Waterdogs’ Thomas McConvey enjoying surprise resurgence in Year 3

2024 wasn’t the year midfielder Thomas McConvey hoped it would be — not individually and certainly not for the Philadelphia Waterdogs.

“Last year wasn’t the way any of us wanted to go,” McConvey said.

Coming off a stellar college career at Vermont and a fifth year at Virginia in which he was named the 2023 Midfielder of the Year, McConvey entered the Premier Lacrosse League with high expectations.

Drafted eighth overall by the Waterdogs, his size and intelligence were expected to make him a prime asset for any club to have. But early-career injuries and roster decisions hindered his productivity in his first two seasons.

McConvey appeared in just four games as a rookie, totaling four goals and two assists. Last season, he saw even less action. He recorded three shots in two appearances and was dropped from the lineup by first-year head coach Bill Tierney.

“I made a mistake last year,” Tierney said. “He was banged up early. I didn’t give him the chance he should have gotten.”

After being benched by the worst team in the PLL, McConvey had two choices: pursue a fresh start somewhere else or prove the Waterdogs were wrong about him.

“Toward the end of the year, he could have walked away as a free agent,” Tierney said. “He said, ‘Coach, I want to be a Waterdog.’”

McConvey and Tierney sat down at the end of last season to talk about the potential Philly’s offense had. Excited, McConvey signed a one-year prove-it deal, and it’s already paying off.

Three games in, McConvey is tied with Dylan Molloy, TJ Malone and teammate Kieran McArdle for the league lead with eight total goals. That’s twice as many as he scored in his first two PLL seasons combined.

In an offense that relies on unselfish and off-ball play, his 6-foot-4 size and field IQ give him a matchup advantage running out of the box.

“We came in this year with a different mindset, and I’m just going out there and playing my role,” McConvey said. “We’ve got a lot of unreal players out there on offense. So, just find space, play off the ball and do what I can to get open.”

McConvey’s presence in the offense is quiet but highly effective — timely cuts, smart spacing and efficient finishing.

“T-Mac is the rare blend that he can run by his guy, but he’s so savvy off the ball,” Waterdogs star attackman Michael Sowers said. “You look across our lineup, we’ve got a lot of pieces.”

In a system loaded with talent, the ability to excel without dominating the ball is what separates players like McConvey and rookie Jake Taylor.

“I’ve said this about Jake, but I think the off-ball skill set in this league comes at such a premium,” Sowers added. “To have somebody that doesn’t need the ball in his stick, that’s able to produce, that’s huge.”

The Waterdogs boast the PLL’s second-highest-scoring offense so far this season, and a big reason for that is McConvey, who adds another layer to an already stacked crew. Their improvement from a middle-of-the-pack attack might not have been possible without his unexpected impact.