The Virginia men's lacrosse team is off to a 2-0 start this season, partly because of the continued offensive proficiency of senior attacker Matt Ward. For the past two years, he has led the team in scoring, goals and assists. This year, Ward has continued to be a catalyst for the offense with four goals and six assists.
Consistency seems to be Ward's middle name. He has scored at least one goal in 41 of 47 career games including three last Monday against Denver in a 13-7 Cavalier victory. Ward has proven to be an intimidating attacker, a feat in a position known for its competitiveness.
"Matt has proven to be one of the best attack men in the country, which is pretty impressive since I consider attacker to be one of the most talented positions across the country," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said.
Ward, however, means much more to his team than just his scoring ability. His leadership skills and all-around attitude are something his teammates and coaches are always pointing out.
"I knew Matt was an important player since the day he arrived here," Starsia said. "He's been a leader since his freshman year. The real key to leadership is performance and being able to step up in crunch time. Matt has been able to do that."
One of Ward's most impressive attributes is that he seems to get better when the stakes are higher. Last year, in the NCAA Semifinal, Ward scored four goals against John Hopkins. The final one came with 12.9 seconds left in regulation and appeared to be the game-winning shot before the Cavaliers lost in overtime 9-8. Despite the loss, Ward still made the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team for the second time in his career.
Despite all the great games and accomplishments Ward has been a part of during his career at Virginia, he is not one to gloat. Though many other stars have learned to seek the spotlight, Ward stays focused on the task at hand -
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