IN THE CREASE


Summer camps hold plenty of value By Timm Lorenz


W


hile in-season training is all about preparing for the next


game, summer training should focus on developing technique, intelligence and fitness. That’s where a goalie-specific weeklong summer camp can prove to


be extremely beneficial. Although the camp is only five days, it establishes a good foundation that


can be built upon in the future. Summer camps provide the building blocks for proper offseason training such as breaking down technique, teaching save selec- tion and identifying weaknesses. At the same time, the camps also offer an environment for development


where a goalie can learn and try new things, be pushed outside of their comfort level and introduce new components into their game. Contrary to what some believe, weeklong camps aren’t designed to get a goal-


ie into better shape; that can’t be accomplished in such a short period of time. Instead, they’re focused on education - not only on the technical and situ-


ational part of the game, but also on the physical fitness, visual and mental sides of the position. While goalies will be challenged at the camp, they’ll not be run into the ground


physically, but rather taught and instructed on how they should be training. Although individual development is the objective, camps embrace the team/


group environment. They not only build leadership and teamwork skills, but also allow individuals to compete side-by-side with other goalies of their level, which helps them recognize what areas of their game need improvement. For more information on ITC’s weeklong summer camps, visit www.ITCgoal-


tending.com. ITCgoaltending.com


Select goaltender Hensley punches Division I ticket N


By Matt Mackinder


icole Hensley is looking forward to putting her stamp on Division I college hockey with


Lindenwood University, the school she committed to last month. Lindenwood, located in the St. Louis area, made


the move to D-I a year ago and will join the College Hockey America (CHA) conference for the upcom- ing 2012-13 season. For Hensley, a goaltender who played this past


year with the Colorado Select’s 19U AAA team, joining a program in its infancy has a lot of ap- peal.


“The campus is very pretty and it just seemed


like a perfect fit,” said Hensley, a Lakewood na- tive.


The Lady Lions are equally excited to welcome Hensley to the fledgling squad. “Nicole brings an impressive academic and


playing resume to Lindenwood,” said Lady Lions coach Vince O’Mara. “She has all the tools needed to be successful at this level and, by working hard this offseason, we’re looking for her to come in and compete for the starting position.” “I’d been e-mailing (the Lindenwood coaches)


our game schedule throughout the year so they could come watch me play,” Hensley said of her courtship with the school. “After seeing film, they got in contact with me and things sort of fell into place from there.” Hensley, who will be joined at Lindenwood by Select 19U AAA defenseman Chloe Williams this


Colorado Select 19U AAA goaltender Nicole Hensley will begin her college career at Missouri’s Lindenwood University this fall.


fall, admitted it’s hard to believe she’s on the cusp of calling herself a Division I athlete. “I think I first realized that I had the potential


to play D-I hockey my junior year (of high school) when I first started playing for the Select 19U AAA team,” said Hensley, who will graduate from Green Mountain High this month. “Before then, I’d played boys hockey, so I didn’t really know how amazing the talent on the girls side was.” It didn’t hurt either, that the Select’s 19U


team plays in the Junior Women’s Hockey League (JWHL), considered one of the elite circuits for girls hoping to play high-level college hockey. “As we started getting into the season, I realized


I could hang with many of the girls in our league,” said Hensley, a JWHL all-star this year. Hensley feels she’s ready to challenge for play-


ing time right away with the Lady Lions and says she owes a great deal of her game preparedness to Select 19U AAA coach Marnie Hill, who has helped mentor countless Division I prospects over the years. “Marnie treats us like we’re collegiate athletes


and expects us to respond accordingly, and that’s led me to not only focus on hockey, but also off-ice workouts that have helped transfer to success on the ice,” she said. “I think my hockey sense and understanding of


the game will be very helpful in the transition to D-I hockey, and I think my mental toughness will be a big help, too, because I’m pretty good at be- ing able to bounce back after a bad play or a bad game.” In the classroom, Hensley is leaning towards pursuing a degree in athletic training. “No matter what I do after college, I’d still like


to be involved in sports, especially hockey,” said Hensley. “I don’t think I could ever just walk away from the game.” Hensley has set some lofty goals for herself at Lindenwood, but ones she’s confident she can ac- complish. “I want to continue to improve my game and


fight for a starting position,” she said. “I also want to keep helping my team improve and become a force to be reckoned with both in the CHA and na- tionally.”


RubberHockey.com 5


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