Athlete of the Week: Jakob Katzen
JAKOB KATZEN, senior goalkeeper, Wilmington Friends boys lacrosse
THE WEEK: Made 14 saves in a 7-5 loss to Tower Hill last Tuesday, then stopped 14 more shots in a 12-7 victory over Delaware Military Academy on Saturday.
THE PAIN: “I used to not like getting hit by balls, but it’s become second nature now,” Katzen said. “I like being the vocal point on the team, willing to step in and do whatever it takes.”
THE COACH SAYS: “He’s got amazing reflexes,” Friends coach Jake Rashkind said. “He’s a student of the game; he understands it. So he knows where shots are coming from, and he’s ready for them.”
THE CHEMISTRY: “These guys have rallied around me, and vice versa, I’ve rallied around them,” Katzen said. “I think that team chemistry has been there for the past couple of years.”
THE OPPOSING COACH SAYS: “You’d better be ready for him to start a break,” Archmere coach Peter Duncan said, after Katzen made 12 saves in the Auks’ 13-8 win on April 7. “He’s obviously experienced and skilled enough, and has really above-average speed for a goalie. He can really get things started for them.”
THE FREEDOM: Katzen often charges out of the cage after making a save to get the Quakers’ attack started. “When he has an opening, he’s a special athlete,” Rashkind said. “I don’t want to put those reins on too much, because he can really spark a break, as he’s done many times before. He actually scored a goal in a scrimmage against Malvern Prep.”
THE INTERNATIONAL TRIP: Katzen took a winter service trip to Israel, where he tried out and was named to the 46-man roster for the first Israel U19 men’s national lacrosse team. He expects to find out soon if he will make the final roster for the team that will compete at an international showcase in Philadelphia from May 28-30 and at the FIL World Championships, July 7-16 in Vancouver. “The goal within the next five years or so is to make lacrosse Israel’s national sport,” Katzen said. “Having Jewish-Americans come over to Israel to spread the game, spread awareness, has been really helpful.”
THE CLASSROOM: Scott Clothier is teaching Katzen’s favorite course, Cold War: From Potsdam to Berlin. “It goes chronologically, so you start with the end of World War II working all the way up to the 1980s,” Katzen said. “It’s interesting to see just how the world changes.”
THE FUTURE: Katzen will continue his lacrosse career at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md.
Send Athlete of the Week nominations to bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