INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM Captain Smith '05.5 calls for Friday white-out

Author: Tom McCann, Sports Editor

The Campus: How did you turn things around against Wesleyan last weekend?

Jeff Smith: Well, it was a slow first period - we only had four or five shots, and that was like a wake-up call that they were for real and it's the playoffs and we could possibly be done for the whole season if we lose. I think that kinda hit home big time after the first period - something was just clicking - Gilchrist and LaFreniere had a couple of really big goals - they had four goals combined, I think, in the second period. They were playing together for the first time and maybe we'll keep them together - if they can keep rolling, we'll see.

TC: Was that something Coach Beaney was trying for the first time?

JS: Yeah, well usually Gilchrist and McKenna play together but McKenna was injured somehow - with a head problem or something - so LaFreniere played up with Gilchrist.

TC: Can we expect to see McKenna this weekend?

JS: I think he would expect to play - I know he's not 100 percent right now, but I think he could play.

TC: Can you describe what it felt like to come out to play for the National Championships in your own arena last year?

JS: It was unbelievable. After a shakier year than usual, we pulled off the NESCACs at Trinity and then to be in the position where we didn't even get to host NESCACs and then we're hosting NCAAs was pretty unbelievable. I mean, to win on our home ice - especially that 5-0 game, it's something else - just like, everything was clicking - the gods were with us or something.

TC: Who's the biggest threat to your three-peat?

JS: A slew of teams - I mean, just getting out of NESCACs would be one thing. I mean, if Bowdoin, Trinity, Hamilton come to play, they're all good teams and they all want us - everyone wants the top dogs for sure, so we've got to be ready to play, obviously. If we get out of the NESCACs, St. Norbert's are always a stellar team and they've been right at the doorstep the last two or three years - there's a bunch of teams this year.

TC: Last year you lost to Williams at home, and then you won the Championship without another defeat. What did Beaney say after the Williams game?

JS: I think it might have been "one of the most embarrassing moments of my Middlebury hockey career" - something to that extent, I know. He was not happy at all, and we weren't happy either, but he actually made us watch the entire game on video right afterwards. He more or less said, "I had to watch the whole game so you have to watch the whole game," so we got to watch the whole thing on video right after we played it which hit home, I think - it was a good move. There wasn't too much talking going on - we just watched. It was kinda like the panic button was pressed in a way and we realized that we had to get going because we weren't heading in the direction we wanted to go in.

TC: Was something similar said after the Babson game this year?

JS: They're different scenarios but obviously we weren't very happy after the Babson game - I guess it wasn't what you want to see so late in the season. I think we're ready now, but I think there was some doubt after the Babson game. I believe in the guys on our team and we're ready now - I think it was better to lose then than it would be to lose when it counts, I guess.

TC: Why are do we have such strong hockey programs?

JS: I think it's all the Canadians. [Laughs] Obviously Coach Beaney runs a great program coaching-wise - he takes it very seriously and he definitely does a good job of recruiting right from defenders and goalies to offensive players - I don't think I've ever been on a team that has had so much skill - not to mention our facilities - we're pretty lucky to have a Division-I class rink in a way and we get great fan support that really makes you feel like you're playing for something. There's great community support from professors to local citizens to our student section 'specially and it makes a difference when our student section is chanting 100 percent for us - it can make a difference in a game - I really believe that.

TC: How does the size of the rink influence your style?

JS: I think Coach Beaney recruits his team specifically for the ice surface size and for his system and the system works based on the size of the rink. We're a pretty small team when you look at us compared to some of the other teams - they've got a couple of inches on us, but as far as speed goes there's not a team that can really match us, I don't think.

TC: Is it hard to adapt that system when you go on the road?

JS: You know, we do so many across-ice games in practice where we're minimizing the amount of space that we have, we're always getting used to smaller rinks as well, so in that sense I guess we're prepared and sometimes I feel like we almost play better in smaller rinks - sometimes, not all the time. When we're rolling on the big ice surface we fill the net, but sometimes we're pretty good on a smaller ice surface too.

TC: What's your one hockey story so far that you'll tell your kids about?

JS: Well, hopefully it's still to come, I guess. I mean, obviously two national championships will be told, especially the first one where we won back-to-back overtimes in the semifinals and then in the finals again. Of course, that Amherst goal I had the other week was pretty cool too. I'm not much of a goalscorer, but I got one in the last two minutes of the game to win the game so that was something I'll probably tell of my glory days when I'm 65. The puck just bounced out to me and I put it home - it was actually a decent shot which I'm not famous for, but I'll take it - I went straight to the student section.

TC: Do you have any pre or post-game superstitions?

JS: Actually, I've started to become really superstitious at home recently. I'll usually get there and go for a quick, uh, "pre-game dump" I guess you could say, and then head down to the bike and go to the gym and do a few laps, then go up to the top of the rink and concentrate on breathing for a bit and think about the game, I guess - get into it. A quick stretch afterwards, grab a seat in the stands for a bit and then head down and get dressed. I've been doing that for a while now - just at home - it doesn't work the same way when I'm away, but as far as home games that's what I do - I like that.

TC: What do you listen to in the locker room?

JS: Oh man, we listen to some brutal techno. I've been trying to get it changed for the last four years and it doesn't stop. I don't know what it is - these guys and their techno, but I've actually grown to be able to sing to it which is pretty sad, but they love their techno before the game. Right before a game it's techno but then before practices or after a game it's anything from Pearl Jam to country to who knows…

TC: What are your plans for the future?

JS: Well, I just graduated two weeks ago and I'm working with Foundation for Excellent Schools (FES) right now. They do mentoring and goal setting with underserved students in schools with low income in rural areas. I've got 60 days to finish the NCAAs - grace period, I guess. I'm fortunate enough to have a sport that ends within that 60 day period and the fact we had J-Term helps. Eventually I'll be a teacher one day down the line and I'll wait a few years, but I'll definitely coach some hockey one day for sure.

TC: If you could send one message to the student section before Friday's game, what would it be?

JS: We'd love a white-out - if everyone could wear white - that would be unbelievable. We always talk about it, but it would be unbelievable if all our students were wearing the same color, but in reality, a big thank you, truly. I mean, we love it when they show up - when the whole student section is rocking it gets the hair standing up on the back of your neck an
d gets you ready to go.