A few years back, I had the opportunity to watch in person two of the top-ranked women’s college hockey teams in the country, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota, face off against each other in a doubleheader. As someone who used to play against these teams years ago, it is always amazing to see how the level of speed, skill and strength shown by the players has improved overall. But by far,  the most impressive thing I noticed while watching these two teams play was the extremely high degree of execution. In fact, when someone made a pass that was slightly less than perfect or missed their responsibility on the back check, it stuck out like a sore thumb.  For these two games, I sat way up at the top of the stands with the simple goal of figuring out what these players and teams were doing that really separated them from the level of play I watch on a daily basis.

So I created a list of “The top seven things that every player can improve” from my observations during these two games.

1. Talk!: The first thing that struck me was how much the players communicated with each other out on the ice. Most of the time when I watch games, the players are virtually silent out on the ice. During these games, the players called for every pass, defensemen communicated with their partners and the goalies helped the defense out on the in-zone. Talking out on the ice only makes everyone’s job easier.  

2. Stick on the ice: This is another big one that I am constantly reminding my players about. Not only did these elite players have their stick on the ice right when they knew the pass or shot was coming, they had it there even earlier. The game was moving so fast that many of the passes would have been missed if the players were holding the stick up by their waist – but they were always ready.

3. Follow shots to the net: Quite often when I am watching girls’ games, players will take a shot and then fade off to the corner or end up below the goal line afterwards. These women took their shots, crashed the net with speed and stopped right in the crease. They didn’t stand around and stare at their shot – they kept their feet moving and went to the net. 

4. Feet always moving along boards: Whether it was a winger opening up on the boards on the breakout or a defenseman battling for the puck along the wall, these elite players always kept their feet moving. Standing still or gliding along the boards really only ever works in the power play – most of the time you want to keep your feet moving to avoid a check or avoid getting a penalty. 

5. Lateral movement on attack: I am constantly reinforcing the concept of moving laterally in the neutral zone and offensive zone with my forwards. While being fast in a straight line is important, it’s your ability to move laterally with speed and power that will allow you to separate yourself from your check and get more opportunities to score. These players were constantly skating on the diagonal, looking for shorter passes and creating time and space with their lateral movement.  

6. Defense get feet moving with puck: This is another one that I am constantly reminding my defensemen about. The defense in these women’s games always had their feet moving up ice when they made a pass. Sometimes it seems like young players over-think their decisions on defense and stop moving their feet before making a pass. This leaves them no opportunity to recover quickly if the pass is off-target, and it is always easier to pass to a moving target when you are moving as well. 

7. Patience with the puck: This was the one thing that really separated these elite players from the younger players I watch every day. When they had the puck on their stick, they never panicked. Even when they were under pressure, they kept their head up and their feet moving and looked for their best option. This is a skill that all players who aspire to get to the next level much cultivate.  

By improving in these seven areas and focusing on executing every skill to the best of your ability, you will take a step closer to becoming an elite player one day too.

To get complete access to articles, videos, interviews and advice on how to take your game to the next level at www.totalfemalehockey.com. Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS, is an expert in the development of aspiring female hockey players. She is a former NCAA Division I captain at Dartmouth and played in the National Women’s Hockey League for six years. She is currently the Head Coach of the Toronto-Leaside Jr Wildcats in the Provincials Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and is the Director & Founder of Total Female Hockey.