ND sophomore forward Mark Van Guilder's first-person story

[Sonny]

Former laxer from MN, now playing hockey at Notre Dame...

THIS IS MY STORY - Lacrosse and Football have Molded Van Guilder into the Hockey Player He is Today

Notre Dame sophomore forward Mark Van Guilder has been a multi-sport star throughout his life. A two-time All-Conference selection in high school hockey, Van Guilder was the team MVP and a finalist for Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Award in 2001-02. He also received All-Conference and All-State selections in both football and lacrosse while leading Roseville High School to two Minnesota state lacrosse titles. His success in all three sports made it tough for him to pick just one as he chose a college to attend. Find out what made him choose hockey in his own words "The Love of Competition."

LINK to full column:
http://ccha.collegesports.com/sports/m- ... 05aaa.html

[LaxRef]

I suppose it's midwest bias that I thought the story was going to be about a kid from North Dakota!

Playing attack is every offensive player's dream. You don't have to play ANY defense. You can just wait at one end until the ball comes to the offensive end of the field.

So, I'm guessing that Roseville ride was not particularly impressive.

People ask me if I've ever thought about playing lacrosse at Notre Dame and I would have to say that I have thought about it. The only thing is that I dedicate so much of my time towards hockey now and to play another sport would make me feel like I was cheating my teammates by not devoting all my time to them and what we are trying to do. It also wouldn't be fair to the lacrosse team if I showed up at the end of our season if I couldn't devote all my time to them.

I don't know how this guy plays, but you have to wonder if he could be good enough to play DI lacrosse. He sounds like a phenomenal athlete, but the level of lacrosse when he played in Minnesota was not such that anyone was getting a scholarship offer. I guess maybe on athleticism he could walk on and make the team, but I'm not sure he'd play much.

[laxfan25]

I would have to say, having seen the level of player that is now being drawn to ND, I would agree that it would be very unusual for a MN kid to be able to hang with the varsity lacrosse team.
Hockey? Minnesota?? No problem!!

[dulax19]

guilder is one of my best friends, i played lacrosse with him since 8th grade, and hockey with him since i was about 9, he is one of the most athletic humanbeings i have ever met, he wouldnt play very much at Notre Dame but he could walk on, just on raw athleticism. I know he had talked to the lacrosse coach his first year about just practicing even with the team but his hockey coach wasn't having it. He played a couple of years of Junior A hockey in the USHL with Tri City after high school, so i think hes lost a little bit lacrosse wise, but still looked pretty d*mn good at our alumni game last year.

-lax ref- we didnt really ever ride those years, just didnt seem to come up a whole lot haha