By James Joseph
WSL Senior Features Writer

St. Louis University Jesuit senior attackman Brian Hof is not “a rah-rah type of guy,” his coach, Ron Kelam said.

So throughout the Junior Bills’ 2009 run to their first state title, Hof let his play do the inspiring.

“He was more of a game-day leader,” Kelam said. “He was more the guy we looked to to put the game away when we needed it.”

That was most apparent during the postseason. WSL’s Missouri Boys Player of the Year dished out five assists in an 11-8 quarterfinal victory over Chaminade. He had three goals and an assist in a 12-9 victory over Christian Brothers in the semifinals.

And then in the state final, he scored four goals – the last with just 1:21 remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime – as SLUH upset defending state champion Rockhurst Jesuit, 11-10, in the extra session.

“I’m not going to lie, I really like situations like that,” Hof said. “I kept telling myself, ‘We can’t have a repeat of last year. We can’t lose in the final.’ It’s just fun making a big play like that.”

“The state championship completely sums it up,” Kelam said. “He was held in check most of the first half and wound up scoring the tying goal and then tied it up a second time….He really kind of took it upon himself to do what he had done in most of his career.”

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Hof scored 50 goals and had 27 assists in 2009 en route to U.S. Lacrosse All-American honors. He earned all-state honors in each of his three years on the SLUH varsity, and he finished his career with 138 goals and 70 assists. His career point total of 208, Kelam said, almost certainly is the best in program history.

Hof picked up lacrosse in sixth grade when his older brothers, Matt and Joe, began playing. He got a couple of his friends from grade school involved in the sport and began practicing in the back yard and playing in rec leagues.

His background made him one of the more polished players in the state.

“He’s very quick, very shifty and for the area just has exceptional stick skills,” Kelam said. “He has very good vision on the field, and he made other players better.”