Baltimore Thunder forward Gary Gait today was named the 1999 National Lacrosse League Most Valuable Player, marking the fifth consecutive season he has been named pro indoor lacrosse’s top player. Voting for the award was conducted among the team General Managers and coaching staffs. John Tavares of the Buffalo Bandits was the only player (1994) other than Gait to win the award.

Gait, 32, won his third straight scoring title and the fifth of his career by registering 82 points in just eleven games. He also led the NLL in goals scored with 50, marking just the second time a player has scored 50 or more in one season (he had 57 in 1998). The Syracuse University graduate scored three or more goals in one game eight times this season. He had nine power play goals, one short-handed, and one game-winning tally. Gait’s offense was also a large part of the Thunder leading the NLL in goals scored (211).

In his ninth pro season, Gait was the NLL Player of the Week twice this season and also shared the honor once. He was also the NLL Player of the Month for January. In four of the Thunder’s 11 regular season games he played in he was named the Game MVP. The 6’2", 210-pounder helped Baltimore finish in a tie for second place with an 8-4 record, one game out of first. Gait was voted by the fans to be a starter in the first-ever NLL All-Star Game in February, but missed the game due to injury.

Jim Veltman of the Toronto Rock and Jake Bergey of the Philadelphia Wings finished second and third in the voting, respectively.