How to play goalie in lacrosse. 15 Essential Lacrosse Goalie Tips: Master the Crease and Elevate Your Game

What are the crucial skills for a successful lacrosse goalie. How can goalies improve their positioning, communication, and anticipation. What techniques enhance a goalie’s save percentage and overall performance.

The Fundamentals of Lacrosse Goalie Excellence

Mastering the art of lacrosse goaltending requires a combination of physical prowess, mental acuity, and strategic thinking. As the last line of defense, a goalie’s performance can significantly impact the outcome of a game. Let’s delve into the essential tips that can transform an average goalie into a formidable presence between the pipes.

Proper Positioning: The Foundation of Goaltending

Positioning is paramount for a lacrosse goalie. How should a goalie position themselves in the goal? The key is to stand with your body centered between the pipes, maximizing coverage of the goal area. This central positioning allows for quick reactions to shots from various angles, increasing the likelihood of making saves.

The Power of Communication

A goalie’s role extends beyond simply stopping shots. How can goalies contribute to team defense? Effective communication is crucial. Goalies should use their voice to coordinate the defense, providing instructions, calling out picks, and alerting teammates to open opponents. This vocal leadership helps maintain organization and focus among the defensive unit.

Advanced Techniques for Lacrosse Goalies

Developing Anticipation Skills

Anticipation is a hallmark of elite goalies. How can goalies improve their ability to predict plays? By keenly observing opposing players’ body language, positioning, and passing patterns, goalies can often anticipate where the ball might go. This foresight allows for faster reactions and increased save percentages.

Enhancing Hand Speed and Coordination

Quick hands are essential for making rapid saves. What drills can improve a goalie’s hand-eye coordination? Practicing with smaller balls or engaging in reaction-based exercises can significantly enhance hand speed. The quicker a goalie’s hands, the more shots they’ll be able to stop.

Mastering Footwork and Mobility

Footwork is a critical component of goaltending excellence. How can goalies improve their mobility in the crease? Regular practice of lateral movements, shuffling, and explosive bursts helps goalies cover the goal area efficiently and cut down shooting angles. Superior footwork enables goalies to maintain proper positioning and make difficult saves.

The Importance of Stick Skills for Lacrosse Goalies

Goalies must possess more than just shot-stopping abilities. Why are stick skills crucial for lacrosse goalies? Proficiency in clearing the ball accurately and quickly, making precise passes, and confidently catching shots adds an extra dimension to a team’s gameplay. A goalie with strong stick skills can initiate offensive transitions and contribute to the team’s overall strategy.

Selecting the Right Equipment

Choosing the appropriate gear is essential for goalie performance and safety. What should goalies consider when selecting their equipment? The right lacrosse goalie stick can significantly impact a goalie’s ability to make saves and clear the ball effectively. Goalies should prioritize finding a stick that feels comfortable and suits their playing style.

Mental Aspects of Goaltending

Cultivating Mental Toughness

The mental game is as important as physical skills for lacrosse goalies. How can goalies develop mental resilience? Facing challenges and conceding goals is inevitable, but developing mental toughness allows goalies to stay focused and composed throughout the game. Learning to let go of mistakes and maintaining confidence in one’s abilities are crucial for rebounding from setbacks and making future saves.

Analyzing Shooters and Adapting Strategies

Understanding opponents is a key aspect of goaltending. How can goalies use shooter analysis to their advantage? By studying the shooting styles and tendencies of opposing players, goalies can anticipate shots more effectively. Some shooters may have preferred shooting spots or favored shot types. This knowledge allows goalies to adjust their positioning and reaction strategies accordingly.

Advanced Save Techniques and Strategies

Optimizing Body Position for Saves

Proper body positioning is crucial for making saves and recovering quickly. What is the ideal stance for a lacrosse goalie? Maintaining a strong, balanced athletic stance with evenly distributed weight and bent knees allows goalies to generate power and agility when making saves. This position also facilitates quick recovery after each save attempt.

