Is Austin Smith the NCAA's Best Hockey Player

This is the Question that was posted yesterday by Jason Cohen at the Texas Monthly Daily Post, which is kind of like the Daily Newspaper portion of the Texas Monthly Magazine. Going into the final weekend of the ECAC Hockey Regular Season which includes games against RPI coming up on Friday Night where Smith had a 4 goal game the last time the two teams played back on February 4th in a 8-3 victory.

Saturday Night, the Raiders will be ending the regular season on Saturday Night against Conference Leading Union where they looking to show that they are NCAA Tournament worthy, even if they don't win the ECAC Championship on, March 17. Many NCAA Hockey Experts are thanking that the ECAC could be a single team conference in this year's tournament when the NCAA Hockey Tournament 1st Round Games will be announced on March 18 (the day after the Conference Championships wrap up).

Colgate's main goal this weekend is to hold on to a top 4 spot as the gap from 3rd Place Colgate to 8th Place St. Lawrence is 4 points. If the Raiders do hold on to a top 4 spot, not only would that get them a 1st Round Bye but would also guarantee themselves a home series during the Quarterfinals which take place from March 9-11. That would be a huge advantage for the Raiders as they not only look to win the Conference but also to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. When they were in the NCAA Hockey Tournament in 2005, the Raiders lost, 6-5, to the WCHA's Colorado College Tigers.

However, his feature takes a look at his chances of possibly winning the Hobey Baker Award this year and compares to him to other major individual achievements like Robert Griffin III winning the Heisman Trophy as well as former Texas Longhorn Basketball Players T.J. Ford (2003) & Kevin Durant (2007) winning the Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Awards in College Basketball over the last decade.

Texas Monthly Magazine

Texas Monthly Daily Post

Here's the Final Weekend of the Colgate Hockey Schedule, as well as the ECAC Playoffs Schedule.

2/24: VS. RPI  6:00 PM

2/25: VS. Union  6:00 PM

3/2-4: ECAC 1st Round (Best of 3 @ Campus Sites)

3/9-11: ECAC Quarterfinals (Best of 3 @ Campus Sites)

3/16-17: ECAC Championship Weekend (In Atlantic City, N.J.) 

By Jason Cohen of the Texas Monthly Daily Post

Baylor's Robert Griffin III brought the Heisman Trophy back to Texas in December. University of Texas hoops stars T.J. Ford & Kevin Durant have both won the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. And now a Dallas Native - and future Dallas Stars Player - just might win the biggest individual prize in college hockey: the Hobey Baker Award.

That's right: A hockey player. From Dallas. Named Austin.

Now it should be noted that Texas doesn't even have an NCAA College Program. And the state's two most famous NHL Players are NHL Hall of Fame defensemen Brian Letch, who was merely born in Corpus Christi, and Buffalo Sabres defensemen Tyler Myers, a 6'8" behemoth from Katy who spent a few years as a Houston Aeros Fan before moving with his family to Canada at the age of ten.

But we get to legitimately claim Austin Smith, the 23 year old senior at Colgate University. He learned the game in Texas, played all of his youth hockey around the metroplex (Hi Tim), as well as two years at Dallas Jesuit High, to finish his development, Smith spent two years at a Connecticut Prep School and one season in a Canadian Junior League before entering Colgate, a small private school in Hamilton, New York (which also produced Texas Brahmas Head Coach Dan Wildfong), in 2008.

By then, Smith was already good enough to be selected by his hometown team, the Dallas Stars, in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Draft. Now he leads the country with 33 goals in 32 games - ten more goals then the next player behind him.

But will that be enough? Last week, Inside College Hockey, elevated Smith to the top of it's Hobey Tracker feature. He has sometimes led, but is currently running third, in Hobey Baker Fan Voting (which only counts for one percent of the awards final voting tally), behind Spencer Abbot of the University of Maine and Jack Connolly of the University of Minnesota-Duluth - players from two larger, more historic hockey programs that boast six past Hobey Winners and three National Championships between them.

In that sense, Smith is actually more of an underdog then RG3, who at least played in the Big 12. A closer comparison would be to Case Keenum of the University of Houston, who put up record setting numbers in a conference that was outside college football's power circle.

