Men’s Lacrosse: Former SWR standout Chris Gray sets NCAA career points record

There’s no gray area here. It’s as distinctive as black and white. Chris Gray stands alone when it comes to point producers in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history.

In his final regular-season game for North Carolina on Sunday, Gray broke the NCAA Division I career points record. The graduate student’s six points in a 19-11 loss to rival No. 9 Duke in Durham, N.C., left the attackman with 401 to become the all-time career points leader. He passed Lyle Thompson, who had 400 points for Albany from 2012-15.

“I mean, it’s obviously a great feeling, but it was never a goal of mine coming into this season,” Gray, a Shoreham-Wading River High School graduate, told goheels.com. “I would trade all of the points away for a trip to the postseason. It’s really a product of all the guys around me throughout my college career. I have had the pleasure of playing with some great players, and under some great coaches, so it’s all a credit to them.”

Gray scored three goals for his 10th hat trick of the season and dished out three assists. In doing so, he extended his point-scoring streak to 54 games. Another former SWR player, freshman Johnny Schwarz, scored his first career goal for North Carolina (8-6, 1-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).

“Gray is an amazing young man and a phenomenal person,” North Carolina coach Joe Breschi was quoted as saying by goheels.com. “He has done everything we have asked him to do and more.”

Gray leads North Carolina in goals (48), assists (32) and points (80) this season. He has also picked up 27 ground balls.

Gray is among 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, which goes to the top lacrosse player in the nation. The finalists will be named later this month. USA Lacrosse Magazine had named him the Division I preseason player of the year.

Gray began his college career at Boston University and entered the NCAA Transfer Portal following his sophomore year before ending up at North Carolina.

“It means everything to me that I was able to play at UNC,” Gray said. “The hardest part will be taking the jersey off and never putting it back on.”

At SWR, Gray starred for both the lacrosse and football teams.