Ice Hockey Nice Hockey

Housemate Ed and I got ESPN America this week, finally, thank the Lord! Should have done it earlier as I've missed much of the Washington Capitals season but that's no one's fault but my own. HD has revolutionised the watching of this sport, making the puck actually visible and therefore the game more than just a blur of colours and punchups.

It occurred to me, whilst watching Buffalo beat the NY Rangers this morning, that we as field hockey players have a lot to learn from sports like ice hockey. Aside from the fights, there are several aspects of the game I wish were more prevalent in its land-based counterpart. Firstly, the linking play. It's incredible. The puck is constantly moved with an accuracy most sports teams could only dream about. There's no selfishness or "I could do this better on my own" mentality and this allows for a great passing game to take place in a relatively small and extremely crowded field of play.

Secondly, there's the speed of shot. You don't have time as a goaltender in hockey to not be in the right place because these guys can get a shot off from anywhere, at extreme speeds. And they do. There's no hesitation, it's a ruthless attitude that gets most of the goals. Taking the opportunity the second it occurs and not a moment later. Yes, this obviously comes with playing and training at a sport at a national level, but it's the speed of thought that is available to players at all levels. The ability to get the ball and simultaneously decide what must be done with it. This is something I can learn from as a keeper too. Save the ball and rebound it safely, at the same time.

Lastly, I think we as a team (Huddersfield Dragons Ladies 1s, hoorah) and many of the teams I watch play field hockey, lack the sense of urgency displayed in ice hockey. I remarked to Ed this morning that even in the last ten seconds of an ice hockey match, you're never sure it's over. It is frenetic. Yes this pace owes a lot to the fact that it's on ice, it's faster, but it's the urgency in the players I am talking about. The desperate quest for goals. The hard pushes that last only seconds but produce results. Occassionally, in a really tight field hockey match, the last few minutes will be filled with this energy, a full time short will get the pulse racing, but it would be great to see this goal passion throughout the game.

Lord knows how any of this would be achieved, it's all just musings and I don't pretend to have ideas about how or even if these things could surface in field hockey.

I just wish they would.

A x 

Your video treat today is a collection of ten bloody awesome ice hockey saves that anyone can appreciate: