It was a full day at Orange High School with five lacrosse players signing with colleges from Hickory to Pennsylvania. Senior midfielder Connor Kruse and defenseman Sascha Van Praag formally signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory. Kruse, the son of Travis and Lauren Kruse, is the all-time leading scorer in Orange history. In his sophomore year, Kruse broke the single-season school record with 70 goals. Last season, Kruse broke another school record with 81 assists. He broke the career record with 330 points. He also amassed the single-season record with 150 points. Van Praag, the son of Bart and Berger Van Praag, has been a valuable defenseman alongside goalkeeper Katie Wollter and fellow defenders Alden Cathey, Nick Cardone and Josiah Tisdale, among others. In his sophomore season, Van Praag created 20 turnovers and had 59 ground balls. During an abbreviated junior season, Van Praag had 20 ground balls over nine games. He also created nine turnovers. Kruse and Van Praag will join a Lenoir-Rhyne team that is led by head coach Greg Paradine, who was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division II National Coach of the Year this week for the third time. Paradine is the only coach in Lenoir-Rhyne’s history. He guided the Bears to the Division II National Championship last spring.
Orange lacrosse’s Connor Kruse & Sascha Van Praag discuss signing with Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse
It was a full day at Orange High School with five lacrosse players signing with colleges from Hickory to Pennsylvania. Senior midfielder Connor Kruse and defenseman Sascha Van Praag formerly signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory. Kruse, the son of Travis and Lauren Kruse, is the all-time leading scorer in Orange history.