Sholly's Goalies Hockey Training

to my grandfather, who was followed by my dad, then myself and my little brother. Hockey in California, though by no means the top sport in terms of popularity, is much bigger than most people initially think, and as a result I had the benefit of excellent coaching and opportunities to play the game. My dad, a former professional goalie himself and long time emergency backup goalie for the Kings, worked as the manager of the LA Kings Practice Rink as well which afforded me endless opportunities to skate while growing up, further feeding my drive and passion for the game. Having a goalie for a dad also meant I had a built in goalie coach to help guide me through my hockey journey by leaning on his experiences. I played house league hockey for a few seasons before jumping to club hockey with the Jr Kings when I was 8, working my way through the clubs levels from Mite A to Midget Minor AAA when I was 16. After my second season of Midget AAA I had the opportunity to play junior A hockey for the Fresno Monsters of the NAHL, so I left home at the age of 17 to further pursue my goals. During my first year of junior hockey I started to garner collegiate interest and committed to Bowling Green State University following the end of the year. Earning a Division I scholarship to play college hockey was a huge accomplishment in my early hockey career and still something I’m proud of to this day. I spent one more season with the monsters before making the big jump to NCAA college hockey. College was simultaneously the most fun and the most adversity I’ve faced in my life. I love Bowling Green and my best friends and memories are from my time there but my hockey career hit a major roadblock while I was there. For whatever reason, I never was able to play to my highest capabilities while there and was outplayed by the other goalies who were there for all four years, essentially leaving me to ride the bench. The ultimate low was my junior year, in which I did not play a single game. During this time I strongly considered leaving the game behind me come graduation, but the desire to prove myself and my passion for the game overpowered this defeatist attitude and I decided to give it another shot at the professional level. In the summer after I graduated, I rededicated myself to the game and started training with a new outlook and renewed enthusiasm. I started my pro career in the SPHL with the Macon Mayhem but was quickly traded to the Evansville Thunderbolts. I was able to prove myself enough at that level to earn a call up to the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL where I played all of 8 games before being traded to the Idaho Steelheads. Despite having played for 4 teams in 1 year, my first year of pro hockey resparked my joy for the game and was a big success. The following year I was back with the Steelheads for another successful campaign that saw me become an ECHL All-Star and runner-up for goalie of the year as well as earning an AHL contract with the Texas Stars the next summer. This past season I attended Dallas Stars training camp and ended up playing another full season with the Steelheads. I further improved my play and earned the honor of Goalie of the Year for the ECHL. Following the uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19, I made the decision to play overseas for HC-Detva in the top Slovakian hockey league, the Tippsport Liga but returned halfway through the season to play wiht the Texas Stars of the AHL. I currently play for HC Pustertal of the ICEHL, the top level of play in Austria, with teams also in Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Aside from hockey, I have an incredible, beautiful and supportive girlfriend named Delaney. We met while we were both attending BGSU, where she was on the volleyball team. We also have a crazy little pup named Rhaegar (@rhaegarthered on Instagram, you won’t be disappointed �). The three of us love to get outdoors and are constantly looking for cool new hikes to check out! My goal is to use this platform to share what I’ve learned throughout my career to help the younger generation achieve their own goals. My mindset and resolve have been forged through adversity and proven effective at elevating my game from a college benchwarmer to a professional stand-out, and I hope they can help you see similar improvements in your game if that is your goal. I’ll also be updating how my season is going and the fun adventures that will inevitably pop up while being abroad!