Shawn Evans of the Calgary Roughnecks, Mark Matthews of the Edmonton Rush, and the Buffalo Bandits' Ryan Benesch are finalists for the National Lacrosse League's most valuable player.
Evans set the NLL single-season scoring record with a 130 points, tied the league record with 83 assists, and also had 47 goals. The 10-year veteran led the league in short-handed goals (five) and power play assists (31) while his 96 loose balls ranked third among forwards.
The 29-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., the 2013 NLL MVP, scored at least two goals in 15-of-18 games played, including nine hat tricks.
Matthews recorded 115 points — second in the league this season and third-most all-time — while his 53 goals ranked him second. The 25-year-old from Oshawa, Ont., added 62 assists and 64 loose balls in 18 games played. He led the Rush to the Champion's Cup, and earned MVP honours in the final.
Matthews, the 2013 NLL rookie of the year, scored two or more goals and four-plus points in every game, including 10 hat tricks.
Benesch won the NLL goal scoring title with 55 goals and finished third in the scoring race with 113 points including 58 assists. The Kitchener, Ont., native tied for the league lead with four game-winning goals and tied for second with four short-handed goals.
Benesch, the NLL's top rookie in 2007, scored at least one goal in all 18 games played, including 11 hat tricks.
The awards are determined by a vote of the league's Board of Governors, general managers and head coaches at the end of the regular season. They'll be presented at a ceremony Sept. 29 in Toronto.
This content appears as provided to The Globe by the originating wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.