seemed to answer each others runs throughout the game. The Tigers scored a pair of goals late in the third to make it 8-6, but once again found themselves in the box. Once again, Drexel was able to take advantage as Marshal King found Chris McLallen who scored from the left alley for the Dragons third extra-man of the game. The Tigers held that one goal lead until the 9:14 mark when Varian scored from on the doorstep after a nice dodge to tie it at 8-8. Drexel then got the lead when Reid Bowering completed the hat trick with 7:48 to go. The senior, who now has 43 goals this season, picked up a loose ball and barely beat the shot clock to get the crowd into it and give the Dragons momentum back. That feeling lasted all of five seconds as Jack McNallen, filling in for Towson's All-America face-off man Alex Woodall, won the face-off clean, raced to the cage and scored just his second goal of the year, to tie it. That wasn't the end for McNallen, as he did the same thing once again after the Tigers took the lead on a Jake McLean goal at the 2:14 mark. This time, it took four seconds, and Towson led by two and escaped Vidas Field with the win.

Drexel dominated most of the stats, but the Tigers won the category that mattered most. Drexel outshot the Tigers, 54-31, and won 17 of 24 face-offs. The Dragons also had 29 ground balls to just 18 for the visitors. However, Towson goalkeeper Tyler Canto had a huge game, making 17 stops, including 12 in the second half.

With his seven points, Varian now has 54 points on the season. His 28 assists are the most in a season for a Drexel player since 1991, when John Colt had 37 assists. Bowering's 43 goals are the fifth-most ever scored in a single-season at Drexel. The duo has combined for 104 points this season. Jimmeh Koita took all 24 face-offs for the Dragons, winning 17. He now has 194 wins this season, the second-highest single-season total at Drexel. Koita also had a game-high 10 ground balls, the 10th time in his career he has had at least 10. Ross Blumenthal made eight saves in goal for DU.

The game marked the final home appearance for Drexel seniors Chris Friedman, Cam Harris, Marshal King, Matt Klinges and Matt Soran. The five will be playing in their third CAA Championship beginning Thursday evening, when Drexel and UMass face-off at 5 p.m. at Garber Field in Western Massachusetts.