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If you hear a description of Griffin Thompson’s skills as a lacrosse player, you might think he’s a midfielder.

After all, the sophomore at the Lawrenceville School (N.J.) has tremendous athletic ability and strong hands, which allow him to explode toward the ball.

But Thompson is not a midfielder. He’s a goalie.

A goalie who this week decided on his college future, giving a verbal to the University of Virginia, a commitment reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider special coverage section.

Thompson also has plenty of abilities necessary to excel in between the pipes.

“I am a pretty strong communicator out on the field, which helps to orient my defenseman and midfielders,” he said. “I would describe my play as calm and composed in the goal but still athletic and decisive.”

Thompson’s verbal gives UVa its first Class of 2016 commitment from the nation’s No. 1 hotbed for lacrosse, the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut tristate region.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Griffin on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
I chose UVa for many reasons.  The academics and athletics at UVa are both at the most competitive level in the country, which is something that I looked for in the recruiting process.

Another great aspect of Virginia is the coaching staff. They did a great job recruiting me and making me feel welcome at Virginia. Overall, it was an incredible process for me.

What were the main factors in your decision?
I was considering Princeton, Harvard, Penn State and Fairfield.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
I was first introduced to lacrosse in the second grade and picked up goalie in the third grade.

My parents were the ones who introduced me to the sport. They had both played lacrosse in high school. My first goalie coach was Chris Sanderson, who coincidentally played lacrosse at UVa. Since then, my passion has been playing lacrosse, and I will always remember where my lacrosse career started.

What areas of your game do you still need to work on?
I think that I need to work on building strength and agility.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play for Tri-State Lacrosse during the summer.

This past summer, I played in the Under Armour Uncommitted Games, King of the Hill, Evo Games, Under Armour Showcase, Champ Camp, UNC Team Camp, Prep School Summer Showcase and Tri-State National.

Any final thoughts?
I want to thank the coaches at Lawrenceville and the whole Tri-State lacrosse family.