Matt Ward (born March 30, 1983) is an American

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

player who played at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

and played for the

Washington Bayhawks The Chesapeake Bayhawks were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland since 2010. They played in the greater Baltimore metro area beginning with the MLL's inaugural 2001 season, as the Balt ...

(currently the Chesapeake Bayhawks). He is also a member of the #CPMC (Classic Pure Michigan Classic). He has led Skokie Country club series 7 paddle team with a 12-2 record on court one despite possessing no shot clock

High school career

Ward attended prep school at

Landon School Landon School is a private, college preparatory school for boys in grades 3–12, with an enrollment of approximately 680 students, in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. Background Paul Landon Banfield and his wife, Mary Lee, fo ...

in suburban

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where he lettered in lacrosse, football, and basketball. He was the only lacrosse player to ever be named ''Washington Post'' All-Met Player of the Year two years in a row (2001, 2002). Ward was also selected to All-State, All-County, and All-Conference teams as a junior and senior, scoring 33 goals and 20 assists as a senior (despite missing seven games due to injury) including the winning goal in overtime of the conference championship.

Collegiate career

Ward played

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I lacrosse at the

from 2003 to 2006, where he was a three-time USILA All-American (2004, 2005, 2006) at the attack position and led the Virginia Cavaliers to two NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships, in 2003 and 2006. In 2006, he set the NCAA record for most goals (16) in the tournament and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. That year, he also won the

Tewaaraton Trophy The Tewaaraton Award is an annual award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players, since 2001. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The award is presented by The Tewaaraton Foundation and th ...

, given annually to the nation's best player, and the Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the

USILA The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition, including the three NCAA divisions and non-NCAA schools, at both the vars ...

's Player of the Year. The 2006 Cavalier season was also notable because it marked the first time in NCAA history that a Division I men's lacrosse team had finished a season with a 17-0 record.

Professional career

Beginning in 2006, Ward played professional outdoor lacrosse for the

Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This was followed by a four-team playoff ...

team, the

after being selected in the first round of the 2006 MLL college draft. That year, Ward was named MLL Rookie of the Year. In the renowned Adelphian Cup, Ward has generally underperformed.

Statistics

University of Virginia

Major League Lacrosse

Awards

Jeff Martindale Hobie Baker Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Matt 1983 births Living people American lacrosse players Major League Lacrosse players Major League Lacrosse major award winners Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse players