My over-30 team finished 1-2 in the USA Hockey Nationals in Green Bay and once again failed to make the medal round. We played better than we did the previous year, but we’re still coming up short at key moments in games. As we watched the final, I was wondering what made those two teams [...]

As my Edge over-30 team enters the final week of practices before heading to the nationals in Green Bay, I’ve been thinking about the difference between recreational hockey and competitive hockey. While my house league team has some players with college experience and we strive to win, or at least play the best we can [...]

Just got back from a tournament in Port Colborne, Canada. I love playing in Canada. Scoring a goal there (alas, our team did not get enough to win the tourney) is like a religious experience.  The community rinks are clean, and each has its own personality. The Teeder Kennedy rink has open benches. Having the [...]

I was warming up with a teammate before a recent game by passing one of those balls that has the same weight as a puck. We have a new assistant coach this year, and a while ago he was giving us tips on catching a pass. He said that our stick should always be to [...]

I play in a house league, and I think in all the seven or eight years of  the league we’ve had fewer than a half-dozen games reffed by women. Now, refs of either gender can miss a hook or a trip or not want to call icing in the 9:30 p.m. game to get everyone [...]

Our Rochester Edge Over-30 team, which won the New York title last year and hosted the USA Hockey nationals, is gearing up for Green Bay. Most of the team has returned, and it’s interesting to see the difference. Many of the players last year were new to a high level of competitive hockey (all the [...]

It’s back on the ice Sept. 21 after a long summer off. After a few pickup games earlier in the summer, I was glad to hit an open skate the week before to work on some turns and  cuts — the quick moves that will make the legs burn during practice and ache a few [...]

Some women come to hockey in their 30s or 40s after having played other sports. They are good athletes, so learning to skate isn’t a problem. But learning to coordinate skating with stickhandling  all the time keeping their heads up is the challenge. So, too, is finding a level of play where they can compete [...]

Agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction and speed are the assets of the complete athlete. Can you have one without the others? In small doses. Someone can be quick on her feet, but is she fast? Someone can be fast once they react, but is that speed enough to make up the step or two lost [...]

Walking backward on a treadmill targets the glutes, muscles recruited in your skating stride. Walking sideways, or more like shuffling sideways, works the inner and outer thigh, key muscles to get you down the ice. When walking backward or sideways, be careful. Seriously.  These techniques aren’t for everyone. Try this only if you have good [...]