Help Please!?

I play rollerhockey (Not much Ice in Florida) and a problem with S&L's. You know, the slow and lows. When Slaps and wristers are shot on me, I have no problem. Even on breakaways I do fine... But there are always those slow, low, trickles that beat me everytime. Can someone suggest something (maybe a drill or tech.) that will help me with the s&l's. I would really appreciate it.

[Bernie]

I would venture to say everyone has this problem. Two reasons that I believe so:

First, usually you are conditioned to react quickly to really fast shots. The game is a game of speed, indeed, and as a goalie you're always trying to be fast as possible. The slower shots (whether they are low or not) are often "overreacted" to, and wiffed on because you're already in follow through before it even gets to you! I remember a game where Patrick Roy skated up to a puck that was literally floating in the air- he actually had time to skate up to it- and he reached out and seriously misjudged his catch. The puck went right past his glove and bounced once or twice before entering the net. Certainly I felt better after seeing that.

The second reason is you are just plain more aware of when "soft goals" go by so you think you have a problem with it. Noone ever asks for help: "I'm really having a problem with hard shots that are just inside the post. Probably 90% of the goals scored on me are like that..." but they are concerned about the rare 3 or 4% that are as you describe. It is a normal response. Your car always breaks down "at the worst possible time" but you never crossed your fingers, held your breath and then sighed in relief everytime it started until then.

Bernie

[Kuzma]

You hit it on the head this time Bernie. If they are going slow and low to the ground I like to kill it with the pads and then cover or play it. If it's higher, good luck. I've had the same problem as of late.

[blackman34]

once again, Bernie is right!
it's VERY easy to over-react to these shots. What I usually do on the slow dribblers is drop my to my right knee while keeping the left one up. I keep my left leg straight, my stick flat on the ice, and move my glove over to cover the 5-hole - pretty much "The Hextall slide" w/o sliding. Its the same thing I do on long dump in shots. That way the whole ice is covered, and it's extremely easy to stop the puck dead w/o any rebounds.

the simple answer is- don't think too much on what you should be doing and just stop the damn puck. once you stop to analyze a slow situaiton, you're screwed. sometimes it's better just to react and stop the friggin' puck!

on a side note- I also coach a women's B-team with a lot of beginners. On occasion I'll suit up to help them with their shots. I find it amazing how many shots I let go in that are so incredibly SLOW! It's just that you're not used to slow timing- the same reason why a baseball will strike out on a slow change-up.

[daemyn75]

AKgoalie I'm moving to Florida I'm being stationed at MacDill AFB in Tampa and want to play some good roller hockey while I'm down there. Please get back with me so we can talk.

Good, I sort of feel better knowing people have the same problems as me =)
Anyways...good luck to everyone else out there....
-The Wall


To daemyn75, send me an email
darkviper_316@hotmail.com

[WERNER 1]

I don't know what it is about those type of shots, but I con make the most unbelievable saves on breakaways, blast from point blank, or throw a leg out about six feet and get a piece of one. But I seem to watch those weak wifted tricklers go under, through, and around me! You want to talk about demoralizing! It's just unbelievable.
BLACKMAN34, you say you help out on a womens B team? and there are beginners? I take it this is on ice?
I play on a mens B league(roller) in the ST.LOUIS area, and the players here are down right scarry! Our beginners league is CC,well actually I'd consider it intermediate, some of those guys are pretty good.
And by scarry I mean shots you "hear but do not see"
Is there a set format for dividing skill levels?

[blackman34]

Werner- Yeah, I coach the B team on ice. They're just beginners, equal to your CC team I guess. We have an A team as well, and they're pretty good. The B team? well, they try hard, and that's all I can ask for as a coach, right?

There really isn't a set skill divide. it usually varies from rink to rink depending on the amount of people registered for the leagues.

I play on either A or B men's league's teams. I started coaching while I was in college at UMass Amherst where the women's team went to the club finals up in Lake Placid. Damn good. Not olympic level, but definite talent in a lot of them.

sorry didn't mean to stray from the topic. let's get back, shall we?

[This message has been edited by blackman34 (edited January 12, 2000).]

[Bernie]

Werner- Did you say St Louis? Do you play at All American by chance?

We probably know eachother!

[WERNER 1]

Bernie-
yes I said StLouis.
I have played at All American a couple of times, but my mainstay is at Oak Hill Sports Complex in Belleville IL., and at the U.S.Ice Sports Complex in Fairview hts. IL.
( I live just outside of Fairview )
I wouldn't mind playing at All American on a league, but I'm already playing tree times a week ( ice twice ond roller once ) I don't think the wife is gonna go for another night- if mama aint happy aint nobody happy!

[Bernie]

Yeah, I played at Oak Hill. I like that rink a lot! I was on a team called the STARS a little while back. Oh lets see, there was a guy named Jack Wier on that team, and Bob something or other - I think he also refs there. Ring a bell?

If you run into them tell em "Matt Bernstein" says hello. I haven't been in there for a long time

Bernie

[WERNER 1]

Yeah, I know Jack, he ref's alot of our games up there. I'm sure who he plays for now though. I know we played against him last session ( and beat um pretty bad )
Did you know they have two rinks now? the new one is alot bigger! It's alot faster also. They also have a website now, www.oakhillsports.com ( they don't keep it updated very well though!)
I co-captian/coach a C-team called the hackers ( were a bunch of old school street hockey players ) I also sub on acouple of B teams when time allows.
They have our tem picture posted on the site. They post all the champions from the previous session. It's under sunday (C)
If you ever go up there let me know.
later
-WERNER1

[Bernie]

Thanks Werner! How cool! Yeah last I played there they just got the 2nd rink going. The restaurant there is absolutely fabulous too! That's one of my favorite places to play but it's out of the way.

I guess Jack would have to be on the Twisters, huh? I see his team is struggling a bit, heh heh.

I couldn't quite make out your picture from the web site, I'm sure we must have run into eachother before though. Anyway, Jack and I have been friends since college, so please say hi, he'd be really floored that you and I know eachother over the internet!!! But don't post anything bad he says about me on this board!

Bernie

This may sound pretty stupid but I have been playing goalie for a while now and the one thing I always teach goalies about the trickle effect is even if is the slowest shot in the world go down in the butter fly that almost totally eliminates the lower half of the goal. Yeah your teammates will laugh at you for a couple of days but after they see the dramatic change they'll realize that its not as dumb as it looks. And what ever you do dont try to stop it standing up unless you are totally sure of yourself. Leave that crap to the pros.

[showstopper33]

After reading this board for a few weeks, I realize two things.

One is, I don't know half of what I should know!

Two is, BERNIE knows all! Is this guy Bernie Parent????????

Keep it up Bernie, i'll buy your book when it comes out!