Matt Abbott
Encyclopedia
Matt Abbott is a lacrosse
player for the Syracuse Orange in Division I college lacrosse. Abbott played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009 and helped to lead the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009.
Personal: Matthew Joseph Abbott. Son of Tom and Lorie Abbott. Matt is the third member of the Abbott family to play for Syracuse University
. His grandfather, Larry Abbott played at SU from 1950-1952. His father, Tom Abbott played from 1975-78. His brother Michael played for University of Virginia
, where he won a Division I national championship, and for SUNY Cortland, where he won a Division III national championship and is now the assistant coach for the men’s lacrosse program at Cortland.
High School: Abbott played varsity lacrosse at Nottingham High school from eight grade until his senior year. He totaled 212 career points (131 goals, 81 assists), with 42 goals and 29 assists his senior year. He was named team captain his sophomore, junior and senior year. He played for the 2004 Empire State Games
Central Team, and helped them win a gold medal.
Freshman Year: He earned honorable mention all-league laurels.
Sophomore Year: Named first team all-league and All-CNY honorable mention. He was selected as an alternate for the Empire State Games Central team.
Junior Year: First team all-league and first team All-CNY. Named his team’s offensive MVP.
Senior Year: First team all-league, first team All-CNY and All-American. Named team MVP.
College: Syracuse University
Freshman Year (2006): Played in all 15 games with one start. Made his first career start against Massachusetts. Tallied seven goals and one assist for a total of eight points. Scooped up 11 ground balls and was 1-for-5 on faceoff opportunities. Netted two points on a season-high two goals in his first collegiate contest versus Army. Scored one goal versus Hobart, Loyola, Massachusetts, at Colgate and against Virginia in the NCAA semifinals. Registered his first career assist in the NCAA quarterfinals against Johns Hopkins. Member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
Sophomore Year (2007): Played in all 13 games with one start. Second on the team with 51 ground balls. Scored 15 points (9g, 6a). Five multi-point games. Tallied a career-best three points, including a season-best two goals at Georgetown. Started versus Colgate and tied his season high with two goals. Scored two points (1g, 1a) versus Binghamton, Cornell and Albany. Also had goals against Virginia and Rutgers. Recorded assists at Loyola and Massachusetts. Named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
Junior Year (2008): Named to the USILA All-America Third Team
. Played in all 18 contests with 11 starts. Saw action in a variety of situations, including man-down and on clears. Also played some defensive midfield. Second on the team with 73 ground balls. Scored 21 points (13g, 8a). Went 2-for-4 (.500) on face offs. Registered the first hat trick of his career with three goals to help lead the Orange to a come-from-behind win against Virginia in the NCAA semifinals. Tied his career-best with three points against Binghamton and at Hobart, including a personal-best two assists in each game. Netted two goals at Colgate. Registered six points (5g, 1a) in SU’s four NCAA Tournament games. Collected at least one point in five consecutive games against Massachusetts, Colgate, Canisius (NCAA), Notre Dame (NCAA) and Virginia (NCAA). Career-high eight ground balls against Princeton. Scooped up at least five ground balls seven times. Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the fall.
Senior Year (2009): USILA First-Team All-American. Tewaaraton Trophy
and Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalist. Named a USILA Scholar All-American and selected to the Lowe’s Senior All-America First Team … Selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team after recording five assists in the postseason, including one on Kenny Nims
’ game-tying goal versus Cornell at the end of regulation in the NCAA title game. Team captain. Started all 18 games in the midfield. One of seven players to start every game. Team leader with 77 ground balls. Recorded at least five ground balls in a game five times. Scored 23 points (12g, 11a). Career-best four points (2g, 2a) versus Johns Hopkins. Scored two goals, including the game-winner, and had an assist at Georgetown. Two goals against Albany. One goal, one assist and seven ground balls against Binghamton. One goal, one assist and collected a career-best 10 ground balls versus Princeton at the Inside Lacrosse Big City Classic. Scored a goal and scooped up nine ground balls at Loyola. Also had goals in wins against Providence, Cornell during the regular season, and at Massachusetts. Dished out two assists versus Maryland in the NCAA quarterfinals and Cornell in the NCAA championship game. Also had assists in wins against Hobart and Duke (NCAA). Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters. States
Finished his career ranked ninth on SU’s career ground balls list (212).
Statistics
Professional: Abbott was drafted by the Washington Bayhawks for the 2009 Major League Lacrosse
season, first round 9th pick. He was drafted by the Boston Blazers
for the 2009 National Lacrosse League
season, second round 20th overall pick.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
player for the Syracuse Orange in Division I college lacrosse. Abbott played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009 and helped to lead the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009.
Personal: Matthew Joseph Abbott. Son of Tom and Lorie Abbott. Matt is the third member of the Abbott family to play for Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. His grandfather, Larry Abbott played at SU from 1950-1952. His father, Tom Abbott played from 1975-78. His brother Michael played for University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he won a Division I national championship, and for SUNY Cortland, where he won a Division III national championship and is now the assistant coach for the men’s lacrosse program at Cortland.
