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"Between the Pipes" (by: Richard Robert) Click here to Go Back to Part 1 - Goaltending |
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| Skill | Notes | |
| Warm Up | Important for goaltenders as well as players, before games or practices. Muscles should be stretched properly to prevent injury. A good warm-up will also prepare a goaltender mentally for a game, and can build the confidence she needs to play her best. | |
| Stance | The proper stance is a very important skill for goaltenders. If the proper stance is used, the goaltender will be able to move from side to side more quickly, and can also react to a shot better and faster (must stay square to the shooter). | |
| Shuffle | Shuffling is a very useful skill. It allows the goaltender to move around her crease and to maintain the proper stance while following the ring. | |
| T-Push | Allows a goaltender to go from one post to the other quickly. This skill is very useful when guarding against crease passes. | |
| Angles | It is important for a goaltender to play her angles properly to reduce the amount of net available to the shooter. | |
| Telescoping | This skill is used to move outward to challenge the shooter. This also reduces the amount of space available to the shooter. | |
| Retreating | This skill is used to move backward to the net without the goaltender having to turn her back to the play. Retreating with the shooter also helps to reduce angles. | |
| Butterfly | This skill is important because it allows the goaltender to stop shots along the ice, and return to her stance quickly. | |
| Two-pad Slide | This skill allows the goaltender to slide across the crease quickly to block shots following crease passes. | |
| One-pad Slide | This allows a goaltender to stop shots along the ice as she moves with the shooter. This also allows her to return to her normal stance quickly. | |
| Ring Toss | This allows the goaltender to pass the ring to her defence so they may break out of their zone. | |
| Playing the Ring | This can also be quite useful - if the ring enters the zone before any other players, the goaltender could play the ring with her stick to prevent an opposing player from retrieving it and creating a breakaway. | |
| Skate Save | This save is used when the goaltender is already down on the ice and a shot is taken along the ice. This can also be used instead of the butterfly. | |
| Concentration | This is a very important part of a goaltenders game. If she is concentrating and focused, she will be able to react more quickly and be better able to judge plays as they are happening. A goaltender who is not fully concentrated will not perform to the best of her ability. | |
| Mental Preparation | This is also a very important part of a goaltender's game. If she is is relaxed, mentally calm, and prepared, she will most likely perform better. | |
| Visualization Techniques | If a goaltender can picture herself making saves, it will build confidence and prepare her for making the real saves during a game situation. This is very useful, particularly before important games. | |
| Reflexes | A goaltender with quick reflexes will be able to stop fast shots, and will also be able to stop the unexpected ones. | |
| Confidence | A goaltender without confidence is not likely to be as successful as one who is confident of her abilities. This enables her to keep her focus and play her best. | |
| Attitude | A positive attitude is one of the key components to being a successful goaltender. | |
| Keeping Stick on the Ice | This is very important for stopping low and sweep shots, and covering the gap between the leg pads (the 'five-hole"). | |
| Communicating | This is important because the goaltender is part of the defence. Good communication with Defence is essential for coordinating positions, preventing team mistakes, and for faster break-outs when the team re-gains possession of the ring. |
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Goaltender drills that can be done during practices can be fun and very
effective ways of improving your game. Please Note: There are Diagrams of Drills
at the end of this Book.
The Blind Drill
Have a shooter line up about 10 rings in front of the net ready for shots. The
goaltender then turns around and faces the net in the "ready" position. When the
shooter yells "Go!" the goaltender then quickly turns around and stops the shot.
The shooter must vary the shots in the net such as top corners and lower corners.
The shooter may then use movement when the goaltender masters the shots.
Crease Movement Drills
Have three shooters line up in a semi-circle in front of the net with each
having about six rings. The goaltender closes her eyes and one shooter will yell
"Go! and the goaltender must find the ring that is about to be shot, adjust her
angle on the shooter, and make the appropriate leg, skate, stick, or two-pad-slide
save.
Angle Drills
Have a shooter skate around the end and around the net with a ring and
have the goaltender follow the shooter making sure her angles at every shooter
position are perfect. The player should vary the speed and movement towards the
goal to simulate breakaways and normal game plays.
Crease Pass
Have two shooters execute crease passes so the goaltender can practice her
two-pad-slide, her skate saves, and her pad saves. The goaltender should make the
saves but also get the rebound with her glove and if the rebound goes outside of
the crease, she must get up and shoot the ring into the corner. Recovering the
rebounds is one of the most important parts of the goaltenders game.
Click here to Go Back to Part 1 - Goaltending
Sample Drills & Diagrams
These First Six Drills are designed to help the Goaltender with Ring Distribution using her Stick
and then reacting instantly to that player taking the ring and driving on goal for a shot.
| Goalie comes out of the net and passes
to oncoming X1, who goes in for a shot. ALT: Goalie, from her crease, throws the ring to X1, who goes in for a shot. Practices both Hand Throws & Stick Work. |
- X1 skates past the blue line, does a MOHAWK Turn (always keeping your back to the boards to see all the traffic around her) - X1, picks the pass from the goalie & goes in for a shot. - Repeat same drill on the opposite side. ALT: Have opposing player rush the goalie to add pressure - screen - take a pass from X1. |
| # 1
- Goalie passes to F who skates out & curls around pylons to go on offensive driving in & shooting. - D tries to back check F. - If shot is stopped, G gives ring to D who tries to get it out of the zone while being checked by F. - If shot scores, the G passes to the next F. # 2 - - F shoots on net & G pushes ring to the side. D goes after the ring and tries to bring it out of the zone while being chased by F. ALT: Send in two forwards after the defence. |
- Goalie comes out to pick a ring and makes a pass using the boards to oncoming F1. - Meanwhile D1 is rushing goalie to put pressure on her. - F1 takes the pass, turns inside the boards and comes back in for a shot. |
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- Goalie comes out of the net & shoots a ring off the boards towards X1, while at the same time is being rushed by X2. - X1 picks up the ring and takes a shot at goalie. - X2 returns to the free play line to rush the goalie again Practice one side at a time or 1 time each way. Move Rings farther away as goalie gets more comfortable coming out of her net. |
- Goalie comes out to make a pass to X1, while X2 is rusing the goalie to add pressure. - When X1 gets the pass she goes in to try to score, while X2, after rushing the goalie, tries to screen the goalie, and then tries to get any rebound. |