Perfecting the Art of Clearing

Clearing the ball effectively is a vital skill for goalies. How can goalies improve their clearing abilities? Regular practice of accurate passing and quick decision-making on whether to pass or run the ball out of the defensive zone is essential. Successful clearing helps transition the game from defense to offense, creating more scoring opportunities for the team.

Visual Techniques for Enhanced Goaltending

Developing Eye Discipline

Visual focus is critical for anticipating and reacting to shots. Where should a goalie focus their eyes during play? Training the eyes to focus on the shooter’s stick rather than the ball can significantly improve a goalie’s ability to anticipate shot trajectories. This technique enhances reaction time and overall save percentage by providing earlier cues about the shot’s direction.

Optimizing Hand Position for Saves

Hand positioning plays a crucial role in making saves. Where should goalies position their hands for optimal performance? Keeping hands slightly in front of the body allows for quicker reactions to shots. This positioning reduces the distance hands need to travel to make a save, increasing the likelihood of stopping the ball.

Integrating Advanced Strategies into Gameplay

As goalies progress in their skills, integrating advanced strategies becomes crucial for elevating their game to the next level. How can goalies incorporate these advanced techniques into their gameplay?

Reading the Field and Anticipating Plays

Advanced goalies don’t just react to shots; they read the entire field of play. How can goalies improve their field awareness? By constantly scanning the field, tracking player movements, and understanding offensive formations, goalies can better anticipate where shots might come from. This broader awareness allows for better positioning and increased save opportunities.

Utilizing Angles to Maximize Coverage

Understanding and manipulating angles is a crucial skill for elite goalies. How can goalies use angles to their advantage? By stepping out to cut down shooting angles on approaching attackers, goalies can significantly reduce the available target area. This technique forces shooters to make more difficult shots, increasing the likelihood of a save.

Physical Conditioning for Lacrosse Goalies

The physical demands of goaltending require specific conditioning. What types of exercises benefit lacrosse goalies the most?

Enhancing Reflexes and Reaction Time

Quick reflexes are essential for goalies. How can goalies improve their reaction time? Exercises like juggling, using reaction balls, and practicing with tennis ball machines can significantly enhance a goalie’s reflexes. These drills simulate the unpredictable nature of shots, helping goalies develop faster reaction times.

Building Core Strength and Stability

A strong core is fundamental for goalie performance. Why is core strength important for lacrosse goalies? A robust core provides stability, improves balance, and enhances overall body control. Exercises like planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball workouts can help goalies develop the core strength necessary for explosive movements and maintaining proper form during saves.

Leveraging Technology in Goalie Training

Modern technology offers new opportunities for goalie development. How can goalies use technology to enhance their training?

Video Analysis for Technique Refinement

Video analysis has become an invaluable tool for goalies. How can goalies use video to improve their performance? By recording and reviewing their games and practice sessions, goalies can identify areas for improvement in their technique, positioning, and decision-making. This visual feedback allows for targeted practice and faster skill development.

Virtual Reality Training for Situational Awareness

Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a powerful training tool. How can VR benefit lacrosse goalies? VR simulations can provide goalies with immersive training experiences, allowing them to practice reading shots and making saves in a controlled environment. This technology offers the opportunity to face a variety of shot types and game situations without physical wear and tear.

The Role of Nutrition in Goalie Performance

Proper nutrition is crucial for maintaining peak performance. What dietary considerations should lacrosse goalies keep in mind?

Fueling for Quick Movements and Sustained Energy

Goalies need a balance of quick energy and sustained fuel. What types of foods support goalie performance? A diet rich in complex carbohydrates provides sustained energy throughout games and practices. Lean proteins aid in muscle recovery and repair, while healthy fats support overall health and hormone balance. Proper hydration is also crucial for maintaining focus and preventing fatigue.

