UAlbany's Thompson Brothers Named Tewaaraton Player of the Year Finalists

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 8, 2014) -- As the Great Danes prepare to depart for Baltimore, Md., to face Loyola in the first round of the NCAA Tournament,  brothers Lyle Thompson and Miles Thompson have been selected as Tewaaraton Award finalists, the annual collegiate player-of-the-year award for men's and women's lacrosse.

The Tewaaraton Foundation selects five finalists each for men's and women's lacrosse. The Thompson brothers are two of five finalists selected for the Tewaaraton committee, which is made up of NCAA coaches throughout the country.  The Tewaaraton Trophy will be award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on May 29th at the National Museum of the American Nation.

Miles (2) and Lyle (4) Thompson are two of the five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy, presented annually to the top player in collegiate lacrosse.

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. 

Lyle Thompson became the first Native American to be named a finalist when he was nominated in 2013. Both brothers are having record-setting seasons, becoming the first teammates in NCAA Division I history to score more than 100 points in a season. Lyle is currently the top scorer in Division I, matching the DI single season record with 114 points to become the first player in DI history with back-to-back 100-point seasons. The junior attackman and America East Player of the Year leads the nation with 69 assists, just eight shy of the DI single season record, and adds 45 goals. His 7.13 points per game is nearly a point-and-a-half more than any other non-UAlbany player.

Miles Thompson is the top finisher in all of lacrosse, leading DI with 74 goals, the second-highest single season mark in DI history. He is second in DI in points per game with 6.75, adding 34 assists to total 108 points on the year, tied for the fourth highest mark ever in a single DI season. He needs nine more goals to break the NCAA record of 82 goals in a single season, set by Jon Reese of Yale in 1990.

The brothers' exploits on the field along with their cousin Ty, has led to national profiles by the New York Times and Associated Press. In spite of the added scrutiny, the Thompsons have remained focused on helping their team win a second consecutive America East title, as well as serving as positive role models for their fellow Native Americans -- as both athletes and students.

The men's team faces Loyola (15-1) at noon on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPNU. Loyola is currently ranked No. 1 in the USILA Coaches Poll, and includes on its roster defender Joe Fletcher, another finalist for the 2014 Tewaaraton Trophy. The Great Danes defeated Loyola 19-10 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2007, before losing in double overtime to Cornell in the quarterfinals.

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