Freshman Cole Krugman finished his first season of Midtown lacrosse with 51 takeaways and is moving to a nationally recognized lacrosse program, the Taft School in Connecticut, to further pursue his passion.
Krugman first started playing lacrosse at 11 after being introduced to it by his friends, and his love for the sport has grown ever since.
“I got into lacrosse by my friends introducing me to it and my dad, who also played lacrosse in high school,” Krugman said. “I stuck with lacrosse because it was so exciting and it is a very fast-paced game, so I was immediately hooked. I have been playing for around four years now, and every minute of it has been fun.”
Krugman said the high school lacrosse season was an environment he had to grow and adapt to.
“My role as a freshman is doing my best to adapt to the new environment that high school lacrosse has given me,” Krugman said. “It is very different from middle school lacrosse because of the higher skill level and strength required.”
Senior captain Nathan Brawner believes that Krugman adapted quickly to the team.
“For someone like Cole, the expectation was that he would contribute immediately,” Brawner said. “He’s responded super well. He always gives it 110% in practice, and he’s been an integral part of our defense this year.”
Krugman believes that this season has helped him further develop his skills and motivated him to improve.
“I like the school season a lot because it’s competitive,” Krugman said. “Playing with older guys pushes me to get better, and I really enjoy all of the good competition. It’s been a good experience so far.”
Sophomore Meekael Smith believes that Krugman has improved and positively contributed to the team’s success.
“[Krugman’s] been great all year,” Smith said. “His footwork has gotten cleaner, he’s more confident taking matchups and he’s starting to use his length way better. You can tell he’s getting more comfortable reading offenses, and he’s been one of the most consistent guys on the field.”
Brawner said Krugman has contributed to a positive team chemistry.
“He’s definitely elevated the team dynamic,” Brawner said. “The energy he brings to practice and games is infectious, and I think he motivated everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.”
Krugman said being recognized so young has motivated him to improve his performance.
“Being recognized early has made me feel a little pressure because I feel like my expectations to do well are very high,” Krugman said. “It also tends to motivate me because I always strive to meet my expectations.”
Krugman believes that transferring to the Taft School will give him the best opportunity to succeed in his future lacrosse career.
“The thing that made me want to transfer to Connecticut was all of the opportunity that is there,” Krugman said. “All of the best lacrosse is up North, and I want to give myself the best chance to be as good as possible.”
Brawner believes that Krugman is prepared and will be very successful in the program.
“I think the Taft school will really push him to become the best player he can,” Brawner said. “They have an amazing program up there, which I expect him to take full advantage of, and when he does, I think he’ll definitely get some looks at the Division I level.”
Smith said losing Krugman next season would heavily impact the team.
“Losing [Krugman] is going to hit the defense right away,” Smith said. “He’s already one of our most reliable poles, and his size alone changes matchups. Losing him is definitely going to be a huge loss for us.”
Krugman hopes to continue playing lacrosse long-term, even going as far as to play in college.
“My goals for the future are eventually going to play Division I lacrosse at UNC, or just play lacrosse at the college level,” Krugman said.
Brawner believes that Krugman is prepared to play college lacrosse and will succeed.
“[Krugman’s] got everything it takes as both a player and a leader,” Brawner said. “I think he’s going to be very successful in the future, and he has a bright future ahead of him.”
