Garden City, N.Y. – Adelphi University men's lacrosse midfielder Kyle Lewis was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) College Draft, by the Philadelphia Waterdogs with the 29th overall selection Tuesday evening.

Described as a player with "firecracker feet", the defending national Midfielder of the Year, two-time NCAA Champion and All-American is the first Panther ever to be drafted to a team in the PLL, which was co-founded in 2018 by the sport's most high-profile player and personality, Paul Rabil.

Lewis was the only Division II student-athlete selected and just one of two non-Division I players, joining Jack Regnery from Tufts University (DIII).

Through 70 games in his Adelphi career, the Franklin Square, N.Y. native has scored over 100 times, including the overtime gamewinner in the 2025 title game. As the PLL draft was airing on ESPNU on Tuesday, Lewis was busy scoring four goals in the squads' crucial top-10 matchup against no. 9 Pace University.

Returning to the site of the program's eighth national championship, Lewis will play for Bill Tierney, who coached at the University of Denver and Princeton before joining the PLL coaching ranks. Tierney is also a Long Island native.

He joins a list of Adelphi greats to make it to the next level of professional lacrosse, including teammate Dylan Renner, who was picked up by the Utah Archers following the 2025 National Championship. He is also the first Division II player to be drafted to the PLL since 2021. Current Adelphi assistant coach Greg Puskuldjian ('14) was the 13th pick in the 2020 PLL Player Entry Draft after coming over from Major League Lacrosse when the league's merged.

There was a time that the Long Islander sought other options, entering the transfer portal last summer to weigh out the possibility of transferring to a Division I institution.

After choosing to remain in Garden City, he was named both the USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason Player of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, and was the only Division II player to be on the first installment of the prestigious Tewaaraton Watch List at the start of 2026.

"If I had to describe Kyle, I'd say he's elite on the field and unmatched in character," said Head Coach Gordon Purdie (Adelphi '88). "The PLL isn't just getting one of the greatest athletes I've ever coaches, they are getting one of the most sincere men I've ever known."

The men's lacrosse team is riding a 22-game win streak that dates back to the 2025 season, including a 13-0 stretch this year. The team concludes the regular season on Saturday, April 18 and will earn the Regular Season crown for the third time in the last five seasons.

For additional information, or to be connected with Kyle Lewis, please email Emily Dorko, Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at edorko@adelphi.edu.