Buffalo Bandits forward John Tavares and Toronto Rock goaltender Bob Watson were named today as National Lacrosse League co-Players of the Month for March.

Tavares and Watson earned the same number of votes in balloting among the league's general managers, the second time the award has been split. Tavares was involved the first time, too, sharing the January 2003 award with Columbus' Pat Maddalena.

In five games in March, Tavares scored fourteen goals, dished out eighteen assists, and scooped up 37 loose balls for the Bandits, who went 3-2 on the month.

On 11 March, in a game at Minnesota, Tavares scored the 500th goal of his illustrious career; previously this season, he reached 500 assists and 1000 points.

This is Tavares' second Player of the Month award this season (he also won in January) and the league-record eighth of his fourteen-year career.

Watson, meanwhile, backstopped the Rock to a 3-1 record and the cusp of its seventh straight first-place finish. Over the four games, Watson made 141 saves and allowed just 36 goals.

Watson is now the only goaltender in league history to win the Player of the Week award twice, following a 1999 award. Only five other netminders have won even once.

The league also announced today that San Jose Stealth forward Ryan Boyle is the Rookie of the Month for March, the second time he has won the award.

Although the Stealth had a meager 1-5 record in March, Boyle was able to score five goals, dish out fifteen assists, and recover 31 loose balls.

Boyle previously won the award in January, making him the fourth player ever to earn Rookie of the Month honors twice -- John Grant (2000), Tracey Kelusky (2001) and Craig Conn (2004) are the others.

JOHN TAVARES
4 March, at Toronto (W, 14-12): 1 goal, 5 assists
11 March, at Minnesota (W, 23-16): 5 goals, 5 assists
18 March, MINNESOTA (W, 13-11): 3 goals, 1 assist
19 March, at Rochester (L, 11-12, OT): 3 goals (PP), 5 assists
26 March, TORONTO (L, 8-12): 2 goals (PP), 2 assists

BOB WATSON
4 March, BUFFALO (L, 12-14): 44 saves, 13 goals allowed
13 March, at Anaheim (W, 14-6): 30 saves, 5 goals allowed
18 March, ARIZONA (W, 18-10): 26 saves, 10 goals allowed
26 March, at Buffalo (W, 12-8): 41 saves, 8 goals allowed

RYAN BOYLE
11 March, at Arizona (L, 12-13, OT): 1 goal, 2 assists
12 March, ARIZONA (L, 10-12): 1 assist
18 March, at Calgary (L, 11-15): 3 assists
19 March, CALGARY (L, 10-11): 1 assist
25 March, ANAHEIM (W, 15-14): 2 goals, 3 assists
26 March, at Anaheim (L, 12-13, OT): 2 goals (2 PP), 5 assists