Despite playing two sports in one season, senior Max Hove still finds a way to balance playing both at the same time. 

Hove is the starting goalie for Cal High’s lacrosse team and also plays for the school hockey team. He also qualified for the varsity golf team, but ultimately decided he couldn’t juggle playing three sports in the same season.

Currently, he is the second scoring player with 28 points (22 goals, six assists) in the Tri Valley Minor Hockey Association Pure Hockey League, which is the league in which Cal and other EBAL schools play.

Although Hove loves to play both hockey and lacrosse, he has been playing hockey longer. He began skating around age 2 and started playing hockey at 6.

“When the Sharks came to California, my dad started playing pickup with other guys in San Jose where he worked,” Hove said. “He would bring me to those games and that is really what inspired me to play. I wear his number [14] that he wore in those beer league games.”

Senior hockey player Ryan Dawson has played alongside Hove for two years.

“He’s a great type of player, unselfish and great at assists,” Dawson said. 

Hove is not just considered a good teammate on the ice.

“He is an overall outstanding guy,” said sophomore lacrosse and hockey teammate Jonathan Wang. “He commits to the sport.” 

Wang got to know Hove through hockey where they both play on Cal’s team.

Hockey is Hove’s first love, but he is also a key member of   the lacrosse team, which is on a roll at 12-3, 7-0 in EBAL, and ranked 30th in state.

“Lacrosse was my second sport and I [started] playing after I quit baseball, which was around second grade,” said Hove, who also played club lacrosse for the Bay Area Dragons.

This year is Hove’s first year as a starter on the lacrosse team after the team’s previous goalie graduated last season.

“The goalie prior to [Hove] was probably the best player in the history of the program, so he has had big shoes to fill,” head lacrosse coach Andrew Ertola said. 

Despite these high expectations, Hove has shined in the first half of the season.

“He’s like a wall, no balls get past him,” Wang said.

Ertola said he knew that Hove had potential to be a great player but not quite  the extent of his ability.

Hove was among the better backup goalies in the Bay Area last season and ended the season with 23 saves in a game against De La Salle.

“He exceeded all of our expectations and it was kind of a seamless transition,” Ertola said.

When it comes to balancing time management between the two teams, Hove said that some compromises have to be made so he can make it work.

But Hove’s seasons have been ultimately successful thus far, as both of his teams are rolling and building momentum to prepare for playoff success.

Hove’s athletic ability has garnered interest from colleges, but Hove already has plans for where he will take his talents.

“My plan is to play hockey and lacrosse at Utah in the fall,” Hove said.