It seems like you can’t talk about Miles Thompson without mentioning Lyle. You can’t mention Lyle without Miles.
It’s fitting that the brothers were named co-winners of the 14th annual Tewaaraton Award on Thursday evening.
The Thompson brothers have not only helped rewrite the record books, but have also led Albany to national prominence. The Great Danes won their second straight America East Championship this season and recorded an NCAA First Round win over Loyola.
A junior, Lyle led the nation with a Division I record 128 points behind 51 goals and 77 points. Miles, a senior, led the nation with 82 goals to go with 37 assists for 119 points. Both broke Steve Marohl’s 22-year-old single-season Division I record of 114 points in 1992.
This marked the first time that multiple recipients have ever shared the Tewaaraton Award, and rightfully so. The duo has helped transform the sport of lacrosse with highlight-reel goals and incredible skills that are second to none. Fans flocked to Hofstra for the quarterfinals, many just to witness the Thompsons in person. The Thompsons have been featured in the New York Times and on ABC World News.
The numbers are simply astounding. Lyle eclipsed 100 points for a second straight season, becoming the first player in Division I history to accomplish that feat (and he can make it three in a row next season). Lyle was named the USILA’s Outstanding Player of the Year and earned Outstanding Attackman honors for a second straight year as well.
“As this is unprecedented; we note that the Selection Committees are made up of the 10 active coaches and are overseen by a chairperson,” said Jeffrey T. Harvey, chairman of the Tewaaraton Foundation. “It was determined by the committee to have these two individuals share the game’s top award. Their vote was unanimous. We applaud the committee for their commitment to the true purpose of The Tewaaraton Award as it is profoundly meaningful that these two record-breaking players—teammates, brothers and members of the Onondaga Nation—are symbolic of the game, its heritage and its future.”
Lyle will return to Albany next spring without Miles and cousin Ty who were both seniors in 2014. The trio combined for exactly 300 points this past season (Ty had 53).
The women’s Tewaaraton Award was presented to Maryland’s Taylor Cummings, a two-way midfielder who led Maryland in goals (63), draw controls (128), groundballs (37) and caused turnovers (30). She finished with 87 points for the Terrapins, who beat Syracuse 15-12 on Sunday night for the National Championship. Cummings is the first sophomore to ever win the award.
The five men’s finalists were Loyola defenseman Joe Fletcher, Princeton midfielder Tom Schreiber, Duke attackman Jordan Wolf and the Thompsons.
The five women’s finalists were Maryland defender Megan Douty, Florida midfielder Shannon Gilroy, Syracuse attacker Alyssa Murray, Syracuse attacker Kayla Treanor and Cummings.
About The Tewaaraton Foundation
First presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and US Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy–the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora–and presents scholarships to two students of Iroquois descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, visit
