Thomson First Overall, Four Picked in NLL Draft
9/24/2026 9:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four Syracuse University men's lacrosse standouts heard their names called Thursday night in the 2026 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft. Finn Thomson, Joey Spallina and Dante Bowen were selected, along with former Orange long-stick midfielder Kyle Gonsiorek, adding to the program's long list of professional box lacrosse draftees.
Thomson was selected first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks, becoming the sixth Syracuse player to be drafted first round, first pick. Spallina went fifth to the Calgary Roughnecks. Bowen was chosen with the next pick in sixth by the champion Buffalo Bandits, and Gonsiorek was taken 64th overall in the sixth round by his hometown Bandits.
A four-year starter and 2026 team captain, Thomson closed his Orange career with 159 points on 111 goals and 48 assists. The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native started all 19 games at attack last spring and led Syracuse with a career-high 45 goals. He tied for second on the team with 58 points while scoring on 43.3 percent of his shots and leading the Orange with four game-winning goals. Thomson saved his best for the postseason, posting a hat trick in all four postseason games. That run was capped by a four-goal performance against No. 2 Notre Dame in the NCAA Semifinals. He signed with the California Redwoods of the Premier Lacrosse League following the season.
Spallina left Syracuse as the program's all-time leader in both points and assists, finishing his career with 333 points on 143 goals and 190 assists. The Mount Sinai, New Yorker broke Mike Powell's program points record of 307. He later passed Tim Nelson's assists mark of 187. A captain in 2026, Spallina led the Orange with 87 points, tied for the most in Division I, on 35 goals and a team-high 52 assists. He won the Lt. Col. J.I. Turnbull Award as the nation's top attackman and was named a Tewaaraton Award finalist, the first for Syracuse since Kevin Rice in 2015. Spallina also earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors. He became the 14th player in program history to earn All-America honors in all four seasons, collecting first team plaudits from the USILA, USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse last spring. Spallina was taken third overall by the Maryland Whipsnakes in April's PLL College Draft and was named PLL Rookie of the Year.
A graduate transfer from Ohio State, Bowen made an immediate impact in his lone season with the Orange. The Brampton, Ontario, Canada native earned USA Lacrosse honorable mention All-America honors as a short-stick defensive midfielder. He played in all 19 games, causing 14 turnovers to tie for third on the team, while adding 16 ground balls and four assists. Bowen was selected 30th overall by the California Redwoods in the fourth round of the PLL College Draft.
Gonsiorek spent four seasons with the Orange from 2022 to 2025 before finishing his collegiate career as a graduate student at Jacksonville. The Hamburg, New York native made his Syracuse debut against Holy Cross in 2023, and he picked up three ground balls against Manhattan during his senior season in 2025. At Jacksonville, the long-stick midfielder played in nine games, including the NCAA First Round against Notre Dame, and tallied six ground balls and two caused turnovers.
With Thomson going first overall, Syracuse has now produced six No. 1 overall picks in league history, going back to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, the NLL's predecessor. David Desko was the first, taken by the New England Blazers in 1988. Gary Gait followed as the top pick of the Detroit Turbos in 1990. Casey Powell went first overall to the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. Rochester later turned to the Orange for back-to-back No. 1 picks, taking Sid Smith in 2009 and Cody Jamieson in 2010.
Thursday's selections continue a recent run of Orange near the top of the draft. Owen Hiltz went third overall to the Toronto Rock in 2025. A year earlier, Sam English (No. 2, Toronto) and Michael Grace (No. 3, Georgia Swarm) were selected back-to-back in the 2024 draft. The 2023 first round featured two more Orange, Jake Stevens (No. 10, New York Riptide) and Matthew Wright (No. 13, San Diego Seals).
Other Syracuse top-10 picks include Stephen Keogh (No. 2, Rochester, 2011), Brett Bucktooth (No. 3, Buffalo Bandits, 2006), Ryan Powell (No. 2, Buffalo, 2000) and Marshall Abrams (No. 5, Columbus Landsharks, 2000). The list also includes Tyson Bomberry (No. 10, New York Riptide, 2019), Brendan Bomberry (No. 7, Georgia, 2018), Randy Staats (No. 6, Georgia, 2015), Tom Marechek (No. 6, Buffalo, 1992), Paul Gait (No. 6, Detroit, 1990) and Ron Martinello (No. 2, Detroit, 1988).
