The influence of the internet is boundless.
Case in point: When St. Timothy High School Thunder field-hockey goalie Emily Wasylyniuk sought shootout goaltending stragegies, she went straight to YouTube.
She brought her online studies of World Cup field-hockey goalies to the field for Thunder’s Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association Div. 3 girl’s field-hockey City final June 2 against Lester B. Pearson Patriots.
Following scoreless regulation and overtime, it was off to the shootout where Wasylyniuk dominated. No one scored on the Thunder Grade 11. She slammed the door. Teammates Amber Meyers and Seela Wulff netted shootout goals, propelling Thunder to the CSHSAA Div. 3 girl’s field-hockey title.
After being mobbed by ecstatic teammates following the gripping 1-0 victory, Wasylyniuk shared her online studies of field-hockey goaltending shootout strategies.
“I looked at videos on YouTube of World Cups and stuff,” she said of her attacking style of goaltending for a shootout in which the shooter gets eight seconds with the ball to try and score. “That was what they do. They challenge the shooter, they come out and take away the opportunities.”
The kid’s a quick study. She challenged the shooters, moving out to pressure them as they approached, took away their opportunities and helped her team win a City championship in her first season tending goal for Thunder field hockey.
But she had to get to the shootout, receiving help from her able and determined Thunder teammates who kept a lid on a skilled Pearson team that defeated Thunder 1-0 in the regular season.
“Just a determined group of determined, young-women athletes who just bought into the sport,” said elated Thunder head coach Susan MacLellan. “Some of them only started playing in March. Pearson had some really strong, skilled players today. But our players hung in tough and we had some excellent, strong play from our goaltender.”
It was the second-straight shootout shutout for Thunder, with Wasylyniuk in net for St. Tim’s 1-0 semifinal win over Calgary’s James Fowler on May 28.
“I just had to stay confident. Staying confident was key,” Wasylyniuk surmised. “I think I might come back to play goal. I quite enjoy it.”
No word on Wasylyniuk posting her own YouTube field-hockey goaltending clinics yet.
