It takes a lot to be known as one of the greatest collegiate lacrosse players of all time. From guys such as Oren Lyons and Jim Brown from the mid-20th century to guys such as Dave Pietramala, Paul and Gary Gait, and Mike Powell in the modern era, each of these players helped transcend the game of college lacrosse in their own unique way. And so did Lyle Thompson, along with Miles and Ty at the University of Albany, and even older brother Jeremy before that. But before the back-to-back Tewaaraton Awards and leading Albany to back-to-back NCAA Quarterfinal appearances, Lyle had a hard time at Albany.
Thompson came into Albany as the top recruit in the nation, an Under Armour All-American from Lafayette. He had 66 goals and 54 assists in his senior year and 511 total points in high school, good enough to be named a First Team All-Central New York member for three years. But do you remember when he was a freshman? Did you ever watch Albany three years ago? Albany didn’t have their first win until a 12-11 victory against Binghamton on the last day of March, which were eight games into the regular season. Thompson played in all 16 games and started six of them, where he recorded 22 goals and 16 assists. But that’s not all he did. If you watched him last year, he took three face-offs. As a freshman, he went 13-of-32 on draws and got 39 groundballs.
As a sophomore, he exploded on the scene after upsetting #13 Syracuse in 2OT with two goals and six assists on the day. The legend was born. He broke the school record for points in a season with 113, for which he later broke with 128 points his junior year, which also became an NCAA record. Along with Miles and Ty, he showed the game his unique skill set that was unmatched anywhere in the nation.
His junior year was his most remarkable year, as all three Thompsons took over headlines and were the most exciting team to watch in the nation. All three Thompsons, especially Lyle, were similar to Michael Jordan in the NBA. They were the faces of the entire sport of lacrosse, high school and grade school kids were looking up to the three, trying to mimic their passes and shots on goals at practices and elsewhere. They were featured not only on ESPN, but also on national news programs such as the CBS Evening News. This was one of the very first times in quite some time that the sport was profiled in mainstream media. It’s very hard to not say that Thompson helped grow the game. In fact, it’s impossible to not say that Thompson helped grow the game. His incredible skills, his life story and way of life on the reservation made people remember where the game really came from.
But after Albany lost to Notre Dame in the NCAA Quarterfinals in overtime, there would be no more Miles and Ty. Lyle was all by himself. How would he deliver without his brother and cousin? Enter Connor Fields and Seth Oakes. And the legend of Lyle Thompson grew even bigger. Thompson still led the team in points with 121 and assists with 69, but not in goals. He was actually third on the team with 52 goals. In first, was the freshman Fields, who had 66 goals and made a name for himself. Thompson helped lead the Great Danes to another American East Championship and another NCAA Quarterfinal matchup against Notre Dame. But like their first matchup, Notre Dame came up with the win, thanks to a big 4th quarter comeback 14-10. Thompson’s college career was officially over, but he left the college game with his second consecutive Tewaaraton Award, after co-winning it with brother Miles the year before.
He’ll be playing in the MLL for some years and will probably play in the NLL as well. But his greatest impact, like the majority of all lacrosse players, will have come in the college game. Not to hate on the MLL and NLL, but let’s face it, college lacrosse is the most popular form of lacrosse in the United States. It’s on ESPNU and ESPN2 almost every weekend during the Spring, and there’s nearly at least one reference of Lyle Thompson every week. Younger players watched the Gaits in the late 80s and tried to mimic their moves. Then came Casey, Ryan, and Mikey Powell in the 90s and 2000s and the same happened. This decade saw younger players try to mimic the new Gaits and Powells in Ty, Miles, and Lyle Thompson. And Lyle has revolutionized the entire game for a long time to come.
