Unless there has been a drastic change in the rules, in NCAA play there is a
portion of the ice known as *the goaltender's privileged area* which consists
of an imaginary box formed by a line perpendicular to the back boards to the
face-off dot, a line from dot-to-dot in front of the net, and another line
back to the backboards -- an area not unlike *the box* in soccer.  Within
this area IT IS ILLEGAL TO CONTACT THE GOALIE and by definition this includes
the crease area.  Why the officials are so reluctant (apparently) to call
these instances of *running the goalie* is beyond me.  As has always been the
case, if the refs don't protect the players, they'll do it themselves,
leading almost inevitably to someone being injured before the boys in the
striped shirts catch on.  All of us who have played or coached know that one
of the cardinal rules of the game -- unofficial though it may be -- is:
protect your keeper.  Things will get ugly before they get better in this
regard, IMHO.
 
Dave Erickson
The Intercollegiate Hockey Newsletter
 
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