Use your body

Even in a nominally non-contact version of hockey like shinny, or women's hockey, there is plenty of opportunity to use your body. Here are three possible situations:

1. after doing a poke or sweep check: if you keep moving forward (and I'm assuming your opponent was moving in the opposite direction), if the puck skitters into the air, it will bounce off some part of your body (chest, legs, feet) and land in front of you and move ahead with you. The other guy will be behind you by then. You're already moving forward, so keep going!
2. against the boards: if you're defending someone near the boards they are going to try to bang it up the boards and go around you to pick up the puck again. But if you put the side of your body up against the boards you cut off that option.
3. to shield the puck as you cut toward the net: turn your chest slightly away from the defender that's chasing you, while still skating in the direction you want to go. This puts the puck far from the defender, and they have to reach around you while you're oriented in the widest direction if they want to poke it away.

Today I was trying to consciously counterattack my opponent when he was doing #3, shielding the puck. I'm always reluctant to use my body to get in close, because we are so conscious of the non-contact rules in my women's league. However, the shinny guys all use (and enjoy) some body contact, so I am more willing to try with them. There is also a certain comfort level with the shinny group I've played with for years. 

So there was a moment when I was covering Red #11 who was trying to set up a breakout play, and he very precisely turned his body to keep me from the puck, so I got right in there and smushed my shoulders up against his, to try and get at the puck. (I'm generally at a disadvantage because they are almost all bigger than me.) I didn't get the puck away, but on the other hand he had to work harder to get past me. It was definitely a new feeling, playing that close in to someone, on purpose. Hey, at least I thought of it at the right moment and tried something new!

It's definitely something worth working on because, especially in the women's league, I think it could lead to more turnovers. The C division women are all used to practically having an air-cushion around them, but in fact that's not necessary to stay within the rules. You can't bodycheck, but you can get in close and use your body.

[unrelated note: when I was doing my practice reps of power turns during warm-up, it became clear that my skates are extremely dull...I guess I am not following my own advice!]