Shot-Stopping Prowess Earns National Exposure for HP Goalie

Abel hopes to provide steady presence in net as improved Scots seek return to state

The same reason that many players hate goaltending is why Ben Abel loves it.

The Highland Park senior thrives on the pressure of trying to defend a close-range shot at about 90 mph from an elite attack with the game on the line.

“As a goalie, if you play a perfect game, you’ll never lose,” Abel said. “Being that last line of defense, you have the ability to control the outcome of the game.”

Abel is in his third season guarding the net for the Scots, who are aiming to return to the Texas High School Lacrosse League state tournament in May after missing out a year ago.

“Everyone is all-in this year,” Abel said. “Our big goal is to win the state championship. Especially after last year, it’s more urgent.”

He’s played other sports, but lacrosse has been the one constant for Abel since elementary school. And goalie quickly became his position of choice as he rose through the ranks of the HP youth program.

“It’s a position that a lot of kids don’t like to play, but it never really bothered me. Once I tried it, I fell in love with it,” he said. “You have to show up every game.”

Besides the Scots, Abel has traveled to tournaments nationwide as part of the Mad Dog Lacrosse national program. He also played for the United States under-18 national team last year as the only Texas player on a USA Select roster that won the Brogden Cup tournament in October in suburban Baltimore, seeing action in every game.

“It was really cool,” Abel said. “You’re playing for something bigger than yourself and your community.”

After graduation, he will head back to Maryland after signing to play college lacrosse at Loyola, a perennial powerhouse in the sport. He committed to the Greyhounds in the fall of 2021 after spending that summer playing in tournaments along the East Coast.

“Loyola just seemed like the place for me,” he said. “Just being in Baltimore with the history of lacrosse there, and the coach is a former goalie there. Everything lined up, and it felt like the right spot.”

For now, Abel is focused on improving communication, clearance, and leadership skills in his final season for HP.

“I’ve been able to be more consistent,” Abel said. “They know what they can expect.”