Matt Ward wants to lay down the law in the courtroom and on the lacrosse field.
The Virginia graduate will start law school at the University of Baltimore in the fall. But for the fourth overall pick in the Major League Lacrossecollegiate draft, his summer job is playing for the Baltimore Bayhawks.
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“I certainly wanted to play [professionally],” said Ward, an Oakton native who attended The Landon School in Bethesda. “I have been playing for 13 years and did not want to give up on that part of my life.”
Ward finished his tenure with the Cavaliers last month by winning both a second national title and the Tewaarton Award, annually bestowed upon the nation’s top collegiate men’s lacrosse player.
“That whole week was hectic,” Ward said. “We won the national championship on Monday. On Tuesday I had to drive to Connecticut for the draft, and I got into D.C. at 3 a.m. Thursday for the Tewaarton Award.”
Ward is joined on the Bayhawks by fellow rookie and Virginia teammate Kyle Dixon. The duo has wasted little time in making an impression on their new coaching staff. Drafting college teammates can create a “comfort zone” for young players, Bayhawks coach Scott Hiller said.
“They both have a passion for the sport and that is encouraging,” Hiller said. “[Ward] is a phenomenal shooter and a great feeder. I was impressed with how quickly he wanted to get on the field.”
Dixon drove to New Jersey to support the Bayhawks on the road last Saturday but was not in uniform. He suffered a broken thumb against Notre Dame in the NCAA playoffs, but Hiller expects him back in three to four weeks.
