St. Cloud State University Men's Hockey Feature:
California's Ryan Lasch Rides a Wave of Success at SCSU
By Jake Laxen
SCSU Athletic Media Relations
Ryan Lasch was fresh off a breakout season with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Central Junior Hockey League. He was a scoring machine netting 68 goals and 78 assists in 56 games, leading the Lumber Kings to the Fred Page Cup Championship.
But Lasch would soon find out, the elite NCAA teams had little interest or respect for the forward.
They said he was too short (listed at 5-foot-7) and despite his large success, just wasn’t going to cut it.
“I definitely knew about college hockey and always wanted to play,” Lasch said. “I have always been knocked for my size. You can’t really get over it, you just have to work hard and have a good work ethic.”
But along came Bob Motzko. He was the newly appointed head coach at St. Cloud State and was working on re-establishing the school’s prominence.
“He sounded like he really wanted to turn this program around,” Lasch said.
Motzko took a chance and the Huskies were the only WCHA team to make a pitch to Lasch.
He instantly fell for the school.
“I came in for a visit and absolutely fell in love with the place,” he said. “I love the rink, the players and the staff. It seemed like a good atmosphere to be around.”
Lasch came on campus and instantly made every other WCHA school regret passing the chance on him.
He scored 39 points in 40 games as a freshman in the 2006-07 season. He went on to lead WCHA rookies in scoring during league games.
“Having success that early is something you would like to do but you just never think its going to happen,” Lasch said. “I didn’t expect to have an impact like that right away. I think it came back to my work ethic and desire to play.”
Then last season and he improved further. He won the WCHA scoring title with 34 points (17g,17a) in league games as a sophomore.
“Lasch took a major step last season,” Motzko said. “He was born to score.”
Lasch went on to be a top 10 finalist in the Hobey Baker Award - the third in the history of the program at SCSU. It’s the Heisman of college hockey and honors the nation’s best player of the year.
“It was special,” he said. “Anytime you can get that recognition it’s something you can always look back on.”
Lasch helped carry St. Cloud State to its second consecutive NCAA berth but fell short in the Hobey Baker race to Kevin Porter of Michigan.
But along the way he has become one of the most cherished teammates in the locker rooms of the National Hockey Center.
“He is just a great guy to have around the team,” senior forward John Swanson said. “He’s a funny guy, always cracking jokes but when its time to play, he’s ready.”
While he is not very vocal in the locker room, he has developed into a leader by example.
“He’s a pretty quiet kid, but he does his own things to get ready,” team captain Garrett Raboin said. “He doesn’t make too many waves and works real hard out on the ice. He’s a great teammate to have.”
Lasch was recently selected as an alternate captain for the 2008-09 season.
Lasch comes into the 2008-09 season as a junior with high expectations. He is the top returning scorer in the nation and only seven outdid him last year. In just 82 games at SCSU, Lasch is poised to become the newest member of the Huskies' 100-points club with 42 goals and 54 assists in his career.
But he knows he has to continue his grind.
“It’s a whole new year, a new fight,” Lasch said. “To get back to where I was, I just have to keep my drive and desire. I’m just going to stick to my game use my work ethic on and off the ice and hopefully that can contribute a season like I had last year.”
The offseason he spent working out six days a week. He focused primarily on his lower body.
And now that he is back at St. Cloud State, his comfort level has grown.
“You feel more comfortable every year,” Lasch said. “It’s nice to go though each part of the process.”
But as he suits up for each game, it still feels like it’s his first.
“I got goosebumps the first time I went out there,” Lasch said. “And I still get goosebumps today when I go off and get ready for game time.”
But once he is out there, the nerves vanish and the team loves to get him the puck.
“It’s nice to have a job to just let Lasch and the forwards do whatever they want with the puck,” Raboin said. “It makes my job easier on defense and they can really carry the team.”
Lasch will also again be counted on to play a vital role in special teams. He had 20 power play goals last season.
While Lasch has found his comfort zone in the Granite City and has become a fan-favorite, he’s far from his roots.
He grew up in Lake Forest, California. It’s a suburb in between Los Angeles and San Diego.
It’s were he first fell in love with the game of hockey.
“I started when I was three years old,” said Lasch, who grew up an Anaheim Ducks fan. “My dad took me to the rink one day and ever since then I’ve been playing.”
The original rink were Lasch first learned to play since been torn down. But there is a rink located roughly 15 minutes from his house where he works over the summer.
And naturally, during some of the rough winters in St. Cloud he gets a calling for home.
“I miss the beach and it’s such a different climate,” he said. “It’s a little bit of a culture shock but I do definitely enjoy it up here a lot.”
And he will enjoy it further if he gets to continue proving that he can play and that he does belong among college hockey's elite skaters.
(Lasch and the #10/12 Huskies will battle #9 Minnesota on Oct. 17 at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. On Oct. 18, the Huskies will travel to Minnesota. Lasch is a marketing major at SCSU, and the son of Terry and Denise Lasch of Lake Forest, Calif.)