Pre-game and Post-game Nutrition Strategies

Targeted nutrition before and after games can enhance performance and recovery. What should goalies eat before and after games? Pre-game meals should focus on easily digestible carbohydrates and lean proteins to provide energy without causing discomfort. Post-game nutrition should prioritize protein for muscle recovery and carbohydrates to replenish energy stores.

Mental Preparation and Visualization Techniques

Mental preparation is as important as physical training for goalies. How can goalies mentally prepare for games and high-pressure situations?

Developing Pre-game Rituals

Pre-game rituals can help goalies get into the right mindset. Why are pre-game rituals beneficial for goalies? Consistent pre-game routines help goalies focus their minds and calm nerves before games. These rituals might include specific warm-up exercises, visualization techniques, or listening to music. The familiarity of these routines can provide a sense of control and confidence.

Utilizing Visualization for Performance Enhancement

Visualization is a powerful tool for mental preparation. How can goalies use visualization to improve their performance? By mentally rehearsing successful saves, proper positioning, and effective communication with defenders, goalies can enhance their confidence and readiness for game situations. Regular visualization practice can lead to improved real-world performance and decision-making.

Building Leadership Skills as a Lacrosse Goalie

Goalies often serve as leaders on their teams. How can goalies develop and demonstrate leadership on and off the field?

Vocal Leadership During Games

Effective communication is a hallmark of great goalies. How can goalies lead vocally during games? By confidently directing the defense, calling out potential threats, and providing encouragement to teammates, goalies can significantly impact team performance. Clear, concise communication helps maintain defensive organization and boosts team morale.

Leading by Example in Practice and Preparation

Leadership extends beyond game day. How can goalies lead by example in practice and preparation? Demonstrating a strong work ethic, consistently giving maximum effort in drills, and maintaining a positive attitude set a standard for the entire team. Goalies who are committed to continuous improvement inspire their teammates to elevate their own performance.

By incorporating these advanced strategies, physical conditioning techniques, technological tools, nutritional considerations, mental preparation methods, and leadership skills, lacrosse goalies can significantly enhance their performance and value to their teams. Remember, becoming an elite goalie is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. Stay dedicated to your craft, remain open to new techniques and technologies, and always strive to be the best version of yourself on and off the field.

15 Lacrosse Goalie Tips: Master the Crease

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As a lacrosse goalie, your role is critical in ensuring your team’s success. You are the last line of defense and the one who can make or break the game. To be a successful lacrosse goalie, you need to be quick, agile, and have excellent hand-eye coordination. But there’s more to it than just that. In this article, we’ll provide you with some essential lacrosse goalie tips that will take your game to the next level.

To start, one of the most critical aspects of being a lacrosse goalie is having the right gear. It would help if you had all the necessary protective equipment to keep you safe during the game. This includes a helmet, chest protector, gloves, and leg pads. Without proper protection, you risk getting injured, which can take you out of the game and affect your team’s performance.

Another essential lacrosse goalie tip is to work on your stance. Your stance is critical in making saves and blocking shots. You need to have a balanced and athletic stance that allows you to move quickly and react to the ball. We’ll provide you with some drills and exercises that can help you perfect your stance and improve your overall performance.

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15 Lacrosse Goalie Tips

Being a lacrosse goalie is a challenging position that requires a unique set of skills. Here are 15 tips to help you improve your game and become a better lacrosse goalie.

Goalie Tip #1: Positioning

As a goalie, it’s crucial to position yourself properly in the goal. Stand with your body centered between the pipes, which maximizes your coverage of the goal area. This position allows you to react quickly to shots from different angles.

Goalie Tip #2: Communication

Goalies play a vital role in coordinating the defense. Use your voice to communicate with your teammates, providing instructions, calling out picks, or alerting them to open opponents. Effective communication helps everyone stay organized and focused.

Goalie Tip #3: Anticipation

Great goalies have the ability to anticipate plays before they happen. By observing the opposing players’ body language, positioning, and passing patterns, you can predict where the ball might go. This anticipation allows you to react faster and make more saves. This is one of the most important lacrosse goalie tips.

