They probably are more physical at the college level but at the high school they are extremely injury and law suit paranoid and really trying to eliminate the body check at that level. IMHO. I played hockey, football and lacrosse a long time ago where you could really light up people (mostly me getting lit up it seemed). But the game is so different now from what I remember, which is probably a good thing because it is safer and relies more on ball skills and physical speed more than hitting ability.