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Blocker and catch gloves When in the proper goalie stance or ready position, your blocker and catch glove should be positioned just off the outside edges of the leg pads to maximize coverage. If you catch with your left hand, your glove should be held at a 2 or 3 o'clock position, slightly in front of the body with pocket facing the puck. If you catch with your right hand, the glove should be at 9 or 10 o'clock. Rebound control You should always be thinking about controlling rebounds and elimi- nating additional scoring opportunities. For shots on the ice, use your stick, if possible, to deflect the puck into the corners. When in the butterfly position, try to position your leg pads at a slight angle so pucks that hit your pads bounce toward the corners and not directly back to the shooter. When you face a shot to the blocker side, rotate your wrist so the puck deflects off the blocker into the corner and out of the immediate scoring area. Post-goal routine You should develop a routine that you do every time you give up a goal. A routine gives you time to think about what just happened and help you focus on what is about to happen. This is not the time to hang your head and bang your stick in frus- tration. Keep in mind it's always about stopping the next shot. Your routine should be completed between the time the puck goes into the net and when it's dropped at center ice to resume play. In the NHL, most goalies' post-goal routine revolves around doing something with their water bottle. Other goalies prefer to skate to a corner of the rink and then back to the crease area. Steve Carroll is a USA Hockey Level 4 certified coach and Minnesota Hockey's goalie development coordinator. He was a two-time college All-American goalie at Minnesota State University. JIM ROSVOLD G oalies play perhaps the most important position in hockey. They are always in the spotlight and the outcome of every game often depends on their performance. Here are some tips to help goalies achieve success between the pipes. Tips for Goalies Skating One of the most important aspects of being a good goalie is the ability to be skate. You should be the best skater on your team, which means edge work and goalie-specific skating skills must be worked on every time you hit the ice. Be sure to practice pushing off and stopping with both your left and right foot. Same goes for when you are in the butterfly position; work on getting back on your feet with your left and right legs. You want to be strong on both sides. Puckhandling Work on puckhandling and shooting the puck with your forehand and backhand every time you are on the ice. Practice passing the puck back and forth to your goalie partner or other teammate. You should play with an active stick—blocking passes from behind the net, knocking loose pucks to the corners and stopping pucks behind the net that are dumped into the zone. Eyes on the puck Use your eyes to follow or track the puck. Watch the puck off the shooter's stick into your body or equipment. Keep your eyes focused on the puck in the event a rebound is created and you need to move into position for a follow-up save. YOU SHOULD DEVELOP A ROUTINE THAT YOU DO EVERY TIME YOU GIVE UP A GOAL. A ROUTINE GIVES YOU TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND HELP YOU FOCUS ON WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. Steve Carroll 21 FEBRUARY.2017 // MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM TIPS