After the MLL Draft in January, it was expected that Lyle Thompson would have run away with this award. The No. 1 overall pick handily won the Tewaaraton, given to college lacrosse’s best player, and was widely viewed as a top five college player of all-time when he graduated from Albany in May. But in one of the wildest MLL seasons in years, stiff competition grew from his classmates in their first MLL season. So let’s break down the candidates.
JOEY SANKEY
The North Carolina alum was named Rookie of the Week twice this season and well deserved. He finished the year with the third most shots of on the Hounds, but more importantly, he led Charlotte in points. Though the Hounds underwhelming three-win season lacked any significant excitement in the present, Sankey provided a bright spot for the future. Considering his production while only playing in nine games, shows what he could bring to the table heading into 2016.
JIMMY BITTER
Bitter totaled 26 points but unlike his UNC teammate Sankey, he’s far from the top scoring option on Ohio. Still, in an abbreviated season due to the overlap with the NCAA season, he was effective on the attack. 21 goals in seven games ain’t too shabby. And as the Machine heads into the postseason, Bitter is peaking at the right time. In each of his last five games, he’s had at least four points. While he isn’t relied upon the way Sankey was, his performance speaks for itself even in a crowded offense.
KEVIN RICE
The trade that shook this rookie class is the one that sent Thompson to Florida and while he’s the name that transcends lacrosse and resonates with the casual sports fan, Kevin Rice landing with Rochester played a big role in how the season played out. Rice placed fifth on the Rattlers in goals with 11 and fourth in assists with 10. Just like his style at Syracuse, Rice impressed with his all-around game: scoring, passing, moving with and without the ball. Rice broke out with three goals against Chesapeake on July 12 and led Rochester to a 14-13 win and with that performance, he propelled himself into the conversation for Rookie of the Year.
PREDICTION: LYLE THOMPSON
Despite the strong efforts from Sankey, Bitter and Rice, I ultimately predict the award to go to Thompson. While Thompson had his ups and downs, he was still the best player, just like he was in college. His 16 assists rank 11th in the league and 38 points rank 14th. Thompson wasn’t just the best rookie this season — he was one of the best players. Period. His 13 goals in a two-game stretch may have been the best back-to-back performance in MLL rookie history. While Thompson got off to a slow start with just 13 points in his first four games, he turned on the jets late and returned to the Lyle we all know: one of the best players on the planet.
