(Rochester, NY)… Rochester Knighthawks President and General Manager Dan Carey announced today that the team has signed all five members of their 2026 draft class to three-year contracts, pending league approval.
On Sept. 24, the Knighthawks selected forward Finn Thomson, goaltender Saka Thompson, and defenders Matthew Vilas, Frank Coyle, and Owen Tovell.
Thomson joins the Knighthawks after an illustrious Junior “A” and collegiate career. The 6-foot-2 forward played five summers (2019-2024) of Junior “A” lacrosse for the Mimico Mountaineers, where he played alongside Rochester forward Thomas McConvey for two seasons.
As a Mountaineer, Thomson amassed 511 points (206+305) between the regular season and playoffs, making him Mimico’s all-time leading scorer. That total ranks in the Top 100 all-time in Ontario Junior Lacrosse League (OJLL) scoring. He finished his career just ahead of NLL Hall of Famers like Darris Kilgour and Jim Veltman. He also took home some hardware during his junior days. In 2022 and 2023, he led the OJLL in scoring and received the Bobby Allan Award. In 2024, he was awarded the Billy Evans Award as the Most Outstanding Graduating Junior “A” Player.
In 2025, the Toronto, Ontario, native was the No. 1 overall pick in the Major Series Lacrosse Draft, going to the Brampton Excelsiors. He was named MSL Rookie of the Year after scoring 18 goals and recording 22 assists in nine games.
Thomson also excels in the field game as an off-ball specialist. At Syracuse, he notched 111 goals, 48 assists, and 73 groundballs in 65 games. He served as one of the team captains his senior season (2026).
The Knighthawks’ next first-round pick signs in Rochester after being the first goalie selected in this year’s entry draft. Along with playing four years at SUNY Potsdam and racking up multiple school records and accolades, Thompson spent his summers in the box, winning a Founders Cup in 2023 (Junior “B” Championship). He also played parts of that summer in Junior “A” with the Six Nations Arrows. In the next two years with the Arrows, he 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 summer of 2025, following his final season of Juniors, Thompson was picked up by the Six Nations Chiefs and won his first Senior “A” title. In 2026, he 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.
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.
Vilas was the Knighthawks ‘ third-round selection out of Oakville and Hofstra. With the Hofstra Pride, he recorded two goals and one assist for three points, while collecting 62 groundballs and 16 caused turnovers in 42 games. 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, 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.
Coyle was selected only two picks later, signing out of Peterborough, Ontario. He declared early for the 2026 NLL Entry Draft after playing 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.
Tovell was Rochester’s final selection of the night. 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.