By Chris Hulsart

TO REACH the pinnacle of sports and win a championship is always an accomplishment, but to win a championship at the professional level means that you are one of the best in the world at the sport you do.

This is the case for York College alum Matt Whitcher, who recently won the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) championship with the Waterdogs in a thrilling 11-9 win over the Chaos. The game was played at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Whitcher was a huge contributor in the playoff run for the ‘dogs, scoring two goals in three games. He attributes a lot of the club’s success to having a close-knit locker room, something that is not always guaranteed in professional competition.

“I think one thing the Waterdogs had going for us this summer was that we had an egoless group. We were less concerned about stats and accolades and more just concerned with the overall success of the group,” Whitcher says.

Now, the defensemen is turning his attention to assisting the men’s lacrosse program here at York, something he has been devoted to since 2019.

Whitcher was formerly a standout for the team and achieved All- American honors in 2018.

Beyond all this, he still has high ambitions regarding his future in the league and the sport. The PLL just completed its fourth season and noted in a news release that most people watched the games than ever before. Both the regular season and the Cash App Playoffs hit record highs, the release said. Viewership increased across all key demographics: P18-49 (+32%), female viewers (+29%), F18-49 (+26%), and M25-54 (+26%).

“There are 8 teams, and on each of those 8 teams only 19 roster spots on game day,” Whitcher says. “Every year there are new rookies entering the league eager to make a name for themselves who were All Americans at ACC and Big Ten schools. So with all that being said, my first expectation is to make the game-day line up for every game just as I did this summer.”

You can follow him on Twitter at @MattWhitcher1.

Chris Hulsart is a sophomore and a Sport Media major.

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