Hampden Academy’s Matt Shayne goes from hockey goal scorer to lacrosse goalie

HAMPDEN, Maine (WABI) - Matt Shayne fears no pain as the Hampden Academy goalie.

“At first, it’s definitely a little bit scary. You don’t want to get hit in the legs, but everyone says lacrosse goalies have to be a little bit crazy. You go in there knowing you’re going to get hit a couple times, but when you make that save, it feels really good. I think that kind of makes the pain go away. You’re like ‘let’s go. I got that save.’ That definitely helps,” said Shayne, junior.

Shayne’s skills have come with dedication.

“I’ve played goalie since sixth grade, so I’ve been at it for many years with lots of hours of work on my own and with coaches here. We’re a great team, and I practice with a lot of shots. It’s just consistency,” said Shayne.

He goes from a goal scorer in the winter to a goalie in the spring.

“In hockey, I like to score. I’m fast. I like to get up and down the ice. Here, playing lacrosse goalie is very similar. You’ve got to be quick, see the ball, and react. I think there are a lot of similarities, and that’s why I gravitate towards goalie. It feels really good to make those saves too,” said Shayne.

Shayne takes what he learns on the ice to the other side in lacrosse.

“With hockey, it’s so fast on the ice. You’ve got to make decisions super quickly. In lacrosse, the ball moves a little bit slower. It’s not as fast as hockey, but that ball’s coming fast. You need to be able to react to that. Playing a scoring position in hockey definitely helps with that,” said Shayne.

He’s helped Hampden Academy feature a solid defense in the first year of the program.

“We have a lot of guys out here in their first year, especially on the defensive side. A lot of seniors came out for their first year playing. They’ve developed a lot. We’ve had a really good defense. We’re just under six goals allowed per game. That’s just crazy for us. It’s been nice to see all that development,” said Shayne.

The Broncos finished the regular season with a 6-8 record in Class A.

Lacrosse prelims start on June 7.

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