Lax Goalie Rat Podcast

LGR 286: Inside the Mind of Notre Dame Goalie Thomas Ricciardelli

Coach Damon Wilson

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Notre Dame National Champion Tommy Ricciardelli on Mental Toughness, Championship Goaltending & Finding Your Flow State

Join two-time National Champion Tommy Ricciardelli (Notre Dame) as he breaks down the mental game that carried him through championship runs and what it really takes to compete at the highest level.

In this episode, Tommy shares:

  • The Next Shot Mentality - How he learned to bounce back from 4-goal runs and stay composed under pressure (hint: it involves tapping the posts and focusing on blades of grass)
  • Finding Your Flow State - Tommy's approach to getting into that blackout performance zone where you don't remember plays but make every save
  • The Reality of Being a Backup - How serving as Liam Entenmann's backup for two years made him a better goalie and taught him invaluable lessons about competing at the elite level
  • Coach Corrigan's Two Non-Negotiables - Poise and intention in everything you do, on and off the field
  • Technical Insights - Why Tommy switched from a tight stance to playing loose, the truth about that little "hop" technique, and his stick setup philosophy
  • Championship Lessons - What he learned from that Penn State comeback loss and how it's shaping his approach this season
  • The Communication Balance - Why Notre Dame goalies focus on saves first and let defenders handle slides (plus when younger goalies should learn the defensive system anyway)

Plus: Tommy's advice on staying creative, having fun, and not putting too much pressure on yourself in the cage.

Perfect for goalies looking to level up their mental game and learn from someone who's been there on college lacrosse's biggest stage.

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