Please Note: The Practice of the Week is usually designed to be utilized across multiple age levels. With that being said, we highly encourage you to adjust the drills based on your team's age and skill levels. These drills and practices can be modified to become more basic or more advanced.

Practice Theme: The drills in this practice are designed to help your players practice and develop net front & down low skills. This practice can be full-ice or half-ice.

Offensive Coaching Points:

• Get to the front of the net: getting to the front of the net is not always easy but it will create screens & chaos for the goaltender. Plus you will have the opportunities for rebounds!
• Find soft space: find soft areas around the net where there is open ice for you, and your stick. This will allow your teammates to get the puck to you.
• Be ready for tips, deflections & rebounds: when you are in front of the net, be ready to react quickly to the puck.
• Awareness: constantly scan the ice to be aware of where the puck, open space, and other players are. 

Defensive Coaching Points:

• Communicate: communicate with your defense partner, and be ready to support them.
• Keep sticks on the ice: use an active stick to block passing lanes, lift sticks, and poke check.  
• Body positioning: work to be between the puck carrier and net. Do not get stuck along the boards, or cheating to one side. 
• Awareness: constantly scan the ice to be aware of where the puck, open space, and other players are.