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B ET W E E N T H E P I P ES P R E S E N T E D B Y k Joe Bertagna looked at his Facebook page and noticed the majority of his friends were goalies. Or ex-goalies. Or parents of goalies. Or simply just liked goalies. That gave him an idea to reach out to his friends on social media to ask them to join him in donating to the Ron DeGregorio Goaltending Fund. Bertagna, whose impact on the goaltending community and the hockey world in general spans more than 40 years, was taken aback by the outpouring of support. "The goalie community is very tight, but I was still surprised at how many of my friends stepped up," said Bertagna, whose pledge drive has raised more than $1,300. Bertagna obviously has a passion for the position. After playing goalie at Harvard University in the early 1970s, he started his own goalie school and also served as the goalie coach with the Boston Bruins and several U.S. National and Olympic Teams. He is impressed by the work being done by USA Hockey to not only develop more high-lev- el American goaltenders but also grow the depth of the goaltending talent pool. To help with both measures, The USA Hockey Foundation launched the Ron DeGregorio Goaltending Excellence Fund in 2015 as a way to create a world-leading goaltending devel- opment environment that not only produces topnotch goalies but fosters a lifelong passion for the position. "They are doing a lot of good things at both the national and grassroots level when it comes to goaltending development," said Bertagna, the former commissioner of Hockey East. "I'm glad that my friends and I can be a part of it." BERTAGNA FINDS ANOTHER WAY TO SUPPORT GOALIES GOALIE DRILL OF THE MONTH Three Puck Competition TENDY TOURNEY SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON LOCAL GOALIES GOALIE TERMS THAT COUNT Shuffle: The skating motion when a goalie moves from side-to-side without turn- ing the skates (T-push). This move is used to stay "square" to the puck. Too often, goalies use shuffles that are too large, thus opening up the five-hole or creating trouble in mak- ing transition. Smaller shuffles are better. Goalies and goalie coaches use a precise language to communicate. Here is another term to help parents, coaches and young goalies speak the same language. SETUP: Two nets are positioned below the goal line. Each net has one goalie and one shooter. There are six pucks, three for each side. ORGANIZATION: Shooter 1 and Shooter 2 wait for the coach's whistle and then pick up a puck of their choice. A shooter may not play another puck until either the puck is covered by the goalie, the shooter scores or the puck goes out of play. A shooter wins by scoring more goals than the other shooter. A goaltender wins by not allowing the shooter to score all three pucks. The Andover (Mass.) Hockey Association, one of the oldest and largest community based hockey programs in New England, put a new twist on a goaltending competition by hosting a Tendy Tourney. The goalie-only event was held on Feb. 22 as part of the AHA's 50th anniversary celebration. More than 60 goalies from five states ranging in age from 8 to 14 showed up at the Phillips Academy Ice Rinks to compete in six events including timed drills, game- situation saves and a breakaway bonanza. Top performers earned prizes and awards, and all competitors were treated to a pizza party. "I told the kids before they hit the ice that when I put the tourney together, I wanted a pond hockey feel, not Nationals," said Gabe Tash, goalie director for Andover Hockey. "As goalies, I feel we put an undue amount of pressure on ourselves. I felt if we could create an environment where the kids just could get together, swap stories and smile on the ice for an hour it would be a success." According to association president Matt McLaughlin, the event was designed to give young goalies a chance to showcase their skills during an event designed just for them. "We wanted to do something unique for kids who play the most important position in hockey," McLaughlin said. "All in all, it was a great night to be a goalie and we are hoping to build on this momentum and make this an annual tradition." PHOTOS BY USA Hockey Magazine Archives; Andover (Mass.) Hockey Association APRIL/MAY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 11