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Spend your money on your helmet, jock and skates first. Helmet and jock is pretty self explanatory, but with skates you'll be on your feet all game. If you have uncomfortable skates on, you'll hate being a goalie pretty fast. I personally have an OTNY mask (fun fact: Ron at Coveted used to work at OTNY and fit me for my helmet), but aside from Coveted there's also:
Protechsport (unlikely you'll buy from them given there's a 20+ week wait)
Masked Marvel
If you insist on off the shelf, make sure the shell is at least 100% fiberglass, and make sure the helmet fits properly. Don't go chasing deals.
Depending on the tier/shooters you'll be facing non-pro C/A, pants, and gloves are perfectly fine. I have Sr level G3 gloves and they are so so good. For the set I paid less than what the pro-level catcher is worth. Before that, I had Sr level 18k gloves and they were holding up perfectly fine for beer league after 2 seasons.
Other optional pieces I'd invest in if you're starting out:
- Neck guard. I've been hit with a soft shot in the neck. It sucks. Check out the Aegis Interceptor goalie pad. It is new and uses D30 foam. I haven't seen it personally. I have a Maltese and, for the price, I wouldn't do that again. It's not as hype-worth as people make it out to be. Aside from padding, invest in one that has cut resistance.
- Knee guards. Personally I'd put these as a must-buy but some people hate them. I have Passau Gen 2s which are bomb proof. I've also tried CCM (meh), Bauer Supremes (better), and Warrior Ritual (non-X). If I was buying off the shelf, it'd be the Warrior Ritual X pads
- Elastic toe ties. I went from lace --> none --> Toe hooks --> Prolaces. I love my Prolaces.
- Volleyball knee pads. Makes going down on your pads much more pleasant.
- Step steel/tall steel for your skates. Another must-have for me personally, but it's not crucial.
- Dangler. I don't use one because I hate the noise and it interferes with my c/a, but better to be safe than sorry.
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