During spring break of freshman year, senior Christian Hofer ran down the field, with 10 seconds left in overtime. Sophomore Landon Spangenburg inbounded the ball from behind the net. As Hofer approached the net, Spangenburdg fed him on crease, and Hofer scored the game-winning goal of the game against Buchholz in Gainesville.
Hofer has been playing lacrosse since he was in fifth grade, playing for local teams such as the Oviedo Pride, Jokers and the Club of Oviedo. He was influenced to start playing by his father, Ken Hofer, current Hagerty head coach, and his older sister, Kaley Hofer, who played for Hagerty as well.
The transition from eighth grade to high school was difficult for him. The skills of the players as well as the level of competition was a big change from the youth teams he had previously played on. He still strives to be the best player he could be.
“I worked extremely hard in the off season to get a better IQ, get faster, and shoot harder,” Hofer said.

Hofer was able to make varsity his freshman year and ended up scoring 36 goals that season, one of the highest on the team. He has continued to stand out on the team and is currently committed to play at Embry Riddle, where he plans to major in mechanical engineering. He is looking forward to playing at a higher level and is excited to play with others who are on the same level as him.
“The pace is going to be much faster and the athleticism [much higher],” Hofer said. “I’m ready to compete at the next level.”
Hofer’s drive and determination set him apart from other players on his team and help him be the best player he can be for himself and his teammates. He is working with the team’s strength and conditioning coach to improve his reaction time for the higher level of competition in college. He continues to work and improve his skills, as well as compete for the best position he can achieve on the team.
“Ever since I started playing lacrosse I’ve watched clips of college or professional lacrosse players and try to emulate what they do,” Hofer said. He has watched videos of many Division 1 players and tries to replicate their skills such as dodging and shooting.
One of the most difficult things about lacrosse, according to Hofer, is keeping track of everything that is going on and being able to react quickly and accordingly. Lacrosse requires a high IQ and a fast reaction time.
“Lacrosse is fast-paced and it’s sometimes difficult to see the field and spread the ball around,” Hofer said.
Hofer is currently in his last season of lacrosse and has scored 29 goals so far. He is looking forward to district games and a successful season, he hopes he continues to improve his skills before going to play at Embry Riddle.