TOWSON, Md. - With less than two weeks until the season opener at Jacksonville, Coach Shawn Nadelen and the Tiger men's lacrosse team continues to prepare for the 2012 campaign and will scrimmage Albany on Saturday.
Recently, Coach Nadelen took a few minutes to chat with TowsonTigers.com about how the squad is progressing and the upcoming scrimmage with the Great Danes.
TowsonTigers.com: What progress have you seen from the Tigers after two weeks of practice?
Shawn Nadelen: The most progress is
that we are finally getting everyone back on the field that has been
out injured or sick. That has been a positive for us. Our progress is
not where we would like it to be at this point in our preseason, which has
made us have to adjust our timeline. But, we are dealing with it and moving
at the pace we need to.
TT.com: How does the start of classes affect the team's daily schedule and practice planning?
SN: We practice before the
guys have any class during the day, which allows us to have
their undivided attention. With the start of classes this week, our
guys are figuring out the most efficient use of their time in the late
morning through afternoon/evening to handle their academic needs.
TT.com: The Tigers will have their lone scrimmage of the preseason on Saturday when they host Albany. What are some of the things you are looking to see from your team?
SN: When we host Albany
for our scrimmage, I will be focusing on how our men compete against
another team. We have gone after each other for three weeks and now, we get
to see another jersey and see how stack up to them. I am eager to see
how the various parts of our team work against another team and
conversely, how we adjust to what another team throws at us that we may
not have approached in practice yet. Can we compete at a high level
and execute our style of play against a strong opponent will be our
main focus.
TT.com: On Saturday night, the Tigers will also host the first annual Face-Off Night. Talk about some of the highlights of the evening.
SN: Our Face-Off event
will be a great way to get the season started. We will have over 300
members of the Towson Lacrosse family in attendance. Coach Carl Runk will
be our master of ceremonies, which will be a treat for everyone as he
can work the crowd like no other. There will be presentations from
Athletics Director Mike Waddell, Alumnus John Horrigan and a current
member of the team. I will touch on what the team has endured and how
they have developed from the fall semester into the spring and what
everyone can expect to see when they come to our games. There will be
a special ceremony uniting our alumni with our current team members,
which will be unique to Towson. In all, it will be a terrific night
for Towson Lacrosse.
TT.com: As you begin to prepare for Jacksonville in two weeks, what are some of the early keys to success for the Tigers?
SN: Right now, our keys
for success are to:
1 - Understand who we are and what we do well and
how to execute it efficiently.
2 - Continue to hustle and compete all
over the field.
3 - Absorb and incorporate any new strategies into our
total team package.
