Towson State University
Tiger Tracks
Published exclusively for Tiger Club members
by the News and Publications Services Monday, May 16, 1977
TIGER STICKERS END SEASON ALL EVEN
When it was all over the Towson State men's lacrosse team finished the campaign
with an even split of its 16 games, winning eight and dropping eight. Our 1977 season
ended on an abrupt note last Wednesday as the Tigers fell to an inspired Ohio Wesleyan
squad, 18-13, to eliminate Towson from the N.C.A.A. Colleae Division Playoffs. The
Tigers were the seventh seeded team in the tournament, and Ohio Wesleyan was tenth. But
that didn't matter much to the Battling Bishops as they outhustled, outscored, and out¬
played the Tigers throughout the contest. Although Towson took a 4-1 first quarter lead,
Ohio Wesleyan rallied to narrow the margin to 6-5. Following a now familiar pattern the
Tigers slumped in the second stanza, and the visitors took a commanding 10-7 halftime
edge. Towson came as close as 11-9 and 15-13, but three late Bishops' goals put the
contest out of reach for coach Carl Runk's ten. The partisan Towson crowd thought the
Tigers were pulling off the impossible when consecutive tallies by Tom Wagner, Andy
Paris, Danny Nolan, and Paul Mullen cut Ohio Wesleyan's lead from 15-9 to 15-13, but
they proved to be too little, too late, and for the second straight year the Tigers were
knocked out of the playoffs in the opening round.
Towson closed out the reaular season with a win over the University of Virginia
and a disappointina loss at Roanoke College. The Tigers played their finest game of the
season in the victory over the Wahoos, a contest which bumped Virginia from consideration
for the University Division's post-season playoffs. Towson led Virginia 7-4, 9-5, and
10-7 but the Wahoos wouldn't quit. They cut the Tiger advantaqe to 10-9, but Dennis
Feelev tallied on a feed from Wagner with 36 seconds remaining for an 11-9 edge. Vir¬
ginia took the faceoff and John Driscoll made the count 11-10 with only six seconds left.
Towson controlled the final faceoff, however, to lock up its final win of the year. Three
days later Towson took off for Roanoke and came up on the short end of everything, in¬
cluding a 14-9 final score. The contest was marred by penalties, fights, and two ques¬
tionable Roanoke goals. The first disputed tally was said to have gone through a hole in
the net behind Towson goalie Paul Russo, but the referees didn't signal it a goal until
a Roanoke player pointed it out to them. The second one hit the inside of the Tiger
goalpost and bounced straight back but again it was signalled a goal. The latter tally
gave the homestanding Maroons a 12-8 lead and literally crushed the Tigers chances for
a comeback after they led at halftime, 6-4.
Junior attackman Mullen took the team point honors with 53, including 41 goals and
12 assists. Paris was the second top goal-getter with 36, and his 16 assists put him
one point behind Mullen with 52. Jules Siskind was the Tigers' top feeder with 29 to go
with 13 goals for 42 points. Wagner had 21 tallies and 14 assists, and Tom Kidd was the
top scoring midfielder with 13-15 for 28 points. Attackman Warren Como also had 28 on
10 goals and 18 assists. Despite a poor start Danny Nolan finished the season at .502 on
faceoffs, winning 111 and losing 110. Overall Towson won 216 but dropped 254, an obvious
weakness that must be improved on by next season. Goalie Paul Russo set a new school
record for saves with 244, shattering Jeff Jones' old mark of 189. Ron Anderson turned in
a fine effort as Russo's understudy, turning back 42 enemy shots and allowing only 19
goals in nine appearances. Towson will lose Russo, Bill Treadway, and Ralph Ruocco off
the defense, but Anderson, Steve Hornish, Dan Semkow, Scott Riley, A1 Mowbray, and Pete
O'Donnell return. At midfield, Tom Kidd, Frank Atwood, Doug McKenzie, and Nolan graduate,
leaving Feeley, Chris Ciletti, John Como, Jim Guidera, Chris Hock, Denny Holmes, Mark
Reuss, Joe Urso, Tom Watson, and Steve Schadbach behind. Towson will again be powerful
at attack, as only Warren Como departs. Mullen, Paris, Wagner, and Ken Weiber will all
return. Runk, who completed his tenth season and now has a 95-52 career record at Towson,
will not rest with this and you can be sure the Tigers will be back next year and will be
shooting for their sixth straight playoff performance.
