Interview with SHS Hockey Goalies Max Hauboldt and Braden Houser
The Panthers came out even this past weekend with one win and one loss. On Friday, they swept Saint Francis DeSales 9-1. Danny Murrow led the Panthers with five goals, AJ DeRosa scored two goals, and both Chris Scherer and Ryan Pohlkotte pitched in one goal. They closed out the regular season with a loss to Bishop Watterson on Sunday. Looking ahead, the Panthers will compete in the Blue Jackets Cup (the league tournament for Capital Hockey Conference) this weekend and then the OHSAA District Tournament next weekend. This week I talked to both goalies to hear about hockey from their end of the ice.
Hockey stories:
Braden started playing hockey because of his brother Coleman (a Boro Hockey alum!). When Coleman started playing and never turned back, Braden thought he should give it a try too.
Max moved to Ohio when he was in third grade. You don’t typically think of Ohio as a hockey hub, but Max started watching the NHL a lot after he moved here, and that inspired him to start playing.
How Max and Braden have developed strong mental games:
Every position in every sport is executed better if the player has a strong mental game. Staying mentally strong throughout competing is especially imperative for goalies. Braden said that he has developed his mental game by “losing." He says, "you can’t appreciate the good games if you can’t learn from the bad games.” 
Getting through those tough games and improving from them strengthens a player's mental and physical abilities. Max has developed his mental game by concentrating more on the action and zoning out the trash talk. He said: “You just gotta stay on your game [and] think about the next save.”
Most terrifying shots to save:
Max: A breakaway because of the suspense. In those few seconds while the player is making their way down the ice, Max is thinking: “Aw crap, it’s coming!”
Braden: “Against the grain, close in” is the toughest shot to stop.
The most difficult thing about being a goalie:
Max: Facing 50+ shots a game
Braden: Mental toughness
How Max & Braden focus after getting scored on:
Building off of having a strong mental game, I asked Max and Braden how they focus on the next play after getting scored on. Braden just gives himself a couple seconds to forget about it. He takes a drink of water, posts up, and is ready for whatever happens next.
Max allows himself to take a brief moment to think about what went wrong on the last play, but then he gets himself into a different mindset: “After it’s done, it’s done, you know. You can’t go back, you can’t change it, so after that...get ready for the next save.”
What Max & Braden think about after making a save:
As the starting goalie for the Panthers this year, Max typically faces upwards of 40 to 50 shots in a game. He told me that if he starts thinking after a save, he will get in his head and things will start to go downhill. Braden has a similar mindset. He said, “I try not to let it hype me up so it doesn’t bring me down if I get scored on.” Max and Braden try not to think too much about saves after they make them because it can easily throw off their focus.
Max & Braden’s favorite memories as Panthers:
Braden’s favorite memory so far as a Panther was the Kent State Tournament over winter break last season. Many players remember this tournament fondly because the team was shorthanded and lost some tough battles on the ice, but grew closer together off the ice.
Max’s favorite memory also came from last season. With a laugh, Max said one of his favorite memories was when former backup goalie Jordan Babb filled in one game and started dancing in the net during a play!
What Max & Braden would play if they weren’t goalies:
When Max and Braden were in junior high, they played on teams with two goalies that split playing time. This means they both played other positions as well as goalies a few seasons ago. Braden started playing hockey as a right winger before he decided to guard the net. Then, when he split time with another goalie his seventh grade year, he played defense. If he had to choose a different position today, he would choose to be a defenseman.
Max started playing hockey as a skater, but he has mostly played goalie. Similar to Braden, Max split time with another goalie his seventh grade year. When he wasn’t in the net, he was a winger. Laughing, Max tells Braden and I that he remembers taking one shot on goal and a breakaway opportunity that didn’t go so well. If Max was not a goalie, he would want to be a center.
Max & Braden’s advice for young hockey goalies:
Max and Braden both encourage young goalies to never give up and stick with it. Max noted that it won’t always be easy, but it gets better. He wants to remind young goalies not to let the goals scored on them get in their head. At the end of the day, Max and Braden think it will pay off if you work hard and enjoy your time on the ice. Max said, “Play your game. Go have fun” and Braden concluded with one final piece of advice: “Practice makes perfect.”
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