IN THE CREASE


Goalie coaches hold significant value By Timm Lorenz


T


he position of goaltender is mystery to many coaches. Goal-


ies carry the stereotype of being strange or weird and, because of those labels, are sometimes neglect- ed or ignored by their coaches. The reality is that most coaches


don’t have the technical or psychological knowledge to fully develop a goal- tender, and that’s the main reason why a goalie coach can be an extremely valuable asset - and almost a necessary. The role of a goalie coach, whether they’re part of a team staff or a pri-


vate instructor, is to be part-teacher, part-psychologist, part-cheerleader, part-analyst and part-friend. The position has advanced tremendously over a short period of time, and


that can be attributed to the coaching that goaltenders are now receiving from a young age. It’s to a point now that, if a goaltender is not getting extra help from a goalie coach, they’ll be left behind by those who are. Not only can a goalie coach develop technique, but they can also recog-


nize weaknesses, develop good habits or break bad ones, teach save selec- tion, increase skating efficiency and improve rebound control. Psychologically, they can help build a goaltender’s confidence, teach men-


tal preparation, help break out of a slump and increase mental toughness. The position is so specialized and goalies stand apart so much more from


the other players on the ice that it’s a relief for them to have someone in their corner who understands their mindset and has been through the same pressures themselves. For more goaltending tips, drills and information about In The Crease, visit www.ITCgoaltending.com. b


ITCgoaltending.com


Regis Jesuit captures state high school crown T


By Paul Willis


he Regis Jesuit hockey team understands the magnitude of what transpired on March


3 at Magness Arena. Granted, capturing a championship of any


sort is said to be an exhilarating experience, save for the possible exception of Barry Bonds’ utterly joyless pursuit of Major League Base- ball’s home run record a few years back. But when that title comes in dramatic fash-


ion, say, with a tie-breaking goal with less than two minutes to play, and when it comes against the one team that beat you in the regular season, well, darn it, it just seems a bit more special. The Raiders received a goal fromConner


cause we took four rookies, four freshman to the varsity squad,” Woodley said. “We had a good stock of seniors, including Marshall Conrad, but we weren’t sure we were deep enough to win consistently.” Fortunately for Regis, Conrad wasn’t the


only prolific scorer. There was fellow senior Brian Burlage, who contributed 18 goals and 16 assists. Wigton, he of the title-game heroics, added 16 and 15. Then there was Thomas Jahde (16 goals, 13


Regis Jesuit defeated Ralston Valley, 3-2, earlier this month at Magness


Arena to win this year’s Colorado state high school championship. Photo/Ed Wagner


Wigton with 1:55 remaining to defeat Ralston Valley, 3-2, clinching the state championship in Colorado’s only high school division and spurring a red-clad celebration on the University of Denver’s home ice. “The best part of it was that it was a close game,


and we knew it was going to be close the whole time,” said Regis assistant captainMarshall Conrad, who scored a team-high 29 goals (one in the title game) and added 20 assists this season. “We knew they were a great team, and for Wiggy to score that, it was just awesome.” For Regis, the title marked its third in five sea-


sons (the Raiders also won in 2008 and 2009) and fourth trip to the championship game in that span. Ralston Valley (20-2-1) had halted Regis’ 17-0


start to the season with a 5-4 win against the Raid- ers on Valentine’s Day, and it was no secret at that point that the two Foothills Conference foes could be bound to meet again in the deeper rounds of the postseason. The rematch win vaulted Regis’ gaudy season-


ending record to 22-1, and the Raiders showed their mettle by winning seven one-goal decisions. That included the Raiders’ final three games, in which they set the stage for the title game by defeating Mountain Vista, 2-1, in the quarterfinals and Chat- field, 3-2, in the semis. Not shabby for a team that coachDan Wood-


ley had modest ambitions for at the outset, one he merely hoped to mold into a competitor. “It was an interesting year in that sense, be-


assists) and Luke Slouka (11 goals, 16 assists). And how could you overlook the 10 goals and ridiculous 33 assists tallied byNathan Hass? Three goaltenders rotated, but it was Sam


Harden who was in the nets for the finale. Add it all up and it’s another Raiders title. Woodley said he gleaned no special satisfac-


tion from finishing against Ralston Valley, saying it’s a competitive rivalry and that the teams share a mutual respect. Players, though, admitted the initial loss to the Mustangs served as a notice that the Raiders weren’t invincible. “That’s exactly what it did, made us realize we


weren’t the best that we could be,” Conrad said. “We realized we had to work harder if we wanted to win state.” The Raiders nearly gave up a late goal to the


Mustangs, who had an open-net backdoor oppor- tunity in the waning moments. But defenseman Nolan Carrothers batted the puck away with his glove, preventing Ralston Valley’s third goal. Instead, Regis soon had a third title.


Read our recap of the Bantam and Pee Wee Tier II state championships at facebook.com/coloradorubber RubberHockey.com 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20