Goalie Tip #4: Quick Hands

Goalies must have fast hand-eye coordination to make rapid saves. You can develop this skill through drills that involve reacting to shots or using a smaller ball for quicker movements. The quicker your hands, the more shots you’ll be able to save.

Goalie Tip #5: Footwork

Excellent footwork is crucial for goalies. Practice lateral movements, shuffling, and explosive bursts to cover the goal area quickly and cut down angles for shooters. Good footwork allows you to move efficiently and maintain proper positioning.

Goalie Tip #6: Stick Skills

Goalies aren’t just responsible for stopping shots; they should also have solid stick skills. Work on clearing the ball accurately and quickly, making accurate passes, and confidently catching shots. A goalie who can handle the ball effectively adds an extra dimension to the team’s gameplay.

Parallel to stick skills, you maybe need to choose the best lacrosse goalie sticks for yourself.

Goalie Tip #7: Body Position

Maintaining a strong and balanced body position is essential. Stay in an athletic stance, with your weight evenly distributed and your knees bent. This stance allows you to generate power and agility when making saves, and it helps you recover quickly after making a save.

Goalie Tip #8: Clearing

Clearing the ball effectively is a crucial skill for goalies. Practice accurate passing and make quick decisions on whether to pass or run the ball out of the defensive zone. Clearing successfully helps transition the game from defense to offense, giving your team more scoring opportunities.

Goalie Tip #9: Analyze Shooters

Take the time to study the shooting styles and tendencies of opposing players. Some shooters may have a preferred shooting spot, while others might favor specific shots (e.g., low shots or high bouncers). By understanding their tendencies, you can anticipate their shots and react accordingly.

Goalie Tip #10: Mental Toughness

As a goalie, you will face challenges and may concede goals. Develop mental toughness to stay focused and composed throughout the game. Learn to let go of mistakes and remain confident in your abilities. A strong mindset is essential for rebounding and making future saves.

Goalie Tip #11: Eye Discipline

Train your eyes to focus on the shooter’s stick rather than the ball. By tracking the shooter’s stick, you can anticipate the shot trajectory more effectively, allowing you to make quicker saves. This technique improves your reaction time and overall save percentage.

Goalie Tip #12: Hand Position

Keep your hands slightly in front of your body in a ready position. This positioning allows you to react quickly to shots and have better control of rebounds. By having your hands in the right place, you’ll be able to make saves with greater efficiency.

Goalie Tip #13: Practice Saves from Different Angles

Repetition is key to improving your skills. Practice making saves from various angles, including high shots, low shots, and shots on the move. By simulating different game situations, you’ll become better prepared to react to shots during actual games.

Goalie Tip #14: Watch Film

Analyzing game footage is a valuable tool for improvement. Review your performances and study your positioning, movement, and decision-making. Identify areas for improvement and learn from.

You can also follow many Youtube videos to learn how a goalie plays, especially the best save situations. Many people get big success with this method.

Goalie Tip #15: Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is crucial for lacrosse goalies. Agility and quickness are important for lateral movements and reacting to shots. Improve endurance through cardiovascular exercises and interval training. Build strength in your legs, core, and upper body for stability and powerful saves. Flexibility enhances dynamic movements and saves. Work on reaction time with drills and hand-eye coordination exercises. Speed can be advantageous in certain situations. Prioritize injury prevention with warm-ups, cool-downs, and targeted exercises. By focusing on physical fitness, you’ll have the strength, endurance, and agility needed to excel as a lacrosse goalie.

By following these 15 lacrosse goalie tips, you can improve your game and become a better lacrosse goalie. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep working hard and never give up!

Conclusion

In conclusion, becoming a successful lacrosse goalie requires a combination of physical and mental skills. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can improve your game and take your skills to the next level.

First and foremost, make sure you are properly protected with the necessary equipment. This includes a helmet, throat guard, chest protector, gloves, and shin guards. Without proper protection, you risk injury and won’t be able to play at your best.

Next, work on your hand-eye coordination and reaction time with drills like the Magic Square and catching fluttering cards. These drills will help you make quick saves and improve your overall performance.

Communication is key for any successful lacrosse team, and as a goalie, it’s your responsibility to direct your defense. Make sure you are communicating effectively with your teammates, both on and off the field.

Finally, never stop learning and improving. Attend clinics, watch game footage, and seek feedback from coaches and teammates. With dedication and hard work, you can become a top-notch lacrosse goalie.

Remember, becoming a successful lacrosse goalie takes time and effort. Keep practicing and implementing these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your goals. Good luck!

In summary, the above lacrosse goalie tips can help you become a better player. Practice your skills, communicate with your team, and always strive to improve. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to take on any opponent and succeed on the field.

Video tutorial: How to play goalie in lacrosse

Author of the article:

Mark Masters

Published Feb 11, 2011  •  Last updated 12 years ago  •  2 minute read

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Being a goalie in the National Lacrosse League is not as easy as it looks.

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“Usually people see the size of the goalies and the size of the net and they think, ‘How does anybody ever score in this game?’” said Toronto Rock goalie Bob Watson. “But the control that the players have with the ball and the angles they can generate make things difficult.”

Through six games this season the Toronto Rock sit first in the NLL’s East Division. Strong goaltending has been a big reason why the team has experienced success.

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** Rock back-up goalie Pat Campbell spoke to the Post this week about what it takes to play the position. The video tutorial is available at the top of this article. **

Watson and Campbell point out that while lacrosse is often compared to hockey there are a number of big differences.

“In hockey the puck is always coming off the ice and always coming from the same spot, from the stick,” said Watson. “But in lacrosse it’s in the stick, behind their back, over their shoulders, it’s under-hand, it’s overhand so it comes from every angle.

“And the ball bounces as opposed to the puck.

“The control is also an issue. When a guy has the ball in their stick as opposed to on their stick in hockey the control level is second to none.

“It doesn’t take much room for these guys to score. The velocity these guys shoot at, at times over 100 miles-per-hour, is also challenging.”

Watson took a shot off his collarbone during a practice this week. The 40-year-old, who is considered one of the best netminders in NLL history, stumbled out of the net after getting hit.

“It can hurt you,” said Watson. “It’s something you have to overcome and you fight it every night. Sometimes guys are winding up right in front of you and the fear is in the back of your mind, but at the end of the day you have to stand in front of it and for the most part it doesn’t hurt … or, you know, you won’t get seriously hurt. ”

• Email: [email protected] | Twitter: @markhmasters

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Evgeny Alikin: “I learned from Metsola what you need to enjoy hockey” – News

The goalkeeper of Amur in an interview with KHL.ru spoke about the call to Fonbet KHL All-Star Game 2022, a friendly confrontation with Anatoly Golyshev and more

Evgeny Alikin has been defending the Amur gate for eight years now. In the Far East, the Permian went from a young goalkeeper to a member of the KHL All-Star Game. All this time, Alikin shared the post No. 1 of the Khabarovsk club with legionnaire goalkeepers, but at least he did not lose the competition. Recently, more and more news has appeared about interest in him from other clubs in the league, but Evgeny remains in Amur.

“When I got called to the All-Star Game, I felt like I didn’t deserve it.” Maybe there were seasons when you waited for an invitation, and this did not happen?

– To be honest, this year’s invitation is very unexpected. When the call came, our team just had a few unsuccessful games. And I even felt like I didn’t deserve it. There was not that satisfaction that should be when called up to the All-Star Game. Last year yes! Or the year before. Then I waited to be invited. Now, on the contrary, he has already let go of the situation, and the challenge has come. So I’m pleased. The guys and coaches tell me that for all eight years in the KHL I deserve it. I believe them (smiles).

– So this season you have taken some step back compared to the previous ones?

— No, no. It was just a bad time. Started the season well, then came a slight decline. Now we seem to have overcome it. Gaining momentum, showing a good game.

– Is the All-Star game as honorable and fun for goaltenders as it is for outfield players, or just honorable?

– We’ll see, we’ll see. I followed every All-Star game. True, more for competitions than for games. And sometimes it was really fun. What is the moment when Juha Metsola changed his clothes and went to play in the field. Shootouts again beat the goalkeepers. So the goalkeepers have something to show themselves.

– Doesn’t Metsola pull you into the field?

— No! (laughs). Since I was a defender as a child, I have not been drawn. There was no goalkeeper at school for a year, everyone tried out in the frame in turn.

– At that All-Star game, when Metsola became an outfield player, he switched roles with Linus Omark. Who would you frame?

– Tolya Golyshev!

– Maybe you can come up with something together?

— Yes, he has already written to me. We’re trying to come up with something. Threw a couple of ideas to each other. Let’s see what happens.

– You are countrymen with him. Should we expect a Perm “agreement” from you?

– Given that we will not play together, but for different teams in the Eastern Conference, anything can happen.

“When Golyshev scored, I had a grin. Then he said that he had been practicing such a throw all summer.”

– Golyshev scored a very nice puck this season. What is it like for a goalkeeper to be a co-author of a goal that everyone is twisting and reviewing?

– Oh, yes, I’m used to it already! I am constantly in highlights. When Tolya scored, I had a smirk. I knew he did that. I saw many such goals from Golyshev. And then he beats me! I simply forgot. Well, handsome. Then he said that he had been practicing such a throw all summer.

– Do you keep statistics with Golyshev how much he scored against you, how much did you return?

– Just so that the statistics – no. But our parents are hacked to death! They know each other and communicate well. Uncle Gena, Tolya’s dad, is always happy when he beats me. And my dad is happy when Tolya doesn’t score on me (laughs). We ourselves pay less attention to this confrontation. This season, in the first game against Avtomobilist, neither Golyshev nor Oleg Li, with whom I also communicate well, could not score. By the second, as you can see, Tolya corrected himself.

– Ever since last season in the KHL, there have been an abnormally many goals scored from a zero or negative angle. The way Golyshev scored for you. How do you explain this?

– I think the players just found a new way to get the puck in the net. Guys are smart and smart. They see open areas, feel the moment. This is both the effect of surprise and the skill of the performers.

— You and Golyshev at the All-Star Game will represent not only your clubs, but also your hometown. What is the current situation with hockey in Perm?

– My best friend plays there, the captain of the Hammer. We are in touch with him, aware of how things are going in the club. Plus, the goalkeeping coach who raised me as a child is there. Well, of course, I am also well acquainted with the president of the club, Alexander Gulyavtsev. I know that they have a difficult situation, they go in the middle of the table. But the whole fight for the VHL playoffs is yet to come. In general, the club is developing, and the interest in it from the fans, as elsewhere, depends on the results. There will be victories – there will be a full stadium. By the way, this year a stone was laid on the site of the new palace. They promise to hold the first competitions there in the 2025/2026 season. It is planned that basketball and hockey will be played there.

— Do they even whisper about the KHL in Perm?

– There are thoughts on this matter.

– Alexander Gulyavtsev, with whom you worked not only in Khabarovsk, but also in Perm, you called one of the best coaches both in tactics and in psychology. Aren’t you surprised he’s not coaching now?

— There are certain regrets about this. I think that our hockey is losing a really good coach. And this is not just my opinion. Many guys who worked with Gulyavtsev think so. And the fact that he does not train is connected with the situation in the club. Gulyavtsev is now returning the Hammer to the level at which the team was before. In this role, Perm needs him more. Although the desire to train, as far as I know, he has not gone away.

“When Metsola left Amur, I began to follow him even more, to adopt the technique”

— From year to year you had competition with foreign goalkeepers in Amur. Who was the hardest with?

