Rochester Takes Thomson & Thompson in First Round
Published on September 24, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Rochester Knighthawks News Release
(Rochester, NY) The Rochester Knighthawks made their selections in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft. The team wasn't on the clock long before they selected Finn Thomson first overall. He was the second-ever first-overall pick in franchise history. Read more about Thomson here.
Rochester made another first-round selection after sending their first-round pick in the 2028 NLL Entry Draft to the Halifax Thunderbirds. With the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NLL Entry Draft, the Knighthawks selected goalie Saka (sug-ga) Thompson from Akwesasne.
Thompson played two seasons with the Junior "B" Akwesasne Thunder (2022-23), posting a 12-7 record in the regular season with a 6.13 goals-against average and an .855 save percentage. In the postseason, Thompson recorded a 15-8 mark, a 7.41 goals-against average, and an .846 save percentage.
In 2023, he helped lead Akwesasne to the Founders Cup, stopping 60 of 64 shots in Akwesasne's series-clinching win over Orangeville to send the Thunder to the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League Junior "B" Finals. That season, he led the league with an .894 regular-season save percentage.
Thompson played parts of three seasons (2023-25) with the Junior "A" Six Nations Arrows and was a two-time Goalie of the Year candidate. In 2024, he was named the Six Nations Arrows MVP. In his career, he was 18-11 and notched a 7.21 goals-against average and an .856 save percentage. In the 2025 Ontario Junior Lacrosse League playoffs, Thompson was 8-4 and had a 6.99 goals-against average and an .852 save percentage.
Thompson was also picked up by the Six Nations Chiefs ahead of the 2025 Mann Cup and won his first Senior "A" title.
In 2026, Thompson played for the Akwesasne Bucks of the Three Nations Senior Lacrosse League (TNSLL), going 8-6 with an impressive 7.59 goals-against average and an .855 save percentage. After the postseason, the Snake Island Muskies picked him up for the Presidents Cup and won a silver medal.
At the college level, he played four seasons at Potsdam and recorded a 25-16 record, a 9.04 goals-against average, and a .599 save percentage. He was the Potsdam Male Athlete of the Year in 2023 and 2024 and earned an Honorable Mention All-American nod in 2024. Thompson was an All-SUNYAC selection in 2024 and 2026.
Internationally, he has played for the Haudenosaunee Nationals. He captured a bronze medal at the 2022 U-21 World Field Lacrosse Championship and won the Spirit of Lacrosse Award at the tournament. He also represented the Haudenosaunee at the Pan-American Men's Lacrosse Championship in Kingston, Jamaica. He backstopped the team to a bronze medal, going 4-1 with a 5.40 goals-against average and a .520 save percentage.
His father, Mike Thompson, was an NLL goaltender with the Buffalo Bandits.
In the third round, the Knighthawks used the 42nd overall selection to take defenseman Matthew Vilas. Vilas played four seasons of collegiate lacrosse at Hofstra University, appearing in 42 games. With the Pride, he collected two goals and one assist for three points, while collecting 62 groundballs and 16 caused turnovers. He was named to the Coastal Athletic Association Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll for the Spring 2026 semester.
At the Junior "A" level, Vilas was a member of the Oakville Buzz from 2021-23. He appeared in 37 games with Oakville, posting four goals and 13 assists for 17 points. In 2026, he made the jump to Senior "A" lacrosse, playing in two games with the Oakville Rock.
In the fourth round (44th overall), the Knighthawks took defenseman Frank Coyle. He declared early for the 2026 NLL Entry Draft. Coyle played four seasons of collegiate lacrosse at Hamilton College. He earned a spot on the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Spring All-Academic Team. In 44 games, he collected 59 goals and 44 assists for 103 points, while also collecting 52 groundballs.
Coyle split the past two summers between the Senior "A" Peterborough Lakers (Major Series Lacrosse) and Senior "B" Ennismore James Gang (Ontario Series Lacrosse). This summer, he played in a career-high 14 games and posted a career-best six points (3+3). He also appeared in six contests with Ennismore, collecting eight points (3+5). Coyle played his Junior "A" ball with the Peterborough Lakers. In two seasons, he registered 11 goals and two assists for 13 points in 35 games.
Rochester used its final pick to take Owen Tovell with the 53rd overall pick. The Fergus, Ontario, native played three seasons in the Junior "A" Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (2024-26).
In 2024, he played for the Burlington Blaze before going to the Orangeville Northmen in 2025, where he appeared in 33 games, collecting two goals and three assists for five points. He helped the Northmen win the Ontario championship and advanced to the Minto Cup. In 2026, he played for the Elora Hawks and served as team captain. He was traded to Whitby and played 23 games with the Warriors.
Tovell played two seasons with the Junior "B" Elora Mohawks, appearing in 67 games and posting 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points. He won the 2024 Founders Cup with Elora.
National Lacrosse League Stories from September 24, 2026
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- Rock Select Silas Richmond Second Overall at NLL Draft - Toronto Rock
- Bandits Select 8 Players in 2026 NLL Draft - Buffalo Bandits
- Rochester Takes Thomson & Thompson in First Round - Rochester Knighthawks
- Seals Wheel-And-Deal Before Selecting Left-Handed Defenseman Aidan Maguire from Duke in the First Round of Thursday's National Lacrosse League Draft - San Diego Seals
- Las Vegas Desert Dogs Add Six Players in NLL Entry Draft - Las Vegas Desert Dogs
- Knighthawks Select Syracuse's Finn Thomson First Overall - Rochester Knighthawks
- Seals Sign Hutchison and Robertson and Agree with Walter - San Diego Seals
- Seals Re-Sign Connor Robinson - San Diego Seals
- Rock Select 2nd Overall in Tonight's NLL Draft - Toronto Rock
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