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Today I was invited to travel to St. Cloud State University to coach the goalies who were at the Warrrior camp,  a program run by the Defending the Blue Line organization for kids who have parents in the military. It’s a program I have supported in the past and am happy to help with.

The kids stayed at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls and particiated in a variety of military activities. During the day they were bused to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center at St. Cloud State for their on-ice training.

Many of the goalies who were at this camp have been to the Carroll Goalie School, so it was good to see them again. We worked on their basic skating skills and goalie-specific crease movements. The kids worked hard at improving their skills and had fun.

The mission at Defending The Blue Line is ensuring that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. They accomplish this by providing free equipment for military kids, hockey camps, special events, and financial assistance for registration fees and other costs associated with hockey.

In 2013, DTBL provided more than $1 million worth of hockey equipment, game tickets, cash grants, and summer camps to military families across the United States and Canada. It’s an incredible achievement for their little organization that still has only one full time and one part time employee. They give special thanks to all of their incredible volunteers, donors, supporters, and amazing military families for making the mission possible.

I was invited to work with four of the state’s top 15-year-old goalies in early July at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine. These were selectees and alternates for the 2015 USA Hockey Boys Select 15 National Player Development Camp in New York.

I provided goalie training during Minnesota Hockey’s pre-national training camp, which was specifically designed to prepare the players to compete at the national level. It was a three-and-half-day camp and I was given time during each of the practices I was at to work at one end of the ice with the goalies.

We worked on improving their goalie skating and crease movement skills along stopping pucks and controlling reounds in various situations. The boys worked hard and asked good, detailed questions. You could tell they were not satisfied with the level they were at and were determined to get better each and every time they were on the ice. And each one of them did.

I made suggestions to each of the goalies that they immediately incorporated into their game. Suggestions included altering their glove hand position, having patience so they didn’t drop to their knees without a purpose, playing at top of the crease and to keep their stick on the ice when moving laterally.

What I found interesting was that one of the goalies told me he had never had any formal goalie training before the time I spent with him. He simply relied on his athletic ability and instincts to get the job done.

It enjoyed the opportunity to work with these talented goalies and look forward to tracking their progress.

This feature is part of a series that recognized the 10 greatest hockey players in Minnesota State Mankato’s history. It originally aired during the 2010-2011 hockey season on Charter Communications’ College Hockey Weekend broadcasts.

I played at Minnesota State from 1977-1981, and currently hold eight goaltending records.

During my career, the Mavericks played in four NCAA national tournaments where we finished first once (1979-80), second once (1978-79) and third twice (1977-78 and 1980-81).

After MSU, I became a sports reporter at KARE 11 TV in the Twin Cities and started the Carroll Goalie School in 1995. I currently work in communications for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. My brother Pat was also named to the top 10 list.

 

http://vimeo.com/marcustaplin/10greateststevecarroll

 

We are now in our 21st year of helping goalies of all skill levels achieve success between the pipes. And once again, CGS students and coaches had excellent hockey seasons in 2014-15.

Here is a sampling of accomplishments:

• Coach Steve Carroll recently finished his 14th season as goalie coach for the Gustavus Adolphus College women’s hockey team. The Gusties won the regular season title for the 10th time in 11 years with a 15-2-1 record, 19-5-2 overall. The team’s starting goalie earned All-Conference honors and led the league with .92 goals against average and a .948 save percentage.

• Adam Wilcox, South St. Paul, Minn., University of Minnesota, signed professional contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Wilcox leaves Minnesota as the school’s all-time leader in career save percentage (.922) and career goals against average (2.09) while he is tied for the program’s career shutout record (13). The netminder’s 73 career wins are the most among active NCAA goalies and are tied for third all-time at Minnesota. Wilcox ends his college career with a 73-26-14 record (.710) while posting 22 or more wins in each of his three years with the Maroon & Gold. He trained with the Carroll Goalie School for a season during his youth hockey days when CGS was hired by the South St. Paul Youth Hockey Association to provide a series of in-season goalie clinics.

• John McLean, Eagan, Minn., Gustavus Adolphus College. Named MIAC Men’s All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. Signed professional contract with Pensacola Ice Flyers in Southern Professional Hockey League. Invited to Vancouver Canucks Prospects Development camp in July. Trained with CGS during years we ran goalie clinics for Eagan Hockey Association.
• Emma May, Cretin Derham Hall. Named top five finalist for Let’s Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year Award. Named to USA Today’s ALL-USA Girls High School Hockey team. Went 19-4-3 with a 1.63 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage this season. Had 59 career wins and was all-conference all four years. Plans to play for University of Minnesota next season. Here is an article about Emma. www.gophersports.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/062115aaa.html. She trained with CGS during years we ran goalie clinics for Eagan Hockey Association and during private lessons.

• Lindsey Brown, Mounds View, Minn., was named American Hockey Coaches Association Second Team All-American following her senior season at Saint Anselm College. Trained at CGS early in her goaltending career.

