More Love from the Beacon for our own Casey Smith!

Original Link:http://media.www.berkeleybeacon.com/media/storage/paper169/news/2008/11/20/Sports/Freshman.Smith.Stands.Out.For.Emerson.Hockey-3556020.shtml

Freshman Smith stands out for Emerson hockey
Phil Shore
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Sports
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Media Credit: Greg Townsend
Freshman left winger Casey Smith, shown here during a Nov. 8 match against Berklee College of Music. Smith is the lone female player on the Emerson hockey team.


College coaches often judge new recruits on, among other things, whether they’ll fit in with the rest of the group. Freshman Casey Smith stands out from her teammates on Emerson’s hockey team, because she is its only female player.

In some ways, the differences are apparent. Smith stands at a small 5’3”. She has to shower separately from the men.

Still, Smith, a studio television production major, wants nothing more than to blend in with everyone else and play her favorite sport.

“It’s really crazy, I’m not trying making a feminist statement,” the left winger from West Haven, Conn. said “I just really love hockey.”

Smith first started playing in eighth grade, encouraged by her cousin, who was on the women’s high school team.

“She told me to check out some clinics, so I did, and I really got into it,” Smith said.

She kept going and played for the girls’ team at West Haven High School. Wins were few and far between, Smith said, but her coach motivated her to be the best on and off the ice.

When it came time to look for colleges, Smith said she was influenced by her career aspirations.

“I wanted to work on TV, I wanted to work at ESPN,” she said. “So my teacher told me to check out Emerson, and I really liked it.”

Smith came to Emerson with no intention of continuing her athletic career.

“I played soccer, hockey and lacrosse in high school, but the [soccer and lacrosse teams at Emerson] are too serious,” she said.

However, Smith received a Facebook message from Assistant Captain Pete Keeling asking if she would like to join the Emerson team.

“I sent out Facebook messages to anyone who had hockey as an interest on their profile,” junior film production major Keeling said. “It would suck to miss out on a potential player just because they didn’t know about the team, so I make sure anybody who publicly shows interest in the sport hears about us and is invited out to a practice.”

It was the first time Smith would be playing on a male team, and she knew things wouldn’t be easy.

“These guys have been playing since they were five, so I’m quite a few years behind,” she said.

The biggest change going from women’s hockey to men’s, Smith said, was the checking. “I never played in a hitting league,” she said.

“So to go out on the ice and have some dude hit you, it was like ‘Whoa, this is real hockey.’”

Smith said she has tried to take advantage of being allowed to hit, but has not connected any big shots.

Emerson previously had a female, junior Laura Page, play the past two years. Keeling said she did not return because of an intense amount of schoolwork. Opponents also include women on their rosters. This made it easy for the team to accept Smith.

“There is always an adjustment in the beginning of the year with new freshmen and new kids,” said sophomore studio television major Ryan Gray, a left winger on the Lions. “It really didn’t make a difference when she joined this year.”

Head coach John Sullivan has had experience working with women at camps and was not worried about Smith fitting in.

“She has a great attitude, and we haven’t had to treat her any differently,” he said. “You can’t ask for more from any player, male or female, than to go out there and do the best you can.”

The physicality is new to Smith, