Towson (4-5) has dominated this series, but Drexel enters Saturday night's contest with the ranking (No. 8) and the record (9-2). First place in the Colonial Athletic Association and the driver's seat for the top seed in the conference tournament are at stake when these teams meet at Johnny Unitas Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
1. One key to a Drexel win: The Dragons boast a potent attack in senior Colin Ambler (18 goals and 15 assists), junior Scott Perri (16, 17) and freshman Robert Church (26, 3). That unit has benefited from having a talented face-off specialist in senior Zak Fisher (65 of 114 for .570), but Tigers coach Tony Seaman thinks sophomore goalkeeper Mark Manos doesn't get enough credit for kick-starting Drexel's transition game. "They run really well because their goalie makes a ton of saves," Seaman said. "It's kind of like playing basektball. If you get rebounds, you're probably going to be a very good transition basketball team. If you get a goalie who can make saves cleanly – and this kid gets it out really well – that's going to give them some offense, and he does that so many times in a game that it really helps them out a lot."
2. One key to a Towson win: Like the Dragons, the Tigers are also enjoying a three-game winning streak, which was difficult to envision after they had opened the season with five losses in six contests. Playing a schedule that is ranked as the toughest in the country by Laxpower.com, Towson has weathered hiccups to powerhouses like Virginia, Maryland and Loyola to bounce back against two CAA foes in then-No. 8 Massachusetts and Delaware and non-league opponent UMBC. Expect the team to rely on its run when it takes the field Saturday night. "They feel real good about themselves," Seaman said. "You start to build up some confidence and winning up there on the road is a big win and especially against a team that was ranked. And now we get another one that's very, very similar to UMass except that maybe [Drexel's] goalie is better. Not maybe. Definitely better.."
3. One key match-up: Speaking of that goalie, Manos ranks in the top five in Division I in both save percentage (.612 for third place) and goals-against average (7.69 for fifth). The reigning CAA Rookie of the Year stands tall (6-feet 2 and 270 pounds) and is difficult to sneak a shot past, but the Tigers fared well against Manos in his rookie year. They put 58.1 percent of their shots on net in a 7-4 victory in the regular season and peppered Manos with 21 of their 33 shots on goal in a 10-2 thrashing in the CAA Tournament. Towson must keep Manos on his toes and perhaps benefit from a fortunate bounce or two.