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Via UVA Sports Information

Several former University of Virginia men’s lacrosse players have received postseason honors for their play in the professional league this season.

Matt Ward, a standout on UVa’s national championship squad this past season, was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. The fourth pick by the Baltimore Bayhawks, he was the team’s second-leading scorer with 33 points. He was also second on the team with 23 goals. In his debut against New Jersey on June 11 Ward scored two goals, including a two-pointer. His most impressive performance came against the Boston Cannons on July 8, when he scored six goals and added three assists. His offensive explosion earned him the Offensive Player of the Week award, as he became the only rookie this season to win the award.

John Christmas, a key member of three Final Four squads at UVa and currently a member of the Boston Cannons, was nameed the league’s Most Improved Player. As a rookie last season, he was relegated to a role player and scored just five goals and three assists. This season Christmas moved into a starring role and broke out with 21 goals and 17 assists to finish second on the team. Against the Long Island Lizards in the season’s second game he notched a hat trick and added an assist to start a streak where the tallied at least four points in four games in a row.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

Midfielder Roy Colsey scored a postseason record 10 points, Matt Striebel notched nine and face-off specialist Paul Cantabene won a playoff record 27 face-offs as the Philadelphia Barrage defeated the Denver Outlaws 23-12 in front of 5,734 fans at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. It was Philadelphia’s second MLL Championship in the last three years. Colsey was named the 2006 New Balance Championship Weekend MVP. The 23 points scored by the Barrage was a Championship Game record.

Colsey scored six goals, two of which were two-pointers and added two assists for 10 points, breaking the previous record of eight. Striebel scored four goals, one for two-points and added four assists for nine. The teammates both notched 15 points over the course of the 2006 New Balance Championship Weekend. Cantabene broke the previous record of 24 face-off wins in a postseason game, which he set last season as a member of the Baltimore Bayhawks. He also added a goal.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

University of Virginia stars continue to dominate the MLL’s post-season awards. Former Cavalier and current Boston Cannons attackman John Christmas has been honored as the 2006 Warrior Most Improved Player. The award was based on votes submitted by the General Manager of each of the 10 MLL teams. Christmas, along with other MLL honorees will be acknowledged at the 2006 Major League Lacrosse Awards Luncheon.

Christmas, a second-year player, has shown tremendous improvement from last year to this. As a rookie last season, Christmas scored five goals and added three assists for eight points and finished the season as the team’s eighth leading scorer. Christmas was relegated to role player due to playing behind a star studded lineup that included league Co-MVP Mark Millon and Kevin Leveille, who notched 39 goals last year.
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Via Major League Lacrosse

Former University of Virginia standout and Baltimore Bayhawks attackman Matt Ward has been honored as the 2006 Cascade MLL Rookie of the Year. The award was based on votes submitted by the General Manager and the Head Coach of each of the 10 Major League Lacrosse teams. Ward, along with other MLL honorees, will be acknowledged at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, August 26th during New Balance Championship Weekend.

Ward selected fourth overall in the May 31st Collegiate Draft by the Bayhawks. He put together one of the most impressive offensive performances of any first year player this season. In his first ever game, Ward posted two goals including a two-pointer against New Jersey on June 11th. His shooting touch didn’t leave him for the rest of the season, as he went on to score hat-tricks in three more games. He scored a goal in every game he played and never finished a game without scoring multiple points.
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Via Major League Lacrosse and UVa Sports Information

Former UVa men’s lacrosse defenseman Michael Culver, currently with the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse, has been honored as the recipient of the New Balance Sportsman of the Year award. The award was based on votes submitted by the General Manger and the Head Coach of each of the 10 MLL teams. Culver, along with other MLL honorees, will be acknowledged at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, Aug. 26, during New Balance Championship Weekend.

The New Balance Sportsman of the Year recognizes a player who has consistently demonstrated sportsmanship through tenacity, determination and fair play on the field over the course of the regular season.

Tired of losing during the season, Culver made a guarantee that his winless Chicago team would defeat the Los Angeles Riptide on July 29, and as incentive, he promised to donate half of his season’s salary to charity if proven wrong. Even if Chicago had won, he made a promise to donate a game check.
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After completing a successful career at Rutgers University, Scottsville native Devon Britts was selected in the fifth round of the Major League Lacrosse draft (45th overall) by the Los Angeles Riptide. Before joining the team at Rutgers, Britts played for Monticello High School in Albemarle County. He is also is a veteran of several seasons in the Charlottesville Summer Lacrosse League.

Britts made his MLL debut for the Riptide at Chicago on June 24th, moving from midfield at Rutgers to attack in the MLL. He’s already contributing to the team, scoring his first goal in Denver on July 1st. The Riptide is one of the MLL’s new Western Division teams. Britts is joined in Los Angeles by former University of Virginia players Tillman Johnson (G) and Michael Watson (A).
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