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Minnesota Swarm Select Miles Thompson with Third Overall Pick

September 22, 2014 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Minnesota Swarm News Release


TORONTO - The National Lacrosse League's (NLL) Minnesota Swarm added one of the most dynamic players in the sport of lacrosse when the team selected forward Miles Thompson (No. 3 overall) in the 2014 NLL Draft Monday evening at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre in Oakville, Ontario.

Thompson, 23, was a co-recipient of the prestigious 2014 Tewaaraton Trophy (lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy) with his brother, Lyle, and finished his four-year career at the University at Albany as the school's all-time leader in points (293) and goals (189).

"Miles is obviously a very talented and exciting player," Swarm Owner and Governor John Arlotta said. "Swarm fans are going to love watching him play with his skill level and our younger fans who are lacrosse players will enjoy watching Miles play at The Hive."

"I was pretty pumped because I get another opportunity to further my career," said Thompson, when asked how it felt to hear his name called at the No. 3 spot. "I spoke to the owner of the Minnesota Swarm (John Arlotta) during the week and he asked me if I'd like to play out there and I told him, 'Yeah'. I like playing in front of a big crowd and just the atmosphere that I've seen there is something I'm excited about, and they have a couple of my buddies already on the team."

Known as one the game's most lethal scorers, Thompson matched a NCAA record with 82 goals in '14 and was a USILA First Team All-American. The native of Onondoga Nation, N.Y. also added 37 assists last year, which gave him 119 points on the season, the second most all-time in a single season for a Division I player. As a member of the "Thompson Trio", Thompson and the rest of his teammates at Albany captured the attention of the entire country last year during their run to the NCAA Quarterfinals, where they eventually fell to Notre Dame in an overtime contest on National TV.

In the World Lacrosse Championships this summer in Denver, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound righty helped lead the Iroquois National Team to a bronze medal finish. Thompson also played in the MLL this year and appeared in nine contests for the Rochester Rattlers, notching 12 goals and seven assists.

When asked what he will bring to the Swarm in 2014, Thompson made it clear that he wants to be a positive addition to the team's chemistry.

"I believe that chemistry is a big thing and that's always what I've been about and I've always tried to bring that to the teams that I've come to... I feel like the team is already close as it is, so that is exciting."

With the No. 5 overall pick, the Swarm selected forward Shane MacDonald from the Brampton Excelsiors (Jr. A). MacDonald, 21, is a 6-foot, 205-pound lefty who notched 55 points (27g, 28a) in 2014. The native of Elora, Ontario also notched a career-high 98 points (37g, 61a) during the 2012 season with the Excelsiors.

A few picks later with the first selection in the second-round, the Swarm selected forward Joe Maracle from the Six Nations Arrows (Jr. A) with the No. 10 overall pick. Maracle, 20, won a Minto Cup this summer with the Arrows and totaled 39 points (22g, 17a) in 13 postseason contests. In the regular season, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound lefty scored 49 points (14g, 35a) in 18 contests.

"We had an injury on the left-side with Josh Gillam being out for the year and it was important for us to bring in some strong left-handed players," Arlotta said. "Shane (MacDonald) is a big, strong, gritty guy who can both score and hit the open man. I've watched him the last two years and we're really excited to get him. Joe (Maracle) just came off an extremely successful Minto Cup run, and is a shifty, talented left-handed scorer. He played on a team that knows how to move the ball extremely well and he should fit in well with our offense."

With their later round picks, the Swarm selected defenseman Eric Guiltinan (No. 28, Brampton Jr. A) in the fourth-round, and defensemen Pat Miles (No. 38 overall, New England College) and Paxton Leroux (No. 40 overall, Peterborough) in the fifth-round. Minnesota sent forward Jay Card to the New England Black Wolves to acquire the No. 40 overall pick.

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