As Brian Sullivan of U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Wrote:

[Smith] has to be considered - at this point - a no brainer for the Hobey Hat Trick [Editor's Note: i.e., one of the three finalist]. It makes me sad to consider that where he plays will likely work against him.

[Other Players] are considered - by many narrow minded eyes - the "real" contenders, because they play in Championship conferences: Hockey East & and the WCHA, in these cases. They play real competition, where areas ECAC Hockey is well, somehow, not.

And I say, that's baloney.

Sullivan goes on to highlight some of the Smith's best performances against teams from other conferences. He also dismisses the fact that Connolly and Abbot have more "points". (That is goals plus assists) then Smith, not only because goals are more important, but because it's easier to pile up assists, both in practice (If your the second to last guy to touch the puck before a goal is scored you get one, even if you went off your skate) and conspiracy theory: "Some rinks/teams/scorers have a reputation for handing out assists with unjustifiable exuberance, and there's no time like a Hobey race to inflate the states at every possible opportunity," Sullivan writes.

Below, Smith is interviewed for Colgate's Youtube Channel. Like many hockey players, he's both humble and milquetoast (but check out that sweet mustache):

Austin Smith Interview

Colgate Raiders Hockey

Austin Smith Profile

ECAC Hockey

Fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award continues through March 1. The Hobey Winner will be announced on April 6 during the Frozen Four Weekend in Tampa, Florida (Florida? There's Hockey in Florida?!).

Huge Night for Austin Smith

Austin Smith had a huge night back on Saturday and it's a night that could turn the tide in the Hobey Baker Race as he had a 4 goal night in a 8-3 victory over RPI back on Saturday Night. This takes him to 30 goals for the season and takes him an impressive 9 goals over Nick Bjugstad (University of Minnesota) for the goal scoring lead. He helped get Colgate back up to 2nd Place overall in the scoring race who's just 2 back of Maine's Spencer Abbot.

According the latest voting on the Hobey Baker Fan Voting Poll; Smith is still in 3rd Place by picking up 12% of the fan vote which only trails Spencer Abbot who's on top with 18% and Jack Connolly with 16% of the vote with a little over a month to go in the fan voting process. You can cast your vote here. The Fan Voting wraps up on March 1 and counts for 1% of the overall process to determine who gets into the top 10 which will be announced on March 15.

Smith is also the only player in the entire country that is averaging more then a goal a game this season and could have a chance to score 40 goals if he has another big night like this over the final three weeks of the regular season & the ECAC Conference Playoffs.



Austin Smith playing for Colgate: Photo from Colgate Atheltics

He's also beginning to climb some all time Colgate Lists which includes climbing up to 6th Place on the All Time Scoring List as he improves his NCAA Career to 148 points in 142 games played and could finish in the 35-40 goal range with just 6 games left in the Regular Season as the Raiders sit in 3rd Place in the ECAC as they sit just 2 points back of 2nd Place Cornell where they sweeped the Big Red at home on January 27th & 28th.

According to the United States of Hockey, he is only the eighth player in the NCAA To score 30 in a single season and is looking to chase down Ryan Potulny's 38 that he scored back in the 2005-2006 season and the first ECAC Player since Brad Trapper in the 2000-2001 season to do so.

Colgate is down to their final 6 games of the regular season with a home weekend against Yale & Brown coming up this weekend as they look to chase down Cornell for 2nd Place and looking to at least get a chance to get the #1 Seed for the ECAC Hockey Playoffs which begin on March 2nd.

Here's the remaining Colgate Raiders Regular Season Hockey Schedule.

2/10: VS. Yale  6:00 PM

2/11: VS. Brown  6:00 PM

2/17: @ St. Lawrence  6:00 PM

2/18: @ Clarkson  6:00 PM

2/24: VS. RPI  6:00 PM

2/25: VS. Union  6:00 PM



Here's a look at the ECAC Hockey Websites Video Page and look for the video called "Smith Steals show at Big Red Freak out".

Colgate VS. RPI Game Highlights 

Austin Smith's case for the Hobey Baker by Brian Sullivan

In Brian Sullivan's Weekly ECAC Hockey Column for USCHO, in addition to the Weekend Wrap up of the Conference Action where he gives out who he thinks is a contender and a pretender as the conferences gets into his final month of the ECAC Hockey Conference Regular Season. He writes the case for Austin Smith being a major contender for the Hobey Baker Trophy as were closing in on a month to go before the fan voting on the Hobey Baker Website wraps up on March 1st.

