Jarred Smith '12 was named the ECAC Hockey rookie of the week after he scored his first two career goals in games last Friday and Saturday. Smith scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in Brown's (2-13-4, 2-8-3 ECAC) 4-1 defeat of Colgate (6-13-5, 1-8-3) on Friday night. The following night, Smith scored the Bears' lone goal in a 5-1 loss to No. 3 Cornell (14-2-3, 9-1-2). Smith's weekend brought his season totals to two goals and two assists.
For his outstanding play, Jarred Smith is this week's Herald Athlete of the Week.
Herald: When did you begin playing hockey and why?
Smith: I started when I was about three years old, and I started playing pretty much because my brother played. So I just followed whatever he did.
Herald: Is your brother older?
Smith: Yeah, he's a junior at Miami of Ohio.
Herald: Does he still play?
Smith: Yeah, he plays for them now.
Herald: Did you begin playing pond hockey or rink hockey?
Smith: There's really not many ponds in Cleveland or whatever. So it was all, started out rec and then started travelling when I got a little older. But yeah, it was all indoors for the most part.
Herald: Have you ever played pond hockey?
Smith: I've played a couple of times. A bunch of kids on that team that are from, you know, like western Canada and up north or whatever, a bunch of them say that they play all the time when they go back home, but, you know, I haven't been on a pond in probably about 10 years.
Herald: Did you ever play any sports besides hockey?
Smith: I played baseball, football and I wrestled a little bit. But I was most serious about baseball growing up. I was almost as serious about, you know, playing baseball as I was hockey, but I made the choice when I was like a freshman to quit baseball.
Herald: What is your past hockey experience?
Smith: I started just like local, in Cleveland. And then I started playing for a travel team when I was about 10. And then I played on a couple of travel teams, and then once I got to high school, I played for my school, Gilmour Academy. And then I played for their prep team or whatever, did two years with them. And then came up here actually to play junior hockey, played at Bridgewater. It's like 30 minutes away from here, and I played two seasons for them, and then here now.
Herald: What persuaded you to come to Brown?
Smith: Just the best combination for me for school and hockey. And then, once I met all of the guys on the team, it was pretty easy decision to make because I just love all of the guys here.
Herald: What is playing on your iPod before games?
Smith: I like to listen to songs that like get me going, like songs you hear like in a club - like dancing songs. I'll listen to like Lil Wayne "Microphone Check" and Rihanna - all that kind of stuff. If you heard my iPod, you would laugh. I love it.
Herald: What allowed you to break out this weekend with your first two goals?
Smith: Our team is playing well as a team, I think. I think that's what really helped me this weekend or whatever it is that as a team, we played a lot better. And so when your team plays better, it's easy, you know, personally, to be better.
Herald: What does the team have to do to keep up the good play?
Smith: Our biggest thing is our consistency, and like consistency in terms of, not necessarily our effort. But, you know, we've got to make sure that we come to play every day. We can't afford at this point, you know, to take a game off, to take a period off even. Just, you know, keep our intensity high. And, you know, if we do that, we'll have a chance to win every night.
Herald: What are your predictions for the last (10) regular season games?
Smith: I feel that if we keep making the right steps, we definitely can climb up the charts of the ECAC, and, you know, hopefully get that goal of home-ice advantage for the playoffs. I really think it's possible, and I'm excited for it.
