The National Lacrosse League announced today that Rochester Knighthawks forward Thomas McConvey has been named to the NLL All-Rookie Team for the 2023-24 season.
“Thomas was great for us this year,” said Knighthawks general manager Dan Carey. “He is a selfless player who did a lot of the dirty work for his teammates and became more and more comfortable each game. His ability to come up with big goals and big loose balls showed his maturity. The sky is the limit with Thomas, and we are lucky to have him.”
Count 'em up… 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
Thomas McConvey scores his 6️⃣th of the game and that's our rookie's FIRST @NLL sock trick! 👏🧦 pic.twitter.com/cHkDsm6qm5
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) March 3, 2024
Selected first overall by the Knighthawks in the 2022 NLL Entry Draft, McConvey enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24 as one of the league’s top scoring rookies. The forward appeared in all but one game for Rochester this past season, ranking third amongst all first-year players in goals (28), points (52) and shots (156) while finishing fourth in assists (24). He also set the single-season franchise record with 91 loose ball recoveries, the most by a Knighthawks rookie, and had the fourth-most power-play points (12) by an NLL rookie.
After being held scoreless in his pro debut, McConvey discovered his scoring touch by Week 2, recording three hat tricks over his next seven games and averaging at least five points over four straight while cementing himself as one of the NLL’s most dynamic first-year players.
WATCH: McCONVEY 2023-24 HIGHLIGHT REEL
His best performance of the season came back on March 3 in 19-15 win at Panther City, setting a then franchise record with a career-high six goals as part of a seven-point effort.
Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound McConvey attended the University of Virginia as a fifth-year graduate student where he was the recipient of the Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award as the nation’s top midfielder. He was one of three Virginia players to be named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) First Team All-American in 2023 and was also an Inside Lacrosse First Team All-American as well as a USA Lacrosse Magazine Second Team All-American selection.
.@RocKnighthawks rookie forward Thomas McConvey was named the @NLL's Rookie of the Week for Week 14.
McConvey scored a franchise-record six goals and added an assist for seven points in the 19-15 win over Panther City this past Sunday. https://t.co/riXgWFN0wn
— Knighthawks PR (@KnighthawksPR) March 6, 2024
McConvey was the seventh player in program history to garner the honor and second under the tutelage of head coach Lars Tiffany. Former Virginia long-stick midfielder and Rochester native Jared Conners, who made his professional debut with the Knighthawks during the 2021-22 season, was the previous recipient of the award in 2019.
McConvey, who carried a 52-game point streak into his graduate season at Virginia, the longest in the nation, started all 17 games for the Cavaliers, scoring 28 goals and adding 24 assists for 52 points. Named an All-ACC selection, McConvey notched season-highs in goals (4) and points (5) against No. 3 Maryland on March 18.
Prior to joining Virginia, McConvey played four years at the University of Vermont, where he was a three-time USILA and Inside Lacrosse All-American.
One of the most decorated players in program history, the Toronto, Ontario, native compiled one of the most dominant offensive performances as a senior in 2022, setting a program-record with 60 goals, becoming the first player in school history to score more than 50 in a season. He also added 14 assists for a career-high 74 points while starting in all 19 games for the Catamounts, earning him America East Offensive Player of the Year and ECAC Offensive Player of the Year honors. McConvey is just the second player in Vermont history to be tabbed the top player by America East.
There's nothing we love more than Thomas McConvey goals.
Except maybe Thomas McConvey goals like THIS ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/NT0TlzIR2x
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) March 31, 2024
He scored 12 goals in the America East championship on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Player during Vermont’s run to its second straight conference championship.
In 52 career games with Vermont, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound midfielder totaled 174 points (127+47), finishing seventh all-time in scoring in program history. He recorded at least one point in every game over his four-year career, including a hat trick in eight straight games during his final season.
Thomas McConvey is HIM 👏 pic.twitter.com/QG4M0SarJZ
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) February 25, 2024
A two-time America East All-Conference First Team selection (2021-22) and a two-time All-New England First Team selection (2021-22), McConvey was also named to the America East All-Rookie Team following a productive 32-point campaign as a freshman in 2019.
Before attending Vermont, McConvey helped St. Michael’s College School to four straight Ontario provincial championships. A two-year team captain, he amassed 207 points over his final two seasons and was named team MVP as a senior in 2018.
Thomas McConvey fights his way inside and scores on the doorstep 💪
Rochester extends the lead on Native American Heritage Knight! Watch the @RocKnighthawks and the @AlbFireWolves LIVE on ESPN+ (https://t.co/4vc00tZhnD) and TSN+ pic.twitter.com/zG8fAqouMX
— NLL (@NLL) March 10, 2024
He also played three seasons of Junior ‘A’ ball with the Mimico Mountaineers from 2017 to 2019, during which he totaled 188 points (82+106) in 60 games. In 2019, he led the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League in goals (48) and points (105) in only 20 games.
Internationally, he captained Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s U-21 Championship in Limerick, Ireland.
