| I recently had the opportunity to watch two of the | | | | fade off to the corner or end up below the goal-line |
| top-ranked women's college hockey teams in the | | | | afterwards. These women took their shots, crashed |
| country, University of Wisconsin and the University of | | | | the net with speed and stopped right in the crease. |
| Minnesota-Duluth, face-off against each other in a | | | | They didn't stand around and stare at their shot - they |
| double-header. As someone who used to play against | | | | kept their feet moving and went to the net. |
| these teams years ago, it is always amazing to see | | | | 4. Feet Always Moving Along Boards: Whether it was |
| how the level of speed, skill and strength shown by the | | | | a winger opening up on the boards on the breakout or |
| players has improved overall. But by far the most | | | | a defense men battling for the puck along the wall, |
| impressive thing I noticed while watching these two | | | | these elite players always kept their feet moving. |
| teams play was the extremely high degree of | | | | Standing still or gliding along the boards really only ever |
| execution. In fact, when someone made a pass that | | | | works in the power-play - most of the time you want |
| was slightly less than perfect or missed their | | | | to keep your feet moving to avoid a check or avoid |
| responsibility on the back-check, it stuck out like a sore | | | | getting a penalty. |
| thumb. The truly amazing thing was that both teams | | | | 5. Lateral Movement On Attack: I am constantly |
| were missing a few players who are currently getting | | | | reinforcing the concept of moving laterally in the neutral |
| ready to play for their respective Olympic teams. I can | | | | zone and offensive zone with my forwards. While |
| only imagine how much more impressive the game | | | | being fast in a straight line is important, it's your ability to |
| would have been if those players had been in the | | | | move laterally with speed and power that will allow |
| line-up as well. | | | | you to separate yourself from your check and get |
| For these two games, I sat way up at the top of the | | | | more opportunities to score. These players were |
| stands with the simple goal of figuring out what these | | | | constantly skating on the diagonal, looking for shorter |
| players and teams were doing that really separated | | | | passes and creating time and space with their lateral |
| them from the level of play I watch on a daily basis, | | | | movement. |
| which range from U12 all the way up to U19 and high | | | | 6. Defense Get Feet Moving With Puck: This is |
| school hockey. | | | | another one that I am constantly reminding my |
| So I created a list of "The Top 7 Things That Every | | | | defense men about. The defense in these women's |
| Player Can Improve On" on my observations during | | | | game always had their feet moving up ice when they |
| these two games. | | | | made a pass. Sometimes it seems like young players |
| 1. TALK!: The first thing that struck me is how much | | | | over-think their decisions on defense and stop their |
| the players communicated with each other out on the | | | | feet moving before making a pass. This leaves them |
| ice. Most of the time when I watch games the players | | | | no opportunity to recover quickly if the pass is off |
| are virtually silent out on the ice. During these games, | | | | target. And it is always easier to pass to a moving |
| the players called for every pass, defense men | | | | target when you are moving as well. |
| communicated with their partners and the goalies | | | | 7. Patience With The Puck: This was the one thing that |
| helped the defense out on the in-zone. Talking out on | | | | really separated these elite players from the younger |
| the ice only makes everyone's job easier. | | | | players I watch everyday. When they had the puck on |
| 2. Stick On The Ice: This is another big one that I am | | | | their stick, they never panicked. Even when they were |
| constantly reminding my players about. Not only did | | | | under pressure, they kept their head up and their feet |
| these elite players have their stick on the ice right | | | | moving and looked for their best option. This is a skill |
| when they knew the pass or shot was coming, they | | | | that all players who aspire to get to the next level |
| had it there even earlier. The game was moving so | | | | much cultivate. |
| fast that many of the passes would have been | | | | By improving in these 7 areas and focusing on |
| missed if the players were holding the stick up by their | | | | executing every skill to the best of your ability, you will |
| waist - but they were always ready. | | | | take a step closer to becoming an elite player one day |
| 3. Follow Shots To The Net: Quite often when I am | | | | too. |
| watching girls' games, players will take a shot and then | | | | |