Currently the Colgate Raiders sit in 3rd Place in the ECAC (14-9-3 Overall, 8-5-1 Conference) with 8 games left to play as they sit just 4 points back of Conference Leading Union. However, they are also just 2 points back of Clarkson who sit in 5th Place, so it's shaping up to see that Colgate will be fighting it out to finish in the top 4 which would get them a 1st Round Bye in the ECAC Playoffs and a guarantee home series in the Quarterfinals which would really help their chances of making the ECAC Championship Week on March 16-17 in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the NCAA Pairwise Rankings, the Raiders sit in 22nd right now so making the Tournament as an At Large Bid is currently proving to be a hard proposition at the moment, in fact, some experts are thinking that the ECAC Could be a Single Team Conference this year so it's critical for the Raiders to look sharp going into the Playoffs to have the best chance possible to win the Conference to get an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament when it gets underway on March 23.

Here's this week's ECAC Column from Brian Sullivan on USCHO

Who's Hot Today

No point pretending anymore: this league is flat out wacky. Cornell's seven game unbeaten streak? Gone. Colgate's six game winless slide? Gone in the same series; not it's a two game winning streak. Harvard kicked it's eight-game winless skid to the curve; turning it into a 4 game unbeaten run.

Yale, ECAC Hockey's recent standard barer, was 5-1-1 and 8-6-2 earlier in the year; The Bulldogs are now 9-10-2. Clarkson - once 6-1-2, then 9-10-5 is now back on top at 12-11-5 with only one loss in its last five games. Rensselaer, once left for dead by most pundits (I'll even include myself in that group to some extent), is 4-2-1 in its last seven.

Here's the facts: Dartmouth has nine games left. Union, Harvard & Princeton have seen left. The standings by points are the same as by winning percentage, with the exception of Harvard and Clarkson: the Golden Knights have the edge on the Crimson at their current respective paces. Nothing has been mathematically determined yet, but the weight is definitely increasing on St. Lawrence and RPI to climb out of the cellar.

It always seem as through there's a long way to go and a lot of hockey to played there... until there isn't.

Dutchman Flying

You'll have to forgive me; there just aren't that many puns out there that incorporate "Dutch". Fortunately, i'm not the only one stumped by Union: the Schenactdy icers are blasting through all comers lately, winning six of seven (6-1-0) and having lost only once in the Eastern Time Zone since Mid-November (10-1-3) the non EST Losses were at Denver & Colorado College in late December.

It's not as though November marked some major turning point either. Union was 5-3-3 prior, but also 2-2-0 against ECAC. The guys in garnet haven't sniffed .500 since, stacking W's like flapjacks and turning 2-2-0 into 9-3-3 and sole possession of first place.

A couple of sudden replacements have paid massive dividends in the Capital District. Newly minted head coach Rick Bennett has done a masterful job of taking over the program builder Nate Leaman, building what is currently the highest scoring, defensively stingiest team in the Conference. Sophomore Troy Grosenick deserves quite a bit of credit in his own right, stepping into the boots left behind by New Jersey Devils Prospect Keith Kinkaid; he's excelled. The Dutchman's backstop leads the conference in league goals against average (1.49), save percentage (.946) and winning percentage (.792, 9-2-1).

Union is in the Drivers Seat, with two big weekends against the Cornell-Colgate traveling tandem yet to play. I can't muster another prediction... but the Dutch have done all that could be asked of a team that is seeking it's second Cleary Cup in as many years, and it's second in program history.

Colgate, Smith make a splash

Quoth the Raiders: We're not dead yet!

Colgate did all it could end a dreary January on a positive note, smothering Cornell at Lynah (2-1) and blasting them at Starr (5-3). The wins ended up maintaining the 'Gates' hold on third place, once all the results were in, giving it a one point lead on Harvard (and a game in hand) and a two point lead Quinnipiac. It's never to early to count points in a 22 game regular season... especially when you've only earned one lead in the first three weeks of the month.