• Jenna Traut, St. Cloud, Minn., College of St. Benedict. The senior was named to MIAC Women’s All-Conference Team. Trained at CGS camp during high school.
• Will Swanson, Mahtomedi High School. Selected to Minnesota Hockey’s NIT High Performance 18 team. Led Zephyrs to third place finish at 2015 State Boys High School Hockey Tournament. One of 36 goalies nationwide invited to participate in USA Hockey’s Warren Strelow Goalie Camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan in May. Trained at CGS camp and during one-on-one training sessions when playing youth hockey.
• Jake Begley, Hill-Murray High School. The sophomore helped Pioneers reach the 2015 State Boys High School Hockey Tournament. Invited to tryout for USA Hockey’s National Development program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  One of 36 goalies nationwide invited to participate in USA Hockey’s Warren Strelow Goalie Camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan in May. Trained at CGS camp  and during one-on-one training sessions when playing youth hockey.
• Dyllan Lubbesmeyer, Burnsville High School. Selected as winner of Frank Brimsek Award, presented to top senior goalie in boys high school hockey. Trained with CGS during years we ran in-season goalie clinics for Burnsville Hockey Club.

• Lauren Bench, Burnsville High School. The junior announced her commitment to play Division I hockey at Bemidji State University. Trained with CGS during years we ran in-season goalie clinics for Burnsville Hockey Club.

• Jacob Brown, Burnsville Bantam B2. He had 17-6 record with eight shutouts and two assists. He won a free blocker and catch glove from Brian’s Custom Sports for being among the hundreds of goalies who submitted shutouts to the Carroll Goalie School/Brian’s Shutout Wall that appeared weekly in Let’s Play Hockey Newspaper. Trained with CGS during years we ran in-season goalie clinics for Burnsville Hockey Club. Trains at the CGS Advanced Skills Camp we offer in September.

• Kaitlyn Pellicci, Eastview High School. Led Lightning to 2015 State Girls High School Hockey Tournament. Trained with CGS during years we ran goalie clinics for the REV hockey program.

• Jake Kielly, Eden Prairie, plays for the Austin Bruins. One of the top goalies in the North American Hockey League. Trained at CGS camp during his youth hockey days.

 

Our 2015 schedule is posted on our website and registration is now open for all nine sessions. You can learn more and register online now at www.carrollgs.com. I encourage you to register early for best selection.

This is our 21st year of offering our popular skill development programs for boys and girls, ages 6-15.

2015 highlights include:

• NEW and improved drills.
• NEW – Spring session in April
• NEW – Intro to Goaltending session in June.
• NEW – Advanced session in August.
• Weekend and evening ice hours.
• Camps in spring, summer and fall.
• Five convenient locations – Blaine (Schwan Super Rink), Eagan, Lakeville Ames, Richfield, White Bear Lake.
• Free jersey.

We look forward to helping your goalie achieve success between the pipes.

Sincerely,

Steve Carroll
Carroll Goalie School

Hard to believe, but it was 35 years ago this month that the U. S. Olympic hockey team captured the gold medal in the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Every hockey fan remembers where they were during those Miracle on Ice moments. I recall watching the games from my college dorm room at Minnesota State, Mankato.

And it was quite a thrill for me to actually meet one of the heroes from that game. I had the opportunity to meet and have my picture taken with goalie Jim Craig when he was in town recently.

Do you know that in March of 1979, USA Hockey actually held open tryouts for the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team? Even though most people felt Coach Brooks knew who he wanted on his team and had a very good idea of where those players would be coming from. Highly unlikely that Coach Brooks would gamble on taking a random player from an open tryout.

None the less, me and some of my Minnesota State hockey teammates thought it would be cool to say we tried out for the Olympic team. Open tryouts were held in Minneapolis, Detroit and Boston.

A bunch of us registered for the tryouts in Minneapolis. Turns out, our team qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament, which was held about the same time as the tryout in Minneapolis. We contactedorganizers and asked if we could switch to the Detroit location.

They told us no, but said they would have scouts at the national tournament. If anyone caught their eye, they would be receive a special invite.

At the national tournament I made 59 saves in our semifinal game and another 42 in the championship game. 101 saves in two games. Not bad, but guess what, not good enough to win the national championship or to get a special invite to the open tryouts in Motown.

Not that I figured I had a shot at making the team, but it would have been fun to say that I at least had a chance to tryout for the club.

As many of you know, I played youth and high school hockey in Edina. And because of that, it is always fun to be involved helping the Hornets.

Once again this year, I was invited back to be one of the evalators during the association’s goalie tryouts. There is an abundance of talented goalies in this program and I enjoy seeing the progress from year to year.

In addition to helping grade the goalies, I am also doing private lessons for some Edina netminders this season.

I am working with some of the goalies during their team practices while others are choosing to train during private ice rentals.

The one-on-one sessions are really helping with the individual skill development of these goalies. And their hard work is paying off for their teams as they are off to a fast start.