Coaching Staff

Coach Des is a native of Calgary, AB, where he played youth and Junior Hockey. Des attended and played for Minnesota State University (MSUM) from 1995-1998 where he earned team MVP his senior year as well as the Senior Male athlete of the year award. Coach Des played Professional hockey from 1998-2000 in Germany and United States before volunteering as goaltending coach at MSUM from 2000-2009. Together with former goaltending partner, Craig Lindsey, Des formed TGC in 2002. In April 2005 TGC was selected as, and continues to be, the goaltending choice of National Champion Shattuck St. Mary’s (SSM) Prep School in Faribault, MN (TGC provides goaltending consultants to SSM). Over the years, Coach Des has helped numerous goaltending prospects move on to the college and pro ranks, such as: Oscar Dansk (Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL), Kevin Murdock (Lake Superior State University, WCHA), Nick Kossoff (Lake Superior State University, WCHA), Brady Hjelle (Tulsa Oilers, ECHL), Eric Schierhorn (University of Minnestoa, B1G), Austin Lee (Minnesota State University, WCHA), Cole Huggins (Minnesota State University, WCHA), Peter Traber (Harvard University, ECAC), Taylor Crosby (Northeastern University, Hockey East), Tyler Bruggeman (St. Scholastica Saints, NCHA), Anthony Brodeur (Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL).

SSM has captured 23 National Championship’s since joining forces with The Goalie Club. The following teams brought home Championship titles over the years:

• Boys U18: 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2023
• Boys U16: 2015, 2016
• Boys U14: 2014, 2016, 2021
• Girls U16: 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Girls U19: 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023
• Boys High School: 2022, 2023
• Girls High School: 2023

Coach Des owns a Masters Degree in Education Administration and has coached goaltenders for over 25 years. Coach, his wife Liz, and twins Claire and Liam, reside in Mankato, MN with dog Kipper.

Coach Isaak, a native of Northfield, Minnesota and started playing hockey at the age of 6 as part of the Northfield Hockey Association. Coach Isaak transition to goalie at the age of 8 and began training with The Goalie Club two years later. Isaak played for Northfield High School for four years making it to the Section 1 A championship his senior year. After high school Coach Isaak moved on to play Junior Hockey first for the Twin Cities Northern Lights (MNJHL) where his team took second in the National Tournament. He also played for the Minot Minotauros (NAHL), El Paso Rhinos (WSHL), and the Billings Bulls (AWHL). Coach Isaak is currently playing hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College where he is working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management. Coach Isaak has trained with The Goalie Club since 2004 and began training in the Prodigy program in 2008. Coach Isaak has been coaching with The Goalie Club since 2012 and is involved with Sunday Skills Sessions, Private Lessons, as well as all summer camps where he works as an on ice instructor, dry land instructor, classroom instructor, and goalie evaluator.

Graydon is a 2017 graduate from New Prague High School, New Prague, MN. His High School Hockey career consisted of 2 State appearances in 2014 and 2015. He was a captain his senior year and was the recipient of the Hobey Baker Character Award for New Prague High School.

Graydon is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire where he is pursuing a major in Hydrogeology and Water Chemistry with a minor in Science of Coaching. He is a goalie for the UW-Eau Claire ACHA D2 Men’s Club Hockey team. This year his team, ‘The Blugolds’ won the Carla Berg Cup in the WCCHA Conference which gave them a spot at Regionals. This was their first appearance at the ACHA Regional Tournament in Grand Rapids, MI.

His focus on coaching is teaching fundamentals to help goalies feel confident in their movements and balance. Plus always to have fun playing the game. Graydon is hoping to pursue his minor in coaching once he graduates.

Coach Jason is from Lakeville Minnesota, where he started playing hockey at the age of 5, with the Lakeville Hockey Association. He made the transition to goaltender after playing hockey for 5 years. For his entire goaltending career, Jason has trained exclusively with TGC for 9 years, with 5 years of Prodigy camp. During his first camp, fellow training partner, and now coach, Isaak Tjaden, gave Jason the nickname of “Kermit” which he is regularly referred to at TGC. At Lakeville North High School, Kermit played one year of 16U, one year of Junior Varsity, and two years of Junior Gold ‘A’. Kermit started coaching at TGC in 2013 with summer camps, seasonal clinics, and private lessons. He currently attends Winona State University, pursuing a degree in Mass Communication, while participating in Cross Country and Club Hockey.

Coach Caleb is a native of Mankato Minnesota, and started playing hockey at 9 where he got his nickname CC and soon started playing goalie at the age of 12. CC would go on to play 4 years of varsity hockey at Mankato West High School and would make it to two section finals in his junior and senior years. After that he would go on to play 2 years of juniors for the Butte Cobras (Now Butte Irish) of the NA3HL where he he would represent the Frontier division for the NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament, and be Named to the All-NA3HL third team in 2022-23. CC would also have stints in the NAHL with the Chippewa Steel and the Kenai River Brown Bears. Coach CC would start coaching for TGC in High School helping out with Sunday night goalie skates, in 2021 coach CC would start helping out with Summer camps as an on ice instructor, dry land instructor and classroom instructor. Coach CC is currently playing at Northern Illinois University (ACHA D1) and studying Business Administration.

Thomas is from Montreal, Canada and played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s for four years. He played for the Bantam Tier 1 team at Shattuck in 2014 and eventually played for the Boys Prep Team his senior year. He played 3 years of junior hockey in eastern Canada including in the OJHL, QJAAAHL, and CCHL for the Carleton Place Canadians. He currently plays for St Olaf College in Division 3 in Minnesota and won the MIAC championship his freshman year. He has been a coach with TGC for 2 years during the summer boarding camps at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and is also the head goalie coach at the Montreal Canadiens Hockey School. He specializes in RVH training due to his four years of training in Sweden in his youth alongside NHL goalies Jonas Gustavsson, Marcus Hogberg, and Oscar Dansk.

Betsy Edmondson has been a dance teacher and movement specialist in the greater Indianapolis area for 25 years and added yoga and conditioning for student and adult athletes to her skill set 5 years ago. Betsy truly enjoys introducing new forms of movement and training to TGC athletes (including her two sons) and helping them define and reach their goals.

Coach Shari, a native of Richmond, MN, is a former USA National Team goaltender and was an alternate for the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. She earned a scholarship and played four years at Minnesota State University-Mankato where she earned MVP honors all four years. She was an All American and a finalist for the Patty Kazmeier trophy for the top female NCAA player in the country. She completed her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology in 2008 and became an assistant coach of the Girls Prep Team at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, who won the USA Hockey U19 Girls National Championship in April of 2009. She has worked full time for the past 6 years as assistant coach with her alma mater, the MSUM women’s hockey program. Shari has an extraordinary passion toward increasing knowledge of TGC goalies. She continues to develop and improve the innovative, goaltender-specific, off-ice program that is designed to make TGC goalies more explosive, agile, and flexible. Shari began training with Coach Des while at MSUM and is currently assistant coach at Minnesota State University Mavericks.