Senior forward Austin Smith rolls on, accumulating his 25th and 26th goals of the season on Saturday, and points number 39,40 & 41 on the weekend. He's annihilating the rest of the country in goals-per-game (a perfect 1.00 per game - 26 goals in 26 games, 0.22 ahead of second place), he has 12 multi point games (including three three point-nights and one four point outing), and has been held off the score sheet twice all year. He's not even padding his own total with power play goals (only four so far)... in fact, he has more shorthanded goals then he does's PPG (six).

Yeah, that deserves it's own paragraph: six shorthanded goals! (Most in the Country, of course).

Smith is one point shy of the national scoring lead (as calculated by points-per-game) and has to be considered - at this point a no brain er for the Hobey Hat Trick. He has pulled far, far away from any of the ECAC's Hockey other potential hobey canadidates, and it makes me sad to consider that where he plays will most likely work against them. Who else in the big boy pool of Hobey Baker Contenders? players like Spencer Abbot (Maine, leads the nation in scoring). Players like Jack Connolly (Minnesota-Duluth, fourth in scoring, but a title winner). Players like Ryan Schwartz (Colorado College) and Nick Bjugstad (Minnesota, tied with Schwartz for second nationally in goals per game).

They are considered - by narrow minded eyes - the real contenders, because they play in the championship conferences: Hockey East and the WCHA, in these cases. They play "real competition", where area's ECAC Hockey is... well, somehow, not.

And I say, that's baloney.

Smith scored a goal and an assist at Nebraska-Omaha. He had two goals - one each night - against Miami (OH). He notched assists against Vermont and against Merrimack, and tallied a goal and a helper against Ferris State. (That's not even including his 5-5-10 line against Atlantic Hockey Foes this season). The only opponents who successfully kept him off the books were Yale and Quinnipiac... both on the road, by the way.

Furthermore, there is more to be said for accumulating points with goals (rather then assists) then meets the eye. Obviously, nobody ever won a game with assists - goals are the only thing that count on the big board - but there is also a dirty little seceret around college hockey that many assists aren't even worth the pixels their published with. Some/rinks/teams/scorers have a reputation for handling only assists with unjustifiable exuberance, and there's no time like a Hobey Baker Race to inflate the stats at every possible opportunity. I'm not making any specific accusations, mind you, but i'm not saying any such activity would surprise me in the least, either. On Smith's behalf, it's almost impossible to create a goal to award. Assists however - especially on the secondary variety - are quite more malleable product.

Last and no means least, I will ask you all one thing: all things being equal, would you rather have a guy who gets a goal a game, or an assist per game? Because here and now, that's what the the contenders are sporting. And only one of them can boast the former @AustinforHobey

Austin Smith Q&A with the New England Hockey Journal

Here's a look at yet another article for Dallas Stars Prospect & Coppell Native Austin Smith as he looks to show the country that he is becoming a major contender for the Hobey Baker Award and looks to be the 1st Born & Trained Player to make the Dallas Stars.

Also in addition to the Austin Smith Q&A. The website USCHO had their 1st Hobey Baker Watch Feature of the season and it features the debate over Fan Voting.

The Q&A Article was done by Dan Guttenplan of the New England Hockey Journal

At last look, Colgate Senior Forward Austin Smith was leading the fan voting for the Hobey Baker Award.

Although the honor doesn't even come close to clinching the award for Smith - the fan vote only accounts for one percent of the overall balloting - it does prove that college hockey fans have taken note of Smith's Breakout Season.

Smith leads the nation in goals (22), averaging a goal per game for the Raiders. He has already more then doubled his goal tally from last season (10), which was a struggle for both him and his Colgate Teammates. This season, Smith has the Raiders (12-8-2 overall, 6-4-0 ECAC Hockey) in the hunt for an ECAC Title. As recently as last week, Colgate was ranked nationally before falling to Princeton & Quinnipiac over the weekend.

Smith, who was drafted by his hometown Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, recently shared his thoughts on the Hobey Baker Award with the New England Hockey Journal.

Are you surprised to be leading the fan voting for the Hobey Baker?

"The School here is doing a good job of getting the word out. It helps that all the parents of players are voting. I guess people back home in Dallas found out and got online to vote.

How Satisfying has the season been after the way your struggled with injuries last year?

I had  torn labrums in both hips. I knew that going into my junior year. I found out mid-summer, and I knew I couldn't get both done before the season. I picked one and decided to do other one after the season. I probably came back too soon. I played with one torn labruim all season, and it was kind of a mess. I got through it, and it made me better for the experience.

