Matt Danowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Danowski

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Born	(1985-08-12) August 12, 1985 (age 39) Farmingdale, New York
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	195 pounds (88 kg)
Position	Attack
NLL draft	7th overall, 2008 Colorado Mammoth
NLL teams	Colorado Mammoth Rochester Knighthawks Philadelphia Wings
MLL teams	New Jersey Pride Long Island Lizards Charlotte Hounds Chesapeake Bayhawks
PLL team	Chrome LC
NCAA team	Duke University
Pro career	2008–2020
Nickname	Dino

Matt Danowski (born August 12, 1985) is a former professional lacrosse player from the United States. He played as an "Attackman," which means his main job was to score goals and help his team win. Matt played in two big professional lacrosse leagues, Major League Lacrosse (MLL) and the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), for 12 seasons. He finished his career with the Chrome Lacrosse Club, announcing his retirement on February 22, 2021.

Before joining Chrome LC, Matt played for several other teams, including the Chesapeake Bayhawks and New York Lizards. He also spent four seasons playing professional indoor lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). During his college years at Duke University, he was a four-time All-American player. In 2007, he won the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is given to the best college lacrosse player in the country. When he graduated, he was the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer with 353 points.

College Lacrosse Career

Matt Danowski was a key player for Duke University throughout his entire college career. He started every game he played.

Early Success at Duke

In 2005, during his second year, Matt won the Jack Turnbull Award. This award is given to the top attackman in college lacrosse across the nation.

Challenging Times and New Opportunities

In 2006, Matt was part of the Duke team during a difficult time. Their season was cut short due to some unusual circumstances. After their coach, Mike Pressler, left the team, Matt's father, John Danowski, became the new head coach. Because of the shortened season, the NCAA gave 33 Duke lacrosse players, including Matt, an extra year to play college lacrosse. This was a rare chance for them to continue their careers.

Chasing a National Championship

In 2007, Matt and his teammate Zack Greer led the Duke team to the NCAA Final Four. They played against Johns Hopkins University in the final game, but even with a strong comeback, they lost. This was a rematch of the 2005 championship game.

Top College Player Awards

Matt had an amazing year in 2007. He won the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is like the MVP award for college lacrosse. That same year, he also won the USILA's Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the national player of the year. He also earned his second Jack Turnbull Award as the best attackman.

In 2008, during the first round of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship, Matt broke the career points record in a game against Loyola. However, Duke was again defeated by Johns Hopkins in the NCAA semifinals. This meant Matt finished his college career without winning an NCAA championship. Still, he was again given the Lt. Raymond Enners Award as the national player of the year in 2008.

Professional Lacrosse Career

Just a few days after winning his second Enners award in 2008, Matt Danowski was chosen second overall in the 2008 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft by the New Jersey Pride.

Early MLL Highlights

Matt quickly showed his skills in the MLL. He earned "Rookie of the Week" honors in his first season. He scored 19 goals and had 14 assists, totaling 36 points in 12 games.

Team Changes and New Leagues

In 2009, Matt was traded from the Colorado Mammoth to the New York Titans. He was one of a few players that year who played for both an MLL team (the Lizards) and an NLL team (the Titans) in the same season.

In 2011, Matt was traded again, this time from the Long Island Lizards to the Charlotte Hounds. This trade involved several players and draft picks.

Matt joined many other professional players in 2018 when he left the MLL for the new PLL. He was a very important player for the Chrome Lacrosse Club in the first 2019 season, playing in all ten games. Matt did not play in the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 22, 2021, he announced that he was retiring from professional lacrosse.

Family Connections

Matt Danowski comes from a family of talented athletes. His father, John Danowski, has been the head coach for the Duke men's lacrosse team since 2006. Matt's grandfather, Ed Danowski, was a famous quarterback for the New York Giants football team. Ed led the Giants to two championships in 1935 and 1938.

Statistics

Here are some of Matt Danowski's statistics from his college and professional lacrosse careers.

Duke University Statistics

^(a) 6th in NCAA Division I career assists

^(b) 3rd in NCAA Division I career points

MLL & PLL Statistics

National Lacrosse League Statistics

Awards and Honors

Matt Danowski received many awards during his impressive lacrosse career:

• Seven-time MLL All-Star (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• Tewaaraton Trophy (2007) - Awarded to the best college lacrosse player.
• Four-time USILA All-American (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008) - Recognized as one of the best players in the country.
• Lt. Raymond Enners Award (2007, 2008) - Given to the national player of the year.
• Jack Turnbull Award (2005, 2007) - Given to the nation's top college attackman.
• Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year (2005)
• Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year (2004)