Men's hockey's goalies split time in net, struggle with consistency

If the men's hockey team were a baseball team, it would have a leg up on its competition in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

The team dresses three goalies, who play based on a rotation system much like pitchers do in baseball. The team's goalies generally play one game, then sit two, giving the net minders a start once, at most twice every two weeks.

If Princeton's hockey team were a baseball team, then, its goalies would be well-rested and consistently focused on their next start, like rested pitchers are in baseball.

The only problem is, of course, that hockey is not baseball. While baseball pitchers require three to five days of rest to enable them to fully heal their pitching arms and throw at their maximum, hockey goalies require little to no rest to be at peak performance for the next game. Though it is important to give net minders an occasional break, those who excel in net are able to do so by developing a rhythm and consistency — something which is done by playing night in and night out.

After 13 games this season, the men's hockey team (1-12-0 overall, 1-9-0 ECAC) has yet to find a starting goalie. After the loss of Dave Stathos '02 — the record-holder for Princeton goaltenders in save percentage in his career, and second in both goals against average in a season and saves in a career — the Tigers have been rotating in net three very capable starters: senior Nate Nomeland, sophomore Trevor Clay, and freshman Eric Leroux.

Each of the goalies has lost four games this year, with Clay manning the net in Princeton's only victory, which was a 4-3 win over Rensselaer Nov. 16.

Thirteen games into the season, head coach Len Quesnelle '88 has yet to make one of the goalies his regular starter. In Friday's 6-3 loss to Harvard, when the Tigers were outshot 46-10, Quesnelle went so far as to play a different goalie in each of the three periods.

This season, all three of Princeton's goaltenders have save percentages below .875 and goals against averages above 4.50. In comparison, Clarkson's goalie, Mike Walsh, leads the league with a save percentage of .949 in ECAC games and is second with a league goals against average of 1.34, while Cornell's goalie, Dave LeNeveu, ranks as the top goaltender in the country with an overall save percentage of .942 and a goals against average of 1.18.

Successful goaltenders like Walsh and LeNeveu require frequent starts in order to build up these top stats, while the statistical drop for Princeton's net minders might be traced to their infrequent starts.

Goalies require frequent play in game situations because, simply, practice makes perfect.

In sports, this idea is particularly important, taking on a different twist. Just as a basketball player cannot perfect the skill of shooting free-throws in his backyard, but only gains true proficiency when put on the line in the waning moments of a game, hockey goalies cannot be their best unless tested in games.

While practice, with its repetition of drills that focus on isolated skills, can perfect more tangible, physical skills, only the placement of the goalie in the net during games hones the mental skills so crucial to success.

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The experience Princeton's young goaltenders are receiving this season will pay dividends in the future, even if starts are sporadic, though one might question whether the more experienced Nomeland is better prepared to help the Tigers do what they need to do most this season — win.

Another significant concept has to do with the relationship between the frequency of a goaltender's play and his confidence. Regular starts signify faith on the part of the coaching staff in the goalie, a faith which gives confidence to the goaltender. High confidence, bordering on arrogance, is essential for hockey net minders, who must think they are the best to play like it.

After a strong effort — even if the end result was a loss — sitting the net minder in the subsequent contest only hurts the goalie's confidence.

At the same time, hockey goalies play their best over a series of games when they are able to develop a rhythm in net, when they are able to improve and learn from recent starts, and when they are able to build off of the confidence acquired in prior games. A goalie who plays once every one or two weeks is never able to truly cultivate those intangibles so necessary to his or her success.

Princeton's coaching staff undeniably has a tough job in trying to find playing time for three capable goalies. The coaches have to both think about the present season and also pave the way for future seasons. In that sense, the staff is doing a good job in a very trying time.

Its two young goaltenders, Leroux and Clay, are gaining experience in net for future seasons while its senior goalie, Nomeland, is getting a final chance to prove himself after three years of dedication to his team.