Goalkeepers

[Olderbarndog]

As an old man I try to keep up with the boxscores, tracking players I had coached in the club ranks. Fortunate enough to see NESCAC, NEWMAC & CCC without too much travel. Interogative: When did (and why do) teams start rostering 4-5 keepers?

[SixBySix]

Has been pretty common as long as I have been around the D3 game to recruit one goalie a year. If they all stick around, you end up with 4 at a time (plus the occasional walk-on).

[Olderbarndog]

Can see it if your assistant is a goalie guru or your staff is large enough. Would be concerned about shooters getting quality reps in 6 v 6 if the talent level was substantially different. Glad to see even smaller schools with large rosters though.

[BallHunt]

Can see it if your assistant is a goalie guru or your staff is large enough. Would be concerned about shooters getting quality reps in 6 v 6 if the talent level was substantially different. Glad to see even smaller schools with large rosters though.

I think this is a big problem for both programs and players. Generally speaking, in D3 there is a staffing shortage to develop goalies, and talent in the other positions too. It's impossible to workout 4 goalies a day and coaches end up relying on shooting drills for reps. It ain't the same. D1 is another story, as they have the staff, and when they have mostly Saturday games there is time to workout.

In D3 you have to step on campus ready, and improve over the summer with relentless workouts.

[ah23]

At least for some programs, goalies are coached kind of like the stereotypical kicker on a football team (“go over there and do whatever it is you do, if you screw up I’m putting the next guy in”). Obviously D3 budgets are usually limited and it’s easier to justify hiring assistants for the entire offense/defense than for one position, but man does that show up on gameday sometimes.

[MVPiccoli]

Can see it if your assistant is a goalie guru or your staff is large enough. Would be concerned about shooters getting quality reps in 6 v 6 if the talent level was substantially different. Glad to see even smaller schools with large rosters though.

I think this is a big problem for both programs and players. Generally speaking, in D3 there is a staffing shortage to develop goalies, and talent in the other positions too. It's impossible to workout 4 goalies a day and coaches end up relying on shooting drills for reps. It ain't the same. D1 is another story, as they have the staff, and when they have mostly Saturday games there is time to workout.

In D3 you have to step on campus ready, and improve over the summer with relentless workouts.

Agree with this. Very few capable coaches for that position at our level, even fewer with the bandwidth to address 4-5 of them. Same with FO. Gotta chase the development outside the lines of practice. Although, I'll say, the nuance of all positions largely go unaddressed in D3. No one leaned in to teach me the granular details of a dodge, read, or specific technique during my time in Radnor.

[BallHunt]

Can see it if your assistant is a goalie guru or your staff is large enough. Would be concerned about shooters getting quality reps in 6 v 6 if the talent level was substantially different. Glad to see even smaller schools with large rosters though.

I think this is a big problem for both programs and players. Generally speaking, in D3 there is a staffing shortage to develop goalies, and talent in the other positions too. It's impossible to workout 4 goalies a day and coaches end up relying on shooting drills for reps. It ain't the same. D1 is another story, as they have the staff, and when they have mostly Saturday games there is time to workout.

In D3 you have to step on campus ready, and improve over the summer with relentless workouts.

Agree with this. Very few capable coaches for that position at our level, even fewer with the bandwidth to address 4-5 of them. Same with FO. Gotta chase the development outside the lines of practice. Although, I'll say, the nuance of all positions largely go unaddressed in D3. No one leaned in to teach me the granular details of a dodge, read, or specific technique during my time in Radnor.

This is the big difference between D1 to D3. D1 coaching staffs can actually develop players, where D3 it's really up to the players to make strides in improving.

[Laxaholic123]

I'll play devil's advocate and say that I understand why teams have 4 goalies. it takes one to transfer and one to get hurt before you are sitting looking at one starter and one on the bench and hoping neither of the two get sick or break a thumb to where you can't run full field in practice. I think the pros of 4 goalies outweigh the cons of only having two on a roster. I do agree that anything more than 4 is too much and goalies won't be seeing the reps they want. I think it is up to the coaches to incorporate drills that have goalies seeing a lot of realistic shots if they are going to have that many goalies on the roster.

[BallHunt]

I'll play devil's advocate and say that I understand why teams have 4 goalies. it takes one to transfer and one to get hurt before you are sitting looking at one starter and one on the bench and hoping neither of the two get sick or break a thumb to where you can't run full field in practice. I think the pros of 4 goalies outweigh the cons of only having two on a roster. I do agree that anything more than 4 is too much and goalies won't be seeing the reps they want. I think it is up to the coaches to incorporate drills that have goalies seeing a lot of realistic shots if they are going to have that many goalies on the roster.

If practices have a lot of 6v6 and full field, then, with 4 goalies you can get some decent realistic shots. Still doesn't replace the reps and hopefully technique of longer workouts. If you can work 4 goalies that's great!

[Unknown Participant]

BU Terriers heading to the frozen four have 4 gks on the roster. One of them has played every minute this year. If a college hockey team has 4 gks, then surely 4-5 is appropriate on a lacrosse roster (where gks serve penalties after all). When I coached HS lacrosse, a common concern was the gk getting pummeled with shots in practice. Having 4-5 certainly allows more shooters to shoot with a keeper in the cage without wearing 1-2 out.

As an aside, Tufts has 3 on the roster this year having graduated 3 last year. My sources tell me that the D coordinator knows 1-2 students on campus that played the position in HS who could be called up if 1-2 gks get hurt.

[MVPiccoli]

I'll play devil's advocate and say that I understand why teams have 4 goalies. it takes one to transfer and one to get hurt before you are sitting looking at one starter and one on the bench and hoping neither of the two get sick or break a thumb to where you can't run full field in practice. I think the pros of 4 goalies outweigh the cons of only having two on a roster. I do agree that anything more than 4 is too much and goalies won't be seeing the reps they want. I think it is up to the coaches to incorporate drills that have goalies seeing a lot of realistic shots if they are going to have that many goalies on the roster.

If practices have a lot of 6v6 and full field, then, with 4 goalies you can get some decent realistic shots. Still doesn't replace the reps and hopefully technique of longer workouts. If you can work 4 goalies that's great!

That's 100% the approach. The "target practice" goalies at all levels seem to turnover a lot too. That label isn't fair, but it's accurate. Some know that will likely be their role, some are sold a bill of goods.

[OC410]

In my experience 3 is optimal 4 is too many. Coaches will "invite" as many as six to fall ball just to see who sticks around for spring. Tough position but even tougher to coach the right way. If coaches put a little extra time in with this position it can reap benefits but most don't.

[NNELax]

Keepers and FOGO's are two positions you NEED to invest in to be successful at any level...People also don't give enough credit to the SSDM...at the end of the year when the AA list comes out you'd be hard pressed to find a NC without guys from those positions listed....

[OC410]

Had a SSDM and coached a couple good ones. Face off gbs and good D helped both GK and FOGO. Dead on with NC comment

[SixBySix]

Keepers and FOGO's are two positions you NEED to invest in to be successful at any level...People also don't give enough credit to the SSDM...at the end of the year when the AA list comes out you'd be hard pressed to find a NC without guys from those positions listed....

I think you have the causality backwards on this relationship (but I would absolutely agree that SSDM is one of the most underrated positions in the sport).