In the spring of 2016, the goalie coach of the Quinnipiac Men’s Ice Hockey Team approached an engineering student on the team to design a portable device that can be installed in a hockey rink that will contain pucks in small areas during practice.  Often, multiple goals are used on the ice to facilitate the practice of large numbers of players and goalies.  With this limited space comes the danger of an unsuspecting player or coach being hit by a deflected puck.  There are no portable devices on the market that successfully protect against this problem.

In response to the coach’s request, and based upon preliminary research and brainstorming, the team proposed the following problem statement:

Design a lightweight, portable device that can be installed in a hockey rink that will contain and keep unsuspecting players and coaches safe from deflected pucks.  This device will allow coaches to safely separate the ice into individual zones, maximizing the productivity of the limited space.  The device must be able to withstand the deflection of a professional-grade shot velocity.

A crucial consumer requirement included in this problem statement is the ability to withstand a deflection of a professional-grade shot velocity.  This is what separates the products from others on the market that move when they’re impacted.  The team deemed this requirement, instead of requirement of withstanding a direct shot, because the device needs to be portable, lightweight, and cost effective. 

The final design is a 15 ft by 10 ft triangular shaped net attached to the glass by a hook on one end and to the ice by a clamp on the other.  The assembly can safely withstand the impact of a deflected 70 mph shot.