By Russ Atkinson
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/11/10
Malvern Prep rising senior attackman TJ Hanzsche has verbally committed to play Division I lacrosse at the United States Naval Academy.
Hanzsche earned 2010 Honorable Mention All-Inter-Ac honors and helped the Friars (13-8)
and share the Inter-Ac League championship with Haverford School. He plays club lacrosse for Team HEADstrong.
Hanzsche chose the Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, for its historic academic reputation, top-rated sports programs and his desire to serve his country as a naval officer upon graduation.
“I chose the Naval Academy because I felt like it was the best fit for me and my future,” Hanzsche said. “Coach Meade and his staff were very supportive throughout the process. I also liked the strong sense of commitment and camaraderie among everyone that I met on the team when I visited last summer and again in the fall.”
Hanzsche has been on the honor roll at Malvern each year and is a member of the National Honor Society. He chose Navy over Villanova, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Bryant and Army.
After sharing the title in 2010 (Malvern also shared the title with Haverford in 2009 and won it outright in 2008), Hanzsche feels there is a great opportunity for Malvern to compete again for the Inter-Ac championship next year.
“We dropped a couple of games this year that we wish we had back,” he said. “Next season we will have a strong nucleus of returning players from this year’s team. We are playing together in a tournament later this month, and it will be the unofficial beginning of our 2011 season. I’m sure that Coach (Dan) Keating will have us ready for another tough schedule.”
Hanzsche is one of seven Malvern Prep players to sign or commit to Division I colleges. The others are 2010 high school All-American goalie Andrew O’Connell and midfielder Ryan Creighton (North Carolina), 2009 and 2010 high school All-American midfielder Bobby Hill (Virginia), All-State defenseman Henry Lobb (Duke), midfielder Mark Jackson (Villanova), defenseman Jack Moran (St. Joseph’s) and junior face-off specialist Drew Kennedy (Johns Hopkins).
Hanzsche wished to thank coach Dan Keating, his assistant and brother, Mike Keating, and former MP coach John McEvoy for his development and for their help through the recruiting process.
