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Through the Cage: Oliver Auyeung-Ashton & the Goalie Mindset

Goalies have a reputation for being different, maybe even a little crazy. Not many people are willing to stand in the crease while dense rubber pucks are shot at their head at intense speeds. Besides the obvious positional difference that sets goalies apart, there is also a lot more that goes on in a goalie’s head. A goalie’s mental game is what makes or breaks them and all great goalies started with one thing: their minds.

Oliver Auyeung-Ashton is a third-year goaltender with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. Taking the league by storm in 2022-23, Auyeung-Ashton finished second in the BCHL in save percentage, fifth in GAA, and racked up five shutouts during his rookie season.

This season, Auyeung-Ashton – or Oli as he’s known to his hoard of behind the glass fans – is an integral part of the Grizzlies team with 10 wins under his belt through 15 appearances.

When it comes to Auyeung-Ashton though, there’s more to him than can be seen on the stats sheet.

Auyeung-Ashton started playing hockey when he was five years old and learned his love for the game from his parents, whom he credits with introducing him to the game and being big influences in his life.

His foray into playing goal came early on in his hockey journey. “Everyone kind of rotated into goalie. I think I was just better at it than I was player. It just stuck,” he said.

While Auyeung-Ashton’s transition to goaltending may have been simple, he knows the position is anything but. His approach to goaltending focuses on limiting the mistakes he makes because, as he puts it, “they’re costly.”

How he’s limiting those mistakes has a lot to do with his mind. “It’s all a mental game,” Auyeung-Ashton says.

Making sure he’s ready mentally is a big part of his game, where he clears his mind and achieves “a state of flow,” fully immersing himself in the game ready to do his job of stopping the shots that come his way. Ironically, a lot of thought goes into getting him to a spot where he isn’t thinking. “When I’m playing well, I’m not thinking.”

The ‘state of flow’ Auyeung-Ashton wants to achieve on the ice starts long before the game. “Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial,” he stated.

Starting the night before game day he doesn’t look at any sources of blue light. “My eyes are the biggest part. I need to have fast eyes to be able to track the puck well.”

If you watch a Grizzlies game, between plays you can spot Auyeung-Ashton spraying his water into the air and watching the droplets move onto the ice, a habit he notes that “keeps my eyes dialed.” When he’s on the ice, he is locked into his game. He moves around his crease with focus, visualising the puck, and is ready to play his game. 

Staying consistent in his pre-game routine is important for him because it gets him into a mindset where he’s working to help his team achieve the outcome they want. “You build a routine. Win or lose you go into the game with the same mindset,” he notes.

Auyeung-Ashton knows letting in goals is part of the game. Learning to not get caught up in those mistakes is something he struggles with at times but not dwelling and moving on after a goal is the way he approaches it.

Auyeung-Ashton knows that there is always going to be more shots and he wants that to be his focus.

Coming away from a loss, though, is harder. “I think it’s the end of the world whenever I lose.”

Kyle Kelsey, Auyeung-Ashton’s crease mate on the Grizzlies, is a big help when it comes to changing his mindset after a loss. “He’s always got good advice. There’s a lot I can learn from him when it comes to that aspect of the game.” 

At the end of the day, trust in his team allows Auyeung-Ashton to keep a balanced mindset and play his best. “You just gotta believe that your team believes in you as well,” he said. “Knowing that the guys on the bench trust you and if you do your job and they do theirs, we’re gonna get the right result.”

by Caelan Carroll

Caelan Carroll is a writing student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. She is a lifelong hockey fan who spent much of her childhood in hockey rinks both playing and watching. At the heart of Caelan’s writing is telling human stories to which everyone can relate.

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