High School: Abbott played varsity lacrosse at Nottingham High school from eight grade until his senior year. He totaled 212 career points (131 goals, 81 assists), with 42 goals and 29 assists his senior year. He was named team captain his sophomore, junior and senior year. He played for the 2004 Empire State Games
Empire State Games
The Empire State Games are a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of New York, encompassing several divisions and allowing athletes of all ages to compete. It was a member of the National Congress of State Games...
Central Team, and helped them win a gold medal.
Freshman Year: He earned honorable mention all-league laurels.
Sophomore Year: Named first team all-league and All-CNY honorable mention. He was selected as an alternate for the Empire State Games Central team.
Junior Year: First team all-league and first team All-CNY. Named his team’s offensive MVP.
Senior Year: First team all-league, first team All-CNY and All-American. Named team MVP.
College: Syracuse University
Freshman Year (2006): Played in all 15 games with one start. Made his first career start against Massachusetts. Tallied seven goals and one assist for a total of eight points. Scooped up 11 ground balls and was 1-for-5 on faceoff opportunities. Netted two points on a season-high two goals in his first collegiate contest versus Army. Scored one goal versus Hobart, Loyola, Massachusetts, at Colgate and against Virginia in the NCAA semifinals. Registered his first career assist in the NCAA quarterfinals against Johns Hopkins. Member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
Sophomore Year (2007): Played in all 13 games with one start. Second on the team with 51 ground balls. Scored 15 points (9g, 6a). Five multi-point games. Tallied a career-best three points, including a season-best two goals at Georgetown. Started versus Colgate and tied his season high with two goals. Scored two points (1g, 1a) versus Binghamton, Cornell and Albany. Also had goals against Virginia and Rutgers. Recorded assists at Loyola and Massachusetts. Named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters.
Junior Year (2008): Named to the USILA All-America Third Team
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
. Played in all 18 contests with 11 starts. Saw action in a variety of situations, including man-down and on clears. Also played some defensive midfield. Second on the team with 73 ground balls. Scored 21 points (13g, 8a). Went 2-for-4 (.500) on face offs. Registered the first hat trick of his career with three goals to help lead the Orange to a come-from-behind win against Virginia in the NCAA semifinals. Tied his career-best with three points against Binghamton and at Hobart, including a personal-best two assists in each game. Netted two goals at Colgate. Registered six points (5g, 1a) in SU’s four NCAA Tournament games. Collected at least one point in five consecutive games against Massachusetts, Colgate, Canisius (NCAA), Notre Dame (NCAA) and Virginia (NCAA). Career-high eight ground balls against Princeton. Scooped up at least five ground balls seven times. Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in the fall.
Senior Year (2009): USILA First-Team All-American. Tewaaraton Trophy
Tewaaraton Trophy
The Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C...
and Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalist. Named a USILA Scholar All-American and selected to the Lowe’s Senior All-America First Team … Selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team after recording five assists in the postseason, including one on Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims
Kenny Nims is a lacrosse player for the Chicago Machine of Major League Lacrosse. He played college lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange in Division I. Nims played for the Orange from 2006 to 2009, leading the team to two straight NCAA tournament championships in 2008 and 2009...
’ game-tying goal versus Cornell at the end of regulation in the NCAA title game. Team captain. Started all 18 games in the midfield. One of seven players to start every game. Team leader with 77 ground balls. Recorded at least five ground balls in a game five times. Scored 23 points (12g, 11a). Career-best four points (2g, 2a) versus Johns Hopkins. Scored two goals, including the game-winner, and had an assist at Georgetown. Two goals against Albany. One goal, one assist and seven ground balls against Binghamton. One goal, one assist and collected a career-best 10 ground balls versus Princeton at the Inside Lacrosse Big City Classic. Scored a goal and scooped up nine ground balls at Loyola. Also had goals in wins against Providence, Cornell during the regular season, and at Massachusetts. Dished out two assists versus Maryland in the NCAA quarterfinals and Cornell in the NCAA championship game. Also had assists in wins against Hobart and Duke (NCAA). Member of the SU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll both semesters. States
Finished his career ranked ninth on SU’s career ground balls list (212).
Statistics
| Year | Games | Goals | Assists | Points | Ground Balls | Face Offs | GW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 1-5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 51 | 0-2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 73 | 2-4 | 0 |
| 2009 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 77 | 0-1 | 1 |
| Total | 64 | 41 | 26 | 67 | 212 | 3-12 | 1 |
Professional: Abbott was drafted by the Washington Bayhawks for the 2009 Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
season, first round 9th pick. He was drafted by the Boston Blazers
Boston Blazers
The Boston Blazers were a member of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1989 to 1997. They were called the New England Blazers from 1989 to 1991 while based in Worcester, Massachusetts, and were renamed the Boston Blazers in 1992 when they moved to Boston. While in Worcester, the Blazers played...
for the 2009 National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
season, second round 20th overall pick.