Do you regret playing? Should you have red-shirted?

No, I wish I would have figured it out sooner. If I had surgery right after my sophomore season, it would have healed before I came back for the pre-season. I came back in 12 or 13 weeks, and I needed 16-20. It was way to soon. I was at 70 percent. The big thing with hockey is confidence. I got off to a slow start, the team was struggling, and it all compounded.

When did you start to get your confidence back?

I felt good at the end of last year, at least confidence-wise. After the second surgery, I felt 100 percent. We went to Europe over the summer and had a team bonding experience. We played really well over there. We came back to school with a new spirit. The first game. I felt like the same player I was during my sophomore year. As the year has gone on, I've been exploring more of my potential.

Is winning the Hobey Baker a goal for you?

Going into my freshman year, a Princeton Assistant Coach - John Riley - recruited me. He told me I'd win the Hobey Baker one day. I never had any serious thoughts of it until then. Now, with 22 goals, I'm kind of a contender. I know in the back of my mind, it's tough to win it from the ECAC. The last time an ECAC Player was 1989. That's also the last time an ECAC Team won the national title. If it's going to happen, it'll happen because we made it all the way through the tournament. Traditionally, the award goes to a player that takes his team to the final four or eight.

Is the fan vote important to you, or do you see it as only one percent of the ballot?

I think it's cool that people care and pay attention to it. It's good for our league because the ECAC doesn't get much recognition. It's good for our team and our small school. For me, coming after a disappointing junior season, it shows that all of the hard work is paying off. If the team has a strong finish, I feel I'm a good contender for the award on nights when I'm playing well and executing. If we make a good push as a team, I like my chances.

Game of the Week

Union VS. Yale, Friday

Union (12-5-6 overall, 6-2-3 ECAC) would appear to be the clear favorite on paper on what has been a down year for the Elis (8-7-2 overall, 5-4-1 ECAC). But for whatever reason, the Elis have had a Dutchmen's number of late.

Yale beat Union in the ECAC Tournament last season before posting a 4-0 victory at the Schenectady this season. The Elis has also won the last two meetings at Ingalis Rink.

ECAC Hockey Power Rankings

1. Cornell (10-4-3 Overall, 7-1-2 ECAC) Fans of the Big Red will be throwing fish and newspapers on the ice Saturday when Cornell hosts Harvard.

2. Union (12-5-6 Overall, 6-2-3 ECAC): After posting a 2-0 shutout against Harvard at Fenway Park, Friday, sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick is looking like a man who plays big on the biggest stage.

3. Quinnipiac (13-8-5 Overall  5-4-4 ECAC): The Bobcats have escaped a brutal early 2012 schedule with victories over Yale & Colgate, a tie at Brown, and a 3-2 loss to Cornell. Not bad.

4. Colgate (12-8-2 Overall, 6-4-0 ECAC): The Raiders have lost four in a row, including ECAC losses to Quinnipiac & Princeton last weekend.

5. Yale (8-7-2 Overall, 5-4-1 ECAC): Every time the Elis seem primed to turn their season around, they have a weekend like the last one when they collected one point in a set of road games at St. Lawrence & Clarkson.

6. Harvard (4-6-6 Overall, 3-4-4 ECAC): The Crimson have not yet won a game in 2012. They are no easy wins this weekend with a road set at Colgate and Cornell.

7. Clarkson (10-10-5 Overall, 4-4-3 ECAC): A Couple of home games did Clarkson some good last weekend. The squad collected three points in a home set against Brown & Yale and pushed it to 7-2-1 at home this season.

8. Brown (7-7-3 Overall, 4-4-2 ECAC): The Bears jumped from 11th place in the ECAC Standings to eighth place after collecting three points last weekend with a tie against Clarkson and a win over St. Lawrence.

9. St. Lawrence (8-12-3 Overall, 4-6-1 ECAC): The Saints have to be disappointed with their results last weekend. When they collected one one point in a home set with Yale and Brown after going 3-0-2 in their previous five games.

10. Dartmouth (7-7-2 Overall, 4-4-1 ECAC): The Big Green have been outscored 11-2 in their last two games against Union & UNH. UNH Took back the RiverStone Cup from Dartmouth, which won the trophy in 2010.

