By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/1/10
Lower Merion rising senior goaltender Hank Altschuler has made a verbal commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Hofstra University.
Altschuler was a second team Central League selection in 2010 when he led the Aces
to a 14-10 record and a berth in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) tournament.
Altschuler said Hofstra came into the picture just this summer, when he feels he played his best lacrosse.
Altschuler, who played in the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association Showcase in June, impressed Hofstra coach Seth Tierney with Team Philly at the King of the Hill tourney at Swarthmore. He then stood out at a game at the Tri-States tournament last month before excelling for the Duke’s Lacrosse Club in its push for a fifth straight Champ Camp title last weekend.
“I talked to him (Tierney) after he saw me play for Team Philly and then he saw me play at Tri-States against the Long Island Empire,” said Altschuler. “This is probably the best I have played.”
Altschuler plans to enter the business field at Hofstra.
“I really like the school and the coaches are really nice, they have great facilities and it seems like a good fit academically and athletically,” he said.
Altschuler, who also played club lacrosse for Mesa Fresh 2010, wished to thank many of his coaches for his development. They include Lower Merion head coach Chet Laubach, Duke’s coaches Ebe Helm, Jason Christmas and Chris Fallon, Mesa coaches Rob Lord and Carter Trudel and Penn coach Mike Murphy. Lastly, he thanked his father, Dan, a former goalie himself who introduced his son to playing goalie in second grade and has coached him for many years since.
Altschuler noted that the high school season started slow (0-5) for Lower Merion, but ended strong as the Aces placed fifth in District 1.
“We started off weak, but the whole team pulled together and we finished off strong,” he said. “We had the tough loss to Emmaus (12-11 in first round of PIAA tourney), but we had great coaches and it was a great year.”
