|
|
|
Can a Minnesota lacrosse player play in college? AVís Achenbach has chance to play at the next level Posted 8/31/01 by Todd Abeln Being from Minnesota, Colin Achenbach didnít think he would have the chance to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. But after two strong seasons on the RAVE (Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eastview-Eagan) lacrosse team and two trips out east he may just get that chance. Achenbach, from Apple Valley, is entering his senior season as one of the best lacrosse players in Minnesota and may have the chance to go east and play the game in college. This summer he as gone to two recruiting camps on the east coast. The first camp was the Elite Lacrosse Camp in Philadelphia and the Blue Chip 205 camp in Connecticut. At both camps, Achenbach showed off his skills and made the All-Star teams at both camps. At the Blue Chip camp, he scored a hat trick in the All-Star game. ěI played good,î Achenbach said. ěThatís the best thing I did to improve myself as a player and just to get exposure.î The camps were good for Achenbach to get his name out to the game out east and get a chance to go to college and play lacrosse. ěBy going out there it shows them that there players in Minnesota,î he said. ěBeing from Minnesota there not going to come all the way out here to look for players.î Ever since returning from those camps, Achenbach has been getting contacted by lacrosse schools from the east coast. ěIíve been contacted by a couple schools,î he said. ěI could probably play at division I but the coaches have such a big job at recruiting that they donít want to take a risk on a Minnesota kid when they can take a kid that they know.î So Achenbach may play division II lacrosse but his coach thinks he can play at the division I level. ěColin is a legitimate college player. I think heís capable of playing division I,î RAVE head coach Kevin OíRourke said. ěHe has skills that are really good. He can pass and catch the ball with both hands and he has good vision on the field.î Being from Minnesota, Achenbach got a late start in the game of lacrosse. His game at an early age, like a lot Minnesota kids, was hockey. He is the goalie for Apple Valleyís varsity hockey program. But in the eighth grade he decided to try lacrosse and has playing ever since. ěHeís become addicted to it,î OíRourke said. ěAnytime I would see him he would have a stick in his hands.î And in just four years of playing, Achenbach has lead the RAVE to back-to-back second place finishes in the state. Playing the attack position (much like guardís in basketball), Achenbach has scored over 50 points the two RAVE season. In his junior season, he led the team with 55 points (37 goals and 18 assists). When asked about his position Achenbach said, ěmaking plays.î Being the goalie for the hockey team, you would think that he would play goalie for the lacrosse team. But he got instructions from his father that he couldnít do that. ěWhen we first started my dad, the only thing he said, was you canít play goalie. He wanted me to try something out,î Achenbach said. So he learned the attack position and fell in love with the game of lacrosse. ěItís high action. The pressure isnít always on me like in goalie. If you make a mistake you can still make it up,î Achenbach said. But he enjoys both games for different reasons. ěI like them both a lot. In hockey, I get the puck shot at me and lacrosse I get to shoot them at the goalie. Itís kind of cool to play both sports,î Achenbach said. To improve his game and his chances of playing at the next level, Achenbach has put up a net in his backyard and takes 100 shots with both his left and right hands every day.
©Thisweek Newspapers |