11. Princeton (6-10-5, 5-8-2 ECAC): The Tigers had their best weekend of the year at home with a victory over Colgate and a tie against Cornell. To bad the Tigers only have seven league games remaining.

12. RPI (4-17-1, 1-8-1 ECAC): The Engineers need to clearn up a few disciplinary issues. In a 5-1 loss to Union Saturday, they allowed four special teams goals. However, the teams each recorded 40 shtos in the contest.

Supporting Austin Smith for the Hobey Baker Trophy



Austin Smith Photo from the Alliance Bulldogs Alumni Page

A twitter page has started up to help support Austin Smith for the Hobey Baker Trophy is now up and running. This is for the Fan Voting portion of the Hobey Baker Process that will go on through March 4. The Fan vote will only count for 1% of the total, but every vote matters as the NCAA Hockey Regular Season goes on. If Austin were to win the Hobey Baker Award, he would be the first player from Texas to ever win the award as he looks to not only win the Hobey Baker this year, but also show the Dallas Stars Organazition that he is ready for the Professional Ranks and looks to be the 1st Born & Trained Player from Texas to play for the Dallas Stars.

You can vote once a day during the process, so tell your follow hockey fans and help support Austin Smith as he is leading the NCAA in goals with 22 goals (a Goal a game pace) as well as being in a 3 way tie for 2nd with Drew Shore (University of Denver) & Spencer Abbot (University of Maine). Hes also just 1 point back Jack Connolly of Minnesota-Duluth which currently has 36 points and leading the NCAA right now.

The voting will end on March 1, then the Coaches & Media will have their say on who they think will be among the Top 10 coming up on March 15 (2 Days before the Conference Championships). Then of those 10, the field will be cut from 10 to their Final 3 on March 29 who will be making their way to Tampa, Florida during the Frozen Four Weekend where the winner will be televised live (TV Network TBD).

As for this weekend, the Colgate Raiders will play Harvard tonight & Dartmouth tomorrow night at home as the Raiders look to rebound after a rough weekend that had 6-2 & 7-1 losses last weekend. The team also fell from 2nd to 4th Place in the Conference this weekend as well.

Hobey Baker Award Website

Hobey Baker Award Fan Ballot

Austin Smith Colgate Profile

Colgate Raiders Schedule



Austin Smith Story on College Hockey News

With Austin Smith looking to help his Colgate Raiders be on the Big Surprise Teams in the entire NCAA & a possible Hobey Baker Award Contender this season. The Coppell Native is looking to end his College Career with a bang before he turns pro with his ultimate goal of playing for the Dallas Stars in the near future.

One thing though that has eluded Austin Smith's College Hockey Career has been post-season success. During his Freshman & Sophomore Years, the Raiders went 1 and done in their 1st series. In 2009 after the Raiders finished 10th during the Regular Season, Quinnipiac in a series where the Best of 3 1st Round where every single game went to OT.

The 2010 Season was better after finishing 4th, they were able to earn a 1st Round Bye. However, it was more of the same as St. Lawrence beat them in 2 games in the ECAC Quarterfinals

Last year, the regular season turned out to be a nightmare as they were one of the worst teams in the entire NCAA at one point where the Raiders didn't even win a Conference Game until early February where the team won just 9 games overall in the Regular Season last year.

However when the ECAC Playoffs began, they pulled off upsets against RPI in the 1st Round & the top seeded Union College in the Quarterfinals before losing to Yale in the Conference Semifinals. The team knew that with the bad season, it was either the Conference Championship or bust to make the NCAA Tournament.

So far this season, he leads the entire NCAA in goals with 20 and is in a 3 way tie with Jack Connolly (Minnesota-Duluth) & Spencer Abbott (Maine) with 33 points right now. Smith's two way game has taken a huge step over the course of his NCAA Career where he transformed from his Travel Hockey & Junior Days with the Pentiction Vees, in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) that will help him a lot when he gets his Professional Career underway full time next season most likely.

After the BCHL Championship in 2008, they were looking to beat the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Champion Camrose Kodiaks for the Pacific Region Championship & a spot in the RBC Cup (Canadian Jr. A National Championship) spot. They lost to the Kodiaks in 5 games who went on to lose in the RBC Cup Final to the Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) 1-0 in the Championship Game.