Thomson was selected first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks, becoming the sixth Syracuse player to be drafted first round, first pick. Spallina went fifth to the Calgary Roughnecks. Bowen was chosen with the next pick in sixth by the champion Buffalo Bandits, and Gonsiorek was taken 64th overall in the sixth round by his hometown Bandits.
A four-year starter and 2026 team captain, Thomson closed his Orange career with 159 points on 111 goals and 48 assists. The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native started all 19 games at attack last spring and led Syracuse with a career-high 45 goals. He tied for second on the team with 58 points while scoring on 43.3 percent of his shots and leading the Orange with four game-winning goals. Thomson saved his best for the postseason, posting a hat trick in all four postseason games. That run was capped by a four-goal performance against No. 2 Notre Dame in the NCAA Semifinals. He signed with the California Redwoods of the Premier Lacrosse League following the season.
Spallina left Syracuse as the program's all-time leader in both points and assists, finishing his career with 333 points on 143 goals and 190 assists. The Mount Sinai, New Yorker broke Mike Powell's program points record of 307. He later passed Tim Nelson's assists mark of 187. A captain in 2026, Spallina led the Orange with 87 points, tied for the most in Division I, on 35 goals and a team-high 52 assists. He won the Lt. Col. J.I. Turnbull Award as the nation's top attackman and was named a Tewaaraton Award finalist, the first for Syracuse since Kevin Rice in 2015. Spallina also earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors. He became the 14th player in program history to earn All-America honors in all four seasons, collecting first team plaudits from the USILA, USA Lacrosse and Inside Lacrosse last spring. Spallina was taken third overall by the Maryland Whipsnakes in April's PLL College Draft and was named PLL Rookie of the Year.
A graduate transfer from Ohio State, Bowen made an immediate impact in his lone season with the Orange. The Brampton, Ontario, Canada native earned USA Lacrosse honorable mention All-America honors as a short-stick defensive midfielder. He played in all 19 games, causing 14 turnovers to tie for third on the team, while adding 16 ground balls and four assists. Bowen was selected 30th overall by the California Redwoods in the fourth round of the PLL College Draft.
Gonsiorek spent four seasons with the Orange from 2022 to 2025 before finishing his collegiate career as a graduate student at Jacksonville. The Hamburg, New York native made his Syracuse debut against Holy Cross in 2023, and he picked up three ground balls against Manhattan during his senior season in 2025. At Jacksonville, the long-stick midfielder played in nine games, including the NCAA First Round against Notre Dame, and tallied six ground balls and two caused turnovers.
With Thomson going first overall, Syracuse has now produced six No. 1 overall picks in league history, going back to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, the NLL's predecessor. David Desko was the first, taken by the New England Blazers in 1988. Gary Gait followed as the top pick of the Detroit Turbos in 1990. Casey Powell went first overall to the Rochester Knighthawks in 1998. Rochester later turned to the Orange for back-to-back No. 1 picks, taking Sid Smith in 2009 and Cody Jamieson in 2010.
Thursday's selections continue a recent run of Orange near the top of the draft. Owen Hiltz went third overall to the Toronto Rock in 2025. A year earlier, Sam English (No. 2, Toronto) and Michael Grace (No. 3, Georgia Swarm) were selected back-to-back in the 2024 draft. The 2023 first round featured two more Orange, Jake Stevens (No. 10, New York Riptide) and Matthew Wright (No. 13, San Diego Seals).
Other Syracuse top-10 picks include Stephen Keogh (No. 2, Rochester, 2011), Brett Bucktooth (No. 3, Buffalo Bandits, 2006), Ryan Powell (No. 2, Buffalo, 2000) and Marshall Abrams (No. 5, Columbus Landsharks, 2000). The list also includes Tyson Bomberry (No. 10, New York Riptide, 2019), Brendan Bomberry (No. 7, Georgia, 2018), Randy Staats (No. 6, Georgia, 2015), Tom Marechek (No. 6, Buffalo, 1992), Paul Gait (No. 6, Detroit, 1990) and Ron Martinello (No. 2, Detroit, 1988).
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