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Tavares ends Gait's reign as MVPBuffalo star wins second MVP award, ends Gary Gait's five straightNLL Press Release For the first time since 1994, pro indoor lacrosse has a Most Valuable Player other than Gary Gait. Attackman John Tavares of the Buffalo Bandits was named today as the NLL MVP for the recently concluded 2000 season, the second such award of his nine-year career. He was the last player other than Gait to win the honor. The Pittsburgh CrosseFire’s Gait was the runner-up, followed by Toronto Rock captain Jim Veltman, in voting conducted among the team general managers and coaching staffs. Tavares finished tied (with Gait) for the league scoring lead this season, registering 83 points on 34 goals and 49 assists in twelve games. The assist and point totals represent new personal one-season highs and new Buffalo team records. One of the team’s assistant captains, Tavares, 31, led the league in assists, power play assists (23), and power play points (35), and finished tied for the most game-winning goals in the NLL (three). Buffalo’s all-time scoring leader had six three-or-more goal games and was named Game MVP twice. He also was the February NLL Player of the Month. Tavares helped his team turn around last year’s 4-8 record when they failed to qualify for the post-season for the first time in team history, with an 8-4 record this year and second place finish which enables them to host this Friday night’s semifinal game at HSBC Arena (8:00 PM, against the Rochester Knighthawks). The game-by-game performances by Tavares this season were as follows:
8 January - vs. Toronto, 14-17: three goals, three assists -30- |
