Road to the Record: Lyle Thompson's Journey to the NCAA DI All-Time Scoring Record - The Stats

ALBANY, N.Y. – On a warm Tuesday night in Rhode Island, Lyle Thompson became the new NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader, adding another notch to the belt of one of the greatest players in collegiate men's lacrosse history.

Thompson's assist to Connor Fields in the second quarter against Bryant gave him point #355 in his career to break Rob Pannell's record.  Thompson, who currently stands with 357 points off 155 goals and 202 assists, earned the record in just 63 games.

In his career, along with the all-time scoring record, Thompson has earned a share of the Tewaaraton Trophy with his brother Miles Thompson, holds the single season scoring record, including two of the top four scoring seasons in DI history, is tied for the NCAA single season assists record and is just 19 assists away from matching the NCAA DI all-time assists record.

After playing in the UAlbany midfield as a freshman and scoring 38 points, Thompson exploded as a member of the attack corps, leading all of Division I points per game the past three seasons: 6.65 points per game as a sophomore, 7.11 points per game as a junior and 6.5 points per game so far in his senior season.

It has been a long time since Lyle Thompson first suited up for Scott Marr's UAlbany Great Danes.  The road to the NCAA DI all-time scoring record is below:

Road to the Record (Important Games)
Game 1 - 2/19/2012 - @ Syracuse
Lyle Thompson made his debut at the Carrier Dome with a goal and an assist on the UAlbany first midfield line. He assisted Ty Thompson 7:47 into the first quarter for his first-ever assist.  He scored his first goal 3:39 into the fourth quarter, assisted by Rocky Bonitatibus.

Game 7 - 3/24/2012 - vs. Bucknell
One of just two games where Lyle Thompson played and did not score a point.

Game 15 - 5/2/2015 - @ UMBC (AE Semis)
Perhaps Lyle Thompson's breakout game, he scores five goals, his highest single game point total to date, as UAlbany routs UMBC 19-8 to advance to the America East title game.

Game 16 - 5/5/2012 - @ Stony Brook (AE Champ)
Despite Thompson scoring a goal and three assists, UAlbany falls to 1-seed Stony Brook 14-8.  To date, it is the only conference tournament game that UAlbany has lost with Lyle Thompson on the roster.

Game 17 - 2/17/2013 - @ Syracuse
Finishing with two goals and six assists, including the game-winning assist to brother Miles Thompson, Lyle Thompson helps UAlbany win its first-ever game against Syracuse 16-15 in double overtime.

Game 22 - 3/16/2013 - @ Bryant
Lyle Thompson scored three goals and five assists, including two key late fourth quarter goals to help hold off Bryant as win 17-15.  Bryant outshot UAlbany 67-37 in the game.

Game 25 - 3/30/2013 - @ Binghamton
Thompson passes the 100-point mark with five goals and four assists, having a hand in nine of the team's first 14 goals in a 21-8 UAlbany victory over Binghamton.

Game 26 - 4/5/2013 - @ Johns Hopkins
The second (and only other) time Lyle Thompson was held without a point, but the Great Danes earned a big 10-9 victory at Johns Hopkins.  Two weeks later, UAlbany was back in the top-10 for the first time since 2007.

Game 29 - 4/19/2013 - vs. UMBC
Thompson earns his first double digit scoring day with four goals and seven assists, helping with 11 of the team's 16 goals in a six-goal win vs. UMBC.

4/23/2013 - @ Siena
The only UAlbany game that Lyle Thompson did not play in his career.

Game 32 - 5/4/2013 - vs. UMBC (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
Thompson scores nine points off three goals and six assists to lead UAlbany to the America East title, sending the Great Danes to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.

Game 33 - 5/11/2013 - @ Denver
Lyle Thompson makes his first appearance in the NCAA Tournament, scoring four goals and an assist despite UAlbany falling at Denver 19-14.  Thompson finished the season with 113 points, just one shy of the (then) NCAA single season scoring record.

Game 34 - 2/16/2014 - @ Syracuse
With all eyes on the Thompson Trio, Lyle Thompson earned six points in UAlbany's first game of the year as UAlbany nearly took down #1 Syracuse, falling 17-16 in overtime.  Thompson will go on to score at least four points in all UAlbany games in the 2014 season.

Game 37 - 3/8/2014 - @ UMass
Lyle Thompson's four goals and seven assists helps UAlbany crush #9 UMass 25-10.  UMass came into the game allowing just 5.5 goals per game.  Two days later, the Thompson Trio was featured on the front page of the New York Times.

