if i was you i'd buy used.... yea, it might sound gross, but honestly, take it to a place like esporta and get it cleaned (or if you have a front load washing machine you could just do it at home)
when i started playing goal i bought 2 new pieces of equipment - a goalie mask & a cup
everything else i got was used. i can wash all my goalie gear at home - it takes two loads total to wash everything - 1 load is the chest protector, the other is goalie pants, blocker, trapper, throat guard, knee pads
a crap load of soap, a little fabric softener and a lot of bleach
i wash my gear probably every 6 or 7 weeks (mind you, i play 2-4 times per week, every week of the year). i can't stand stinky gear
for playing out - i second the full cage mentioned by valo. i've found that usually the lower the experience the higher the sticks come up
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"...and there goes Finger up the middle on Luongo!" - Jim Hughson, Av's vs. 'Nucks
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