He was taken in the 5th Round of the 2007 NHL Draft by the Stars (128th Overall) and looks and is looking to be among one of the 1st Players from the Southwest to make the National Hockey League (NHL) and be the Dallas area's 1st ever born & Trained Player to make the Dallas Stars.

I like his chances of making the NHL as he has been able to work his way up the ranks and be willing to work hard and be able to make rapid improvements at every level. From Dallas Jesuit where he even played for their HS Team in the AT&T Metroplex HS Hockey League, then as a Senior he went to the Gunnery Prep School for his Senior Year where he got noticed by different NHL Teams to take him in the NHL Draft.

Barring a major collapse, he will most likely sign his NHL Entry Level Deal after his NCAA Season wraps up and will most likely begin his Pro Hockey Career with the Dallas Stars AHL Affiliate, the Texas Stars down in Austin to play the final part of the AHL Regular Season and playoffs if the Texas Stars make the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs in Mid-April.

He would like to finish his NCAA Career with a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament. One of the few things that has eluded him in his College Career. Also if he can continue his strong showing, they is a possibility that he could be a major contender for the Hobey Baker Award as well that will be awarded out on April 6. This is part of the NCAA Frozen Four Weekend that will take place from April 5-7 at the St. Pete Times Forum where the NCAA Hockey Frozen Four will be taking place this season.

Here's the Timeline for the 2012 Hobey Baker Award to determine the Finalist, and the winner this year.

You can vote in the Early Round here.

Hobey Baker Top Ten: March 15

Hobey Baker Final 3: March 29

Hobey Baker Award Announcement: April 6 (In Tampa, Florida)

Here's Colgate's remaining Regular Season Schedule, the entire 2nd half of the season is entirely within the ECAC Hockey Conference. Right now, the Raiders sit in 2nd Place in the Conference at 6-2-0 & 12-6-2 overall right now and will look to overtake Cornell who sit just 1 point ahead in the Conference Lead while looking hold off teams like Quinnipiac & Union as well.

Here's the remaining Regular Season Schedule for the Colgate Raiders, as well as the dates for the 2012 ECAC Hockey Tournament.

1/13: @ Princeton  6:00 PM

1/14: @ Quinnipiac  3:00 PM

1/20: VS. Harvard  6:00 PM

1/21: VS. Dartmouth  6:00 PM

1/27: @ Cornell  6:30 PM

1/28: VS. Cornell  6:00 PM

2/3: @ Union  6:00 PM

2/4: @ RPI  6:00 PM

2/10: VS. Yale  6:00 PM

2/11: VS. Brown  6:00 PM

2/17: @ St. Lawrence  6:00 PM

2/18: @ Clarkson  6:00 PM

2/24: VS. RPI  6:00 PM

2/25: VS. Union

ECAC Hockey Playoffs

1st Round: 3/2-4  Best of 3 @ Campus Sites

Quarterfinals: 3/9-11 Best of 3 @ Campus Sites

Semifinals & Finals: 3/16-17 @ Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J.



Here's the Story by Adam Wodon of College Hockey News

Last season could not have been any worse  for Colgate, or for Austin Smith. Picked to finish near the top of the ECAC, Colgate finished deal last, without a league win until February. Smith coming off two strong seasons, saw his goal totals plummet into single digits. A pair of series victories in the ECAC Tournament did a little to soften the blow, but not much.

As the old adage says, however. Sometimes it takes going a step back to go two steps forward. In Colgate's case, perhaps it's been three.

The Raiders are near the top of the ECAC This year, and Smith - as of the time of writing 0 was leading the nation in goal scoring. The pair's fortunes are Clarey intertwined.

"We didn't have much chemistry (last year)," Smith said. "This year, I have had two exceptional linemates. "We've clicked and bonded well." Hopefully we can replicate this and have an even better second half."

Those linemates are sophomore Chris Wagner ("We're best friends off the ice," Smith said.), and Joe Wilson, a freshman that ignites the other two.

"He's an unsung hero. He has so much energy," Smith said of Wilson, a sentiment his coach echoes.

"Joey is quiet, but he has a sponge," and I think he's enjoying the heck out of playing with those guys," Colgate Coach Don Vaughan said. "His acceleration - he can really skate. He'll hound pucks down and force turnovers, and then Chris gets it and feeds it to Austin.

