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JAN/FEB 2 0 2 5 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 13 Tenacity and hockey IQ can help smaller players win battles against bigger competition. important. But technique is also key. In a wall battle, for example, where the person with the puck is facing the boards trying to protect the puck, you want to contain and make sure your opponent can't get out or have much room to work. Then you pick your opportunity, whether it's with one hand or two hands. Try to have some good contact and poke the puck free or pin the player. Avoid the bad habit of pushing too high on the body with your hands or your stick, and use a low center of gravity. You get your leg between their legs and pin them against the boards. In this position you can wait for support to come." "In the corners," Roeser added, "it's about winning the battle, being able to take one stride and get the puck to your supporting forward or chip it out of the zone off the glass. You want to avoid making a panic play. What tends to happen at the younger ages is kids get the puck, and their first instinct is to throw it up the boards. Usually, the other team's defenseman is right there. It's easier said than done, but winning corner battles in the defensive zone is particularly important." HOW TO GET BETTER AT BATTLING There are a variety of small-area games that coaches can utilize to teach their young players the finer points of win- ning puck battles. "We have the girls pair up at practice and tell them to stay within an 8-foot space. One of them is against the wall try- ing to protect the puck. The other is the defender trying to either keep contain or take the puck away. Have them go for maybe 15 seconds at a time, blow the whis- tle, let them catch their breath and switch. There's plenty of competitive contact." "Another one is a 2-on-2 in a really small zone, or a 1-on-1 against the boards, where the net is positioned facing the boards. It forces them to battle in a tight space. Once a person gains possession, they're going to have to move quickly to spin out and make a move toward the net or fire the puck at the net if they can. Whoever doesn't win the battle has to continue to work and have good stick position. So, not only does this encourage the battle, it highlights the importance of the first step after the battle." "It's simple—if you have the puck, the other team doesn't. You can control what happens next, prevent the other team from scoring, start offensive breakouts, change lines and keep your players fresh. It's a huge advantage."