Matthews up for top player award

An Oshawa native could very well be named as the most valuable player in lacrosse.

Mark Matthews has been named as one of three finalists for the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) Most Valuable Player Award.

Playing with the Saskatchewan Rush, Matthews finished sixth in the league for scoring, capping off his season with a career-high 69 assists to go along with his 40 goals through 18 games.

As well, Matthews was a part of the Rush’s championship season after defeating the Buffalo Bandits in a best of three series last month, marking back-to-back wins for the team. When the Rush, then located in Edmonton, won the NLL’s championship last year, Matthews was named playoff MVP.

The winner of the MVP award, along with NLL’s other regular season honours, will be announced at a ceremony on Sept. 27 in Toronto.