Smith is also healthy for the first time in a few years. Two seasons ago, he realized he needed surgery  for a torn labrum in both hips, an injury that is becoming increasingly prevalent in hockey players (six Colgate Players alone have had surgery in the last four years). But he only took care of one, and played through last season knowing he'd need surgery to the other hip this past off season.

Smith chose to play through it last year instead of taking a medical red shirt.

"I didn't want to set myself back," Smith said, about forgoing the surgery. "I had a really good sophomore year and played through it. So I knew that it was possible to play through it. I couldn't really imagine sitting out. I'm looking forward to a pro career, and fortunately, knock on wood, it's been a really big senior year and that's what I was looking for. It's kind of a contract year."

The effects were sore hips, trouble squatting, and a sharp pain that would move to the groin area.

But Smith believes he's better for the adversity.

"Maybe I need that. I had that big step in the road," Smith said. "I was in pain most of the year and things weren't going well. I could've packed it in and had surgery. But I learned a lot. I learned focus and dedication and things that will really help me in my pro career."

But it wasn't just the injury. Smith had to adjust to new linemates, after having played with an All-American like David McIntyre in years past. Smith said, playing with a player like McIntyre, he was passing all the time, trying to set him up. Most of the time, those passes paid off.

But last year, those same passes, without McIntyre, weren't leading anyway. His troubles mirrored the team's.

Initially it was (the injury)," Vaughan said. "When your confidence starts to wane, it builds upon itself. Whereas, if he was healthy and got off to a better start... he was also a victim of what was going on collectively."

As a result, though, Smith finally learned what his coach has been preaching for years - shoot more. 

"I have a great shot, I know that, but something in my brain says, 'make that pass over two sticks'" Smith said.

"I learned I've got to get the puck to the net, take opportunities when you get them. This year I've scored when before I would have made the extra pass. More then anything, I've been determined and focused on that part of the game - in practice too, just every day, not just swiping one at the goalie and going through the motions. I'm trying to score."

Colgate now is moving up the polls and the ECAC Standings.

"Getting off to a good start was important," Vaughan said. "The guys will be better ... we wanted to be getting more aggressive, more north-south, and hound all areas of the rink. We did a lot of video work, going back to last year. We were reinforcing that game plan through the use of video. We wanted to show only the positive plays in our video sessions."

Smith might have a common name, but his path to college hockey is uncommon - through Dallas, Texas. On the other hand, it's becoming an increasingly popular avenue for athletes from that area. Much of the thanks for that has to come from the Dallas Stars, whose move there and success fostered an enormous upswing in hockey interest among local youth.

"It's completely what got me into hockey," Smith said. "Back then, there was 250 kids in the Metroplex (Dallas-Ft. Worth area) that played. Now there's 50,000 or more."

David McKee, a former Cornell Goaltender (2003-2006) and Hobey Baker Award finalist, was among the first from Texas to play College Hockey. McKee happens to have grown up on the same street as Smith.  Others that Smith grew up with, including Locke Jillson and Keir Ross, who both went to Cornell, similarly were going to play NCAA Hockey.

But it was his mom that Smith was inspired by the most.

"When I went to Colgate, I loved the campus," Smith said. "My mom influenced me, with the academics. She really wanted that aspect as well. She was probably as much of an influence as anything...  I had a good relationship with Vaughan early, and the team was good at the time."

To top it all off, the hometown Stars selected Smith in the NHL Draft. Smith said he'd spoken to the Islanders, Boston and a few other teams, but had no idea Dallas was going to select him.

"The joke is that they picked for a publicity stunt," Smith said. "But they said, 'We've got a lot of college prospects,' and they were interested. They keep a pretty close eye ... They seem genuinely interested. If I have a really good year, technically (I can be) a free agent, but I would love to play back home. That would be unbelievable.

"I've wondered about what if I went to Denver or another big school, but I'm going to get an incredible degree, I've played first or second line since my first year, logged 25 minutes (a game) and got better every day through a good coach. So you have to look at some of the intangibles."

Vaughan believes the sky is the limit for Smith the rest of the season.

"The mental part, keeping his emotions in check, even when things aren't going well. He getting better at it," Vaughan said.