After recently completing a stellar junior-year campaign for the Caesar Rodney High School lacrosse team, Erik Hoffstadt is preparing to keep his momentum going in one of the nation’s top tournaments.
Hoffstadt, for the second straight year, was selected to the Mid-Atlantic Region team for the 2009 Adidas National Lacrosse Classic, which will be held July 7 to 9 in Germantown, Md.
The tournament brings together 20 regional teams made up of the top 500 high school underclassmen lax players in the country to compete for the 2009 USA Championship.
The Riders’ top player said he enjoys the opportunity to play against such tough competition, as it only serves to make him a better player.
“It was really competitive last year,” Hoffstadt said. “The overall level of skill and athleticism was really high. You have to raise your level of play or you’ll get eaten alive.”
He added that by playing in this tournament, as well as for the Baltimore Elite Lacrosse Club in the summer, it helps him improve his performance when playing for CR.
Drew Hughes, head coach of the CR varsity squad, said when Hoffstadt returned to the team this season after his club and tournament season in the summer, there was a noticeable difference in his play.
Hoffstadt’s confidence level climbed, which Hughes also attributed to the raised level of competition outside Delaware.
“He was much more aggressive this year as opposed to last season,” he said. “He plays very high level club ball and that let him know he can play at an elite level. He came into this past season knowing that.”
In last year’s tournament, Hoffstadt’s team made it to the semi-finals where it was eliminated. He said even though he hasn’t seen the other regional teams, he feels good about the Mid-Atlantic’s chances.
“We’re going to be really competitive,” he said. “There are a lot of kids on the team that are already committed to go D-I.”
Hoffstadt is not exactly sure where he’ll fit into this year’s team, but based on his development over the past year he expects his role to change from that of 2008.
Being able to play several different parts on the lacrosse field, he said, is something he prides himself on to become a more complete player.
“Last year I was kind of a shooter, and I’d chip in a goal or two every game. So I didn’t carry the ball that much,” Hoffstadt said. “This year I think I’ll be one of the main dodgers.