– I have said many times that I do not attach much importance to the word “competition”. I support all the guys, no matter who comes to Amur. Never wish someone to miss more so they let me play. I still communicate with the Czechs, who have long since left Khabarovsk. With almost all foreigners, I had the same number of matches. Divide the season equally. Unless Patrik Bartoszak was injured that year and missed a lot.

— Didn’t you have thoughts like “well, stop bringing these Finns with Czechs, is there me”?

– No. Except that this season I was already preparing for the fact that Amur would not have a foreign goalkeeper. The arrival of Janis Kalnins became known literally a week before the start of the training camp. All summer I was psychologically preparing for the fact that Dima Lozebnikov and I would enter the season. always knew before that the club would sign a foreign goalkeeper.

— Kalnins was not given a transfer card for a long time in the summer. Were you ready that you could be one experienced goalkeeper in the team?

– There is no first and second number in Amur. At least I think so. In the Far East, in principle, it is difficult for one goalkeeper to play. And now there are more matches in the championship. Although last season, when Bartoszak was injured, showed that I can play more than 20 matches in a row. So I was already ready for something like that.

– You recently broke the club record for clean sheets. You and Juha Metsola now have 15 points each. Does the correspondence confrontation with the Finn spur you on?

— I found out about it only after the match, when I was tagged on social networks. I admit it’s nice! Although Yuha managed to do it in three seasons, it took me more time. And if we talk about Metsol, then working with him gave me a lot. I took from him some moments in terms of psychology. In particular, with regard to attitudes towards defeats. And when Juha left Amur, I began to follow his game even more.

– Considering that both of you are not the biggest goalkeepers, how applicable is his style to your game?

– This is the reason why I started to follow him more closely. In principle, there are few goalkeepers of this format. Even when he first arrived in Khabarovsk, it was clear that he had equipment delivered. Plus, he’s a goalkeeper. Reading the game is generally very important. Gradually began to adopt his technique.

– What do you mean by attitude to defeats?

– We need to treat them more calmly. It doesn’t matter if you missed or not, lost or won. Of course, no one will laugh in the locker room after failures. But when I go out on the ice, I don’t tune in only to win, I don’t wind myself up. I don’t keep in my head “just don’t miss it, just don’t miss it”. It is necessary, first of all, to get high from hockey! And everything else will come.

“I break one club every season. But it’s better to go to the locker room and break it there. Even when he repelled 58 shots from Neftekhimik. You had 54 saves last season against Ak Bars. Did you get high from this kind of hockey too?

— I agree with Nikita. The more they throw – the deeper you are immersed in the game, the better you read it. Up to the point that you already know where the opponent will give, where he will throw when the puck flies out from under the players. All this is obtained precisely on courage. I found out for myself that if up to 20 shots on goal – this is a terrible match! 20 to 30 is fine. But it is optimal if the opponent throws from 30 to 40. You are in the game and you are not so tired yet.

– We are talking about the number of rolls. What about quality? Does it have a big impact?

– After 40 throws – no more (laughs). Even after 30 it doesn’t matter. You plunge into the game and nothing else matters.

– You caught a period when the KHL had all the big venues, while now it’s mostly Finnish and Canadian. How did this affect the game of goalkeepers?

— It became easier for me as a goalkeeper to play on small pitches. Lots of shots from different positions. The attackers have less time to think, build a combination, move the puck in the zone.

– Marek Langhammer was once punished for the size of his bib. You, looking at the goalkeepers of the recent past, do not envy them? There was a lot of protection there.

– No, I’m not jealous. I don’t bother with the size of the chest. The main thing is that the equipment is comfortable. And I remember that moment with Marek. I also went to drink tea in the locker room during the break. And they call me back. I don’t understand what’s going on, it seems like the score is normal, it makes no sense to change the goalkeeper. I saw that Marek’s breastplate was being measured, and then they walked over me along with the ruler.

– But nevertheless, goalkeepers are now more vulnerable than before?

