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22 // JUNE/JULY 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM D Y L A N S T . C Y R 5'11 6'1 6'0 5'11 SIZE DOESN'T ALWAYS MATTER M I C H A E L B I T Z E R H U N T E R M I S K A R O B B I E B E Y D O U N A U S T I N P A R K Michael Bitzer from Bemidji State, who led all college goalies with 1.71 GAA in 2016-17 Height of Hunter Miska, who led the University of Minnesota Duluth to this year's national championship game Robbie Beydoun led all U.S.-born USHL goalies this seaosn with a 2.22 GAA while playing for the Waterloo Black Hawks Austin Park from the Minot Minotauros who led all U.S.-born NAHL goaltenders with a 1.72 GAA in 2016-17 Smaller Goalies Who Have A Big Impact Since then, Lerg has bounced around a number of professional leagues. He is cur- rently a netminder for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. Lerg says that it's definitely an uphill climb as a smaller goaltender, but he has found success thanks to his quick reflexes and strong reactionary skills to the puck. "I try to set very high expectations for myself," Lerg says. "As a smaller goalten- der, you have to be great every night. I love the challenge." While Lerg thrives, other smaller goal- t e n d e r s a r e r i s i n g t h r o u g h t h e r a n k s. Tyler Parsons, a 6-foot-0 netminder from Chesterfield, Mich., is one that sticks out. He was the goaltender who stole the show and helped lead the United States to the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal. Dylan St. Cyr, a 5-foot-8, Northville, Mich., native, is another undersized goalie who has found success with USA Hockey. In April, St. Cyr started all seven games for Team USA as it captured gold at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Men's World Championship. As St. Cyr continues to move up through the ranks, Vanbiesbrouck has taken notice. "It was refreshing to see a guy like Dylan pick up the puck so well," Vanbiesbrouck says. "He's kind of like the hope for all young goalies. It's funny, but it's true." As a young hockey player, St. Cyr says he wasn't always the shortest goaltender around. He grew early and then peaked at 5-foot-8. But he's embraced his height and made the proper adjustments. "You have to be able to read the play and make yourself bigger while not losing ath- leticism. It's important to find that bal- ance," says St. Cyr, who is the son of Manon Rhéaume, a longtime Canadian women's national team goaltender who became the first woman to play in an NHL game. St. Cyr has been able to give back as he has found success, helping other up-and-coming goaltenders who might not have the size of their puck-stopping counterparts. "I just tell them they have to keep working hard and play to their full ability. They also shouldn't stray away from goaltending just because they're small," St. Cyr says. "For myself and others, we just have to focus on getting better, proving people wrong and heading on that path." And while Vanbiesbrouck questions whether he would make it in today's NHL, he still has confidence that smaller goaltenders will continue to make an impact in the game. "It's definitely possible to be undersized and still be a valuable player to your team," he says. "Goalies continue to maintain their value to the sport." P "YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO READ THE PLAY AND MAKE YOURSELF BIGGER WHILE NOT LOSING ATHLETICISM. IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT BALANCE."