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Abreakaway is a situation inice hockey in which a player with thepuck has nodefending players except for thegoaltender between him or her and the opposinggoal, so is free toskate in andshoot at will (before the out-of-position defenders can catch up). A breakaway is considered a lapse on the part of the defending team. If a player's progress is illegally impeded by an opposing player or if the goalie's stick is thrown forward, the breakaway player is awarded apenalty shot. If a player faces an empty net (i.e., the opposing team has pulled their goalie) and is illegally impeded by an opposing player, he or she isautomatically awarded a goal instead of taking a penalty shot.

• Podnieks, Andrew (2007).The Complete Hockey Dictionary. Fenn Publishing.ISBN 978-1-55168-309-6.

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