— It’s no secret that goalkeeper uniforms are being monitored more closely. They are trying to reduce it. The main thing is that this should not be done at the expense of protection and safety. So far, I personally have no complaints about this.

– Bartoszak broke his club a year ago when he was replaced by you. Is he the most emotional goalkeeper you’ve played with on the same team?

– Probably, yes. At the same time, Patrick is a very cool sociable guy! One of the most sociable in the Amur locker room. It was easy with him, we found a common language in no time.

— Have you ever been so mad because of a goal or a substitution?

— Yes, of course. Not without it. Every season I break one club. This season there was already such a moment when we played with Vityaz. But with age you become smarter, you understand that you don’t need to show your emotions. The opponent can see it and use it. In addition, children watch us and take an example. It’s better to go to the locker room and break the stick there, like I did (laughs).

“No one sees how much you work to make it look like the puck flew into your stomach”

— Miro Aaltonen scored against you in the style of Kucherov, without a shot . ..

— He’s got the puck off the hook! I understand when they do it on purpose, and when the throw fails. Aaltonen has a second case. Then everyone started to say to me, “What are you missing such garbage?”.

— What goals do you most dislike to concede?

– Don’t like substitutions. It’s very hard to control. The puck is about to fly into your shoulder or a trap, and then once and change the trajectory. Damn tennis players! Seriously, this is a very good skill for an attacker. All this must be done in a fight.

Have you ever had a lacrosse shot?

– Of course. And it even worked! It was the 2020/2021 season. The coronavirus was still raging. At the end of the pre-season, half of the team went to bed for ten days. The youth went to the first games, and we joined the third game in Balashikha. So that you understand: when you got out of bed, your legs shook, so the muscles atrophied. Everyone who was ill was released against Avangard. It was the most difficult. And in that game Seryoga Shumakov scored lacrosse for me. Although he raised the puck not in the top nine.

Is it easier for big goaltenders to deflect lacrosse?

– Absolutely! Vasya Koshechkin does not even need to turn his head in the direction of the attacker. Look at him and say, “What are you thinking?”.

— Did you have your own save that you watched over and over again?

– After each season, they cut all my shots.

— Wow. How many hours is this?

– A lot. They are divided into several videos. So I review everything, remember something, note for myself.

– But this is more about working on bugs. Does it happen that you are proud of some kind of salvation and revisit it with pleasure?

— For example, when you jumped from post to post and got the puck at the last moment, catching it out of an empty net? I agree that when the goalkeeper made a similar save, he had previously played positionally incorrectly. You can remember the last two seasons. At first, my save in the match with Vityaz was recognized as the best in the entire championship. The next year he became the second, although he should have been the first (laughs). Only when they were played on social networks – then I looked at them. I didn’t turn it on on purpose to tell myself how handsome I am.

— That is, the ideal goalkeeper’s game should be as unspectacular as possible?

– Something like this. Like an invisible protector. Seryoga Bobrovsky also said that no one sees how much you work to make it look like the puck itself flew into your stomach. And this is a colossal work.

“ Rumors about the interest of other clubs appear all the time, but nothing happens”

— In the KHL, the situation with goalkeepers is not easy, many top clubs have problems in this position. Against this background, many were surprised that you stayed at Amur.

– And I was surprised that many were surprised! I belong to the club, I can only be redeemed. And if Amur doesn’t want to sell me, then I won’t go anywhere.

— Over the years, have you been told that this or that club is interested in you?

The agent spoke a couple of years ago. Yes, and last season, in principle, there was an option. They call me and ask “how do you look at this or that option, is such and such a club interested?”. I express my point of view, and whether to let me go – decides “Cupid”.

— Have you heard about Avangard’s interest this season?

– I saw that they wrote about it. The guys from the team also told. But I’m already used to such rumors. They appear constantly, but nothing happens.

– Did you bite your elbows because after last season you only had 163 matches instead of 250, which is necessary to enter the free agency market?

— No, no.