Clemmensen

Scott Clemmensen

Number: 30
Position: Goaltender
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 185
Catches: Left
Hometown: Urbandale, IA
Last Team: Des Moines Buccaneers
Birthdate: 7-23-77

Player Biography

Scott received the Bob Punsalam Memorial Award for the 1995-96 season, recognizing his dedicated contribution to Des Moines Amateur Hockey. He counts winning the State Championships his freshman year of high school as his greatest accomplishment. His hobbies include water skiing and mountain biking.
In-Depth Interview
September 1996

Sarah: What differences are there between a goalie and other positions?

Scott Clemmensen: The difference between goalie and other positions is the fact that a goalie cannot make as many mistakes as the forwards and defenseman make. Together they can make hundreds of mistakes a game, but know one will notice. If the goalie makes one mistake than it ends up as a goal and everyone in the arena knows.

Sarah: How do you prepare differently?

S. Clemmensen: Goalies get more nervous than anybody, than the forwards or defense does. The only thing you can do to prepare for it, is to have good self confidence going into the games and be ready to go mentally. Whereas the forwards have to be more physically prepared for the game. Playing goalie is 90 percent mental. A lot of stress, a lot of pressure on you, sometimes it gets to you too. If your not having a good game it's really hard to deal with. Before the game there's a lot of stress and pressure on you to play well.

Sarah: What's the best thing about being a goalie and what's the worst thing?

S. Clemmensen: The worst part about being a goalie is the pressure, that's for sure. You have all your teammates counting on you to stop the puck and sometimes if you let in a bad goal you let your teammates and coach down. The funnest part is when your playing good and everyone in the arena and all the players congratulate you after the game. That's a real confidence booster for you, that's the best feeling.

Sarah: As goalie what is the worst situation to be in?

S. Clemmensen: The worst situation is when your not having a very good game, the puck's not bouncing your way, and their team is on the power play. Sometimes when things are not going your way you doubt yourself. When the guy gets ready to take a shot your thinking "Oh my gosh here comes a shot." Where if your having a good game you don't even think about it you just stop it. So you kind of play mind games with yourself. The worst scenario is when your not into the game mentally and you've made a lot of mistakes, but you have to keep going in the game.

Sarah: When the action is down on the other side of the ice and your all alone what do you think about, do you feel left out?

S. Clemmensen: When the action is down at the other end it gives you time to rest and you have to prepare yourself for the upcoming play as it comes to you. You never know if they're going to break it out and come down on a two on one or a breakaway. You never know what's going to happen, so you are just preparing yourself for whatever events are going to transpire your way.

Sarah: How do the fans affect you? At home games and away games.

S. Clemmensen: I don't think the fans affect me too much at the home games, when they all cheer for you its a really great feeling, and when you make a save they cheer for you. After the game when they congratulate you it's really flattering. It lifts your confidence up when you're at home and the fans cheer for you. At the away games the fans boo at you and yell stuff at you, I kind of like it because it makes you want to go out there and play harder. I think the fans help me play better.

Sarah: So do you like it when the home crowd boos?

S. Clemmensen: The home crowd? No, that would be under one of the bad things about playing goalie, when your own hometown boos you.

Sarah: On a breakaway and you know there's no on left to stop the oncoming rush what do you think about, is it hard to keep from panicking?

S. Clemmensen: It's not hard to keep from panicking because everything happens so fast you don't really think about it until its over. The main thing you have to worry about on a breakaway is all your techniques, what you should do and what you shouldn't do. Obviously you want to stop it so it will help the team. Just because it's a breakaway and it's not your fault that it's a breakaway you can turn that negative into a positive by making a good play. You really don't have time to think about anything, you just worry about getting out, getting the angle, cutting back, and playing it the right way.

Sarah: Do you ever feel the need to duck when the puck is coming straight at your head?

S. Clemmensen: Well, yes, anybody's natural reaction when a puck or ball comes flying at you is too duck. I'm six foot two so a lot of the times when the puck is coming at my head it means its going over the net. Usually you try and get your shoulder up into it, you try not to let it hit you in the head. It happens every once in a while, but that's all right, just as long as it's not a goal.

Sarah: How does it feel mentally and physically when someone like Joe Blake rips a slapshot at you?

S. Clemmensen: (Scott laughs) Well mentally when someone like Joe Blake winds up your thinking "Oh my gosh here comes a very hard shot." Sometimes flashes of getting hit in the neck go through your mind. Usually it hits you in the pads somewhere, but if you get hit in the arms or the head it hurts a little bit. You can't really think about it when it's coming at you because it's too fast, you just try and stop it with as little injury as possible.

Sarah: Why do other players feel like they have to protect the goalie? You see in hockey when all the players rush to protect the goalie when he gets pushed, is the goalie really that vulnerable?

S. Clemmensen: Well, if it's late in the game and especially if you're winning, the goalie has confidence going for him and he's all warmed up. The goalie on the bench hasn't been warmed up and he's the only one left, if he goes down there's no one left. Often players protect their goalie just to keep him from being injured. It's kind of like a pride factor, when your goalie's playing good, it's like saying my goalie's better than yours. I like it! It's mainly to prevent injury to the goalie. So if someone does hit your goalie than your players want to send a message to the other team saying don't hit my goalie.

Sarah: Is it terrifying to lose your stick?

S. Clemmensen: Yes, it is very terrifying to lose your stick. Your stick is your main tool, it will block probably 50 percent of your shots, all the high shots and everything. The players can never shoot it too low so you always want your stick to be on the ice. When you lose your stick the only part that's touching the ice is your two little blades that are probably half an inch wide put together.

Sarah: What are some of the teams you've played for in the past?

S Clemmensen: I grew up here in Des Moines, so I played for all the travel teams. Teams like the Mite A travel, the Squirt A travel, we were always the Junior Buccaneers. My Freshman year I played for Valley-Dowling. Just last year, my junior year, they changed it to the Des Moines Capitals, but it was the same team. This year I played for the Bucs, so it was just coming up through the ranks of the Des Moines system. I never went away to play hockey like most of the players on the team have, but I never did.

Sarah: What would the fans be surprised to know about you?

S. Clemmensen: I'd like to think I don't have a lot to hide. Well, I'd like them to know that I appreciate everything they do for me and cheer for me. I think they'd be surprised to know how nervous I get before the game, so when I have a good game and everybody cheers for me it helps ease the nervousness.