Game 41 - 3/29/2014 - vs. Vermont
Lyle Thompson crosses the 200-point line with a five-goal, two-assist night to lead UAlbany past Vermont 20-9 to open America East play.

Game 47 - 4/26/2014 - vs. Binghamton
Lyle Thompson earns a 10-point day, off six points and four assists, to aid UAlbany to a 21-7 victory over Binghamton to secure UAlbany's second-straight 5-0 America East season.

Game 48 - 5/1/2014 - at Stony Brook (AE Semi)
Lyle Thompson saves UAlbany's season, netting a goal with five seconds left to send the game at Stony Brook into overtime.  There, he assists Doug Eich for the golden goal, sending UAlbany into the America East title game.  Thompson finished with eight points in the 17-16 win.

Game 49 - 5/3/2014 - vs. UMBC (Stony Brook, N.Y., AE Title)
UAlbany repeats as America East champions with a 20-11 victory over UMBC.  Lyle Thompson finished with three goals and five assists.

Game 50 - 5/10/2014 - @ Loyola
Going against fellow Tewaaraton finalist Joe Fletcher, Lyle Thompson racked up three goals and five assists to help UAlbany upset Loyola, the #1 team in the nation, 13-6 in Baltimore.  This game saw Thompson set a new NCAA DI single season scoring record, one he would add to in the next game.  It was UAlbany's first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 2007.

Game 51 - 5/17/2014 - vs. Notre Dame (Hempstead, N.Y.)
Lyle Thompson earns three goals and three assists, but UAlbany's run in the NCAA Tournament ends after a 14-13 overtime defeat to Notre Dame.  This was the final game for the Thompson Trio.  Lyle Thompson finished the season with 128 points while Miles earned 119, currently the #1 and #2 top DI scoring seasons in NCAA history.  Lyle matched the NCAA season assists record with 77, while Miles matched the NCAA season goals record with 82.

Game 55 - 3/14/2015 - @ Stony Brook
Lyle Thompson earns a career-high 12 points and 10 assists, adding two goals, to quarterback UAlbany to a 17-15 victory at Stony Brook.  Thompson got to the 300-point mark in this game and also passed Miles Thompson to be UAlbany's all-time points leader.

Game 56 - 3/17/2015 - @ Canisius
Lyle Thompson follows up his last performance with another 10+ point game, earning three goals and seven assists in a 26-6 UAlbany victory at Canisius.  After later 24-6 victory over Hartford, UAlbany returned to the top-10 in both polls.

Game 58 - 3/25/2015 - @ Harvard
Lyle Thompson earns a career-high nine goals, adding three assists to tie his high of 12 points, leading UAlbany to a 21-18 victory at Harvard for the team's fifth-straight win.

Game 60 – 4/2/2015 - @ Syracuse
In his final regular season game against Syracuse, Lyle Thompson tallied four goals and three assists, but the Great Danes fell to the Orange 17-12.

Game 62 – 4/11/2015 - @ Binghamton
After tallying six assists, Lyle Thompson emerged from behind the cage and rocketed a shot under the crossbar for a goal at Binghamton, earning point #354 to tie the NCAA scoring record.  UAlbany went on to win 15-11, securing the 1-seed in the America East Tournament.  Thompson also passed the 200-assist mark in this game.

Game 63 – 4/14/2015 - @ Bryant
Lyle Thompson breaks the record on a feed for a Connor Fields goal in the second quarter at Bryant.  Including a one-handed insurance goal from Thompson with 34 seconds left, UAlbany earned a 10-8 victory.

Lyle Thompson - Points vs. Opponents

The Lacrosse World on Lyle Thompson (Twitter)
--Paul Carcaterra (ESPN analyst, former All-American midfielder at Syracuse): “Congrats to an ALL-TIME great Lyle Thompson on the record. Plays the game with creativity, spirit, passion, and does the unthinkable.”
--Mark Dixon (ESPN analyst, former Johns Hopkins player): “Maybe only record cooler for new all-time points leader Lyle Thompson is record he holds for spending most time after game with kids.
--Quint Kessenich (ESPN analyst, former All-American goalkeeper at Johns Hopkins): “Congrats Lyle Thompson for eclipsing the NCAA career points record, while representing the sport, & Albany w/humility, grace & class.”
--Rob Pannell (2013 Tewaaraton Trophy winner at Cornell, former scoring record holder): “Congrats to Lyle Thompson on NCAA Division 1 Points record & reaching place where no player has gone before! Best of luck w/ rest of season!”
--Joe Resetarits (Former UAlbany All-American attack): “Congratulations to Lyle Thompson for breaking the NCAA career point record! Pretty darn impressive! Congrats again bud! #danes”