Five Man Puck Recovery

with Tyler Krueger,
UW-Stevens Point Head Coach;
2019 NCAA Division III National Championship;
led UWSP to the first undefeated season in Division III Hockey history;
awarded the 2019 Edward Jeremiah Award as the National Coach of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association (ACHA);
2019 USCHO.com National Coach of the Year;
was Associate Head Coach in 2016 (NCAA National Championship)

In a possession-style approach to the game, you want to regain possession as quickly as possible when it's lost. This video featuring UW-Stevens Point head coach Tyler Krueger will teach you how to train your team to regain possession deep in the offensive zone and generate more high quality scoring opportunities as a result.

Offensive Zone Tactics Against the "Swarm"

Coach Krueger begins by discussing why teams deploy a "swarm" defense. He explains how to effectively counter this defensive tactic by collapsing the zone and not becoming out-numbered. You and your team will learn the concept of "squashing" defenders to limit the effectiveness of the opponent's wingers.

Recovering Pucks in the Offensive Zone

You'll see how to get your forwards into proper position in the offensive zone to pressure the swarm defense into creating loose pucks, which will provide your players opportunities to recover them. Through a set of three drills, Coach Krueger displays how to train your team to be active with constant movement so your athletes can anticipate the D play, be on time with pressure, and jump on the loose puck.

Getting Pucks into the Critical Scoring Area

Krueger's final three drills work on re-expanding the zone and getting the puck back into the critical scoring area after winning possession from the defense. You will observe how to train your team to quickly open, and get into, both the "Half Wall" and "Goal Line" seams in order to generate opportunities in the "Grade A" area. Additionally, Coach Krueger provides a low-to-high reset drill that will train your team how to respond to a defense that has quickly closed up the seams you're trying to exploit.

Coach Krueger emphasizes the importance of having a 70/30 offensive/defensive split in order to be successful with a possession-style approach to the game. Winning the puck back in the attack zone is a critical component in this style of play. The concepts and drills in this video will help you train your team to quickly get back on the attack and increase your shot count.

58 minutes. 2020.