Lain emerges as quiet leader

Bolivia hardly seems like a place that would make someone want to play ice hockey. But that’s where Utah State goalie Adam Lain was when he decided he wanted to return to the rink. “I was in Bolivia and I thought I should go back and play hockey,” Lain said. “So I reapplied from right there in Bolivia.” Lain, who is from Kenny Lake, Alaska, played for USU during his freshman year in 2001 and was the team MVP. But after one year, he left the team. “I had other plans to do other things,” he said. “I traveled all over.” But the hockey bug worked its way back inside him and the team was thrilled to see him come back. “I had heard a lot about how great he was his freshman year,” goalies coach Jon Eccles said. “He came back last year and was fired up and ready to go.” It is somewhat ironic that a person who loves to travel so much plays the one position in hockey that does not move around. “I just stand there and stop the pucks,” he said. Eccles said Lain’s abilities are perfect for a goalie. “He’s a muscular kid,” he said. “He’s compact and quick like a cat. He’s very athletic. He’s very much into keeping himself healthy and strong. He tries as hard as he can. He pushes himself.” Last season, Lain had to share the net with Chris Webber. But now that Webber has graduated, Lain is the only go-to goalie on the team. “We’re kind of riding Adam this year,” defenseman Scotty John said. “He know’s he’s getting starts, so he’s up for every game.” Lain said while last season’s two-goalie system worked, he is really looking forward to more playing time. “I can improve my skills,” he said. “Last season, I only had to work half as hard and I had less consistency on the ice.” Lain said his game is still not at the level it was his freshman year. “I have a long ways to go,” he said. “But it’s coming back to me more and more. I’ve just got to keep practicing harder.” Lain is the kind of player that leads by example and not by words, Eccles said. “He’s not a loud guy on the team,” he said. “But there are times he speaks his mind.” Eccles said the team is going to lean on Lain this season. “Everyone relies on the goalie,” he said. “If the goalie stays focused and doing everything he can every time, that can inspire the rest of the team. Last year everyone relied on [Aaron] Burrell and Adam and Chris. But Burrell and Webber graduated so everyone is relying on him.” The team did just that last Saturday, riding Lain to a 3-0 shutout victory over BYU. “My wife made him a cake,” Eccles said. “She makes him cake when he has a shutout.” Eccles said this will not be his only shutout of the season. “I bet he has the potential of having five shutouts,” he said. “Our defense is stronger than last year and our offense is deeper.” Lain had only one shutout last season which came against Long Beach State. Eccles said Lain is not only an amazing person on the ice, but in the classroom as well. “He enjoys school,” he said. “He had like a 3.9 one of the semesters last year.” Regardless of how many shutouts he has, or how many national championships the team wins, this vagabond said USU is his last stop in the hockey world. “This will be the end of my hockey career,” he said. “I’ve got some other plans. Some friends and I want to build a house in Mexico and stuff like that.”-bhhinton@cc.usu.edu