CEP Level 3 Manual - Rushmore Hockey Association

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SPositioning Against a Stickhandling ForwardAgain, teach your goalies to take a position onthe crease line. As a puck carrier approaches thegoal while stickhandling, the goalie should moveback toward the net. (See Figure 12). Goaliesshould never move first but must retreat as the puckapproaches. They can either stay on their feet, makea half butterfly, full butterfly, stack the pads, or pokecheck the puck off the puck carrier’s stick if theycome close enough.Figure 12. Positioning against a stickhandlingforward.Positioning When the Puck is On the Side of NetWhen the puck is on the side of the net behindthe goal line or in the corner of the rink, goaliesshould play as close as possible to the goal post (SeeFigure 14). The skate should be pushed against theinside post to prevent a goal from the side. The stickshould be placed in front of the feet to permit thegoalie to intercept passes. Gloves should be openedtoward the puck while the body remains tight to theinside of the post.Figure 14.Side-to-Side DrillSix pucks are placed in a line halfway betweenthe face-off spot and the inner edge of the circle onboth sides of the net. One shooter is placed in eachcircle. The shooter to the goalie’s right shoots first,then the shooter on the left shoots, etc. The goalieshould be given time to make the first save beforethe second shot is made. The drill provides a goodopportunity to practice recoveries and lateralmovement.Multiple Puck DrillTen pucks are lined up directly in front of thenet, about 15 feet out. The goalie stands back in thenet. (He has to move faster in that position). Theshooter then shoots the pucks, one after another inrapid succession.Semi-Circle DrillThree or four players position themselves in asemi-circle in front of the net. They pass a puckbetween them rapidly, occasionally taking a shot atthe net. This drill helps goalies follow the puck whileon their feet, and the occasional shot keeps themalert and helps them develop quickness from amoving position.Another drill is to place the net 20 feet in front ofand facing a wall. The goalie stands in goal facingthe wall, using stick and gloves only. The coachstands behind the net and throws rubber ballsagainst the wall from various angles. The goaltenderreacts to the balls as they rebound off the wall andtoward the net.SUMMARYGoaltending is a game within a game, but goodgoaltending skills can be developed by using theinformation in this chapter and designing andconducting effective practices. Also insist that yourgoaltenders learn and apply the following sixprinciples of play:• Watch the puck• Don’t commit yourself too soon; try to makethe shooter commit first• Cut down the shooting angle• Stay on your feet in a good basic positionwith correct positioning• Get some equipment blockage behind allshots• Be vocal in the goalREFERENCESPLAYING A TWO-MAN RUSHWhen two opponents are coming in on thegoaltender, he/she should stay on his/her feet andcut down the shooting angle in relation to theposition of the puck (See Figure 13). Do not try toplay both players at once. The most dangerousplayer is the puck carrier. This is the player that mustbe covered. In this situation, when possible, try tofreeze the puck.ACTIVITIES AND DRILLSDaily drills for goaltenders should include: (1)moving forward, backward and laterally; (2) blockerand catching glove saves; (3) V-drops; (4) stackingthe pads; (5) stick saves and poke checking, and (6)skating.Some of the drills and activities that are usefulfor practicing these skills are described below.Agility ExercisesOff-Season DrillsTennis, racquetball, table tennis, squash, etc., areexcellent off-season activities for goaltenders.Blase, K; Bertagna, J; Peterson, D (1985) the USA Hockey CoachesGoalkeeping Handbook Colorado Springs, Colorado – USAHockeyBertagna, J (1976) Goaltending – A Complete Handbook for Goalies andCoaches Massachusetts, CambridgeAgility drills should be done at full speed, withsignals coming from a whistle or movement of thepuck: (1) dropping to the left knee and springingback up; (2) dropping to the right knee andspringing back up; (3) dropping to both knees andspringing back up; (4) dropping to stomach withstick extended and getting up.Figure 13. Playing a two man rush.Basic movements and save positions cued onmovement of the puck are excellent ways to instillcorrect goalie skills.290 | USA Hockey Coaching Education Program Level 3 ManualGoaltending | 291