New York high school hockey player pulls off incredible lacrosse-style goal
"The Michigan" has made its way to high school hockey in New York's Hudson Valley.
Picking the puck up by his stick and stuffing it top shelf, East Fishkill (N.Y.) John Jay Hockey Club star Robert Clerc recreated the lacrosse-style wraparound goal made famous by Mike Legg in an NCAA tournament win over Minnesota on the Wolverines' way to the 1996 national title (h/t USA TODAY).
Here's how Legg described the goal that took him countless hours to master, which he apparently learned from former Western Michigan star Bill Armstrong, according to an ESPN Page 2 feature years later that described the tally as "the coolest goal ever scored in hockey."
"I go on the toe of my stick. Put my stick on top of the puck. There's centrifugal force from pulling the puck backwards and winging it around to the left hand side, like a pizza tray. You flip it over, step toward the target, shift the weight. It's hard to explain. I'd rather show you."
Legg's goal came against Sachem in the New York State Amateur Hockey Association high school club tournament. While Legg's score propelled Michigan to an NCAA championship, the JJHC wasn't so lucky, ultimately losing two of three games in the NYSAHA tourney and failing to reach the semifinals.
Regardless, Clerc joins a select list of hockey players at any level, including former Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, who can claim "The Michigan" on their résumé.
