Wednesday Vikings Training

On Wednesday I went to Gawler after work for my fourth training session this season.  There was a mix of players there, four from 2nd and Premier Divisions, seven from Div I.  Started with player to player passing with forehand and backhand (teamed up with Bec from the Shufflers for this), suicide sprints (in ice terminology, 'blue, red, blue and far red' lines and back in turn at speed, then 'blue and far red lines and back in turn backwards at speed), then a stickhandling slaloming cone dodging skate up the board with accelerating sweeping turn around and sprint back down the middle for a shot.  Then it was repeat this, but 'embellish and elaborate' on the way ("be creative").

We ended with the 'house drill', with three players in corners of the attack zone, fourth player passes from the fourth corner to Player A up the board on the blue, skates up and around where A (was) before heading into the slot and playing Defence to the other three's attack.  After the D has passed to A and while they are skating up, around and to the slot, A passes East to West along the blue line bo B and then skates to where B (was) as B passes to C down in the corner and heads in to the slot while C passes to A (who is or was skating along the blue from one side to the other).  It's all very simple when you actually do it.  The goal is for the attackers to get the puck into the net while goalie and D try and stop them.  When the play ends (goal, or successful defence) D becomes A, A becomes B, B becomes C, C goes off and joins the queue, while the player at the front of the queue becomes the new D.  We then did a couple runs with 2 players skating up into the D role, making it a 3 on 2.

We then played the final game, where there were three 'teams' divided by sweater colour.  I was on the blue team composed of four C Graders by coincidence.  It was then a three team battle at the same time with the whole of the rink, aim being to get a goal in the one goal.  The only team that succeeded was us blues (against all those Div I and Premiere players!) when we combined on the one play where we actually gained control of the puck for more than an instant for me to pass it into Mal on the open net while all the senior players checked each other out of the equation.  Goes to show!

So, after an hour we were all pleasantly worked out and sweaty and had soon changed and were on our ways home.  But not before I confirmed that I'll play as a reserve for the Shufflers in the early game next Saturday, before my own Wheelers game at the end of the evening.  Which will be quite a challenge after a week off, but should be fun if I make adequate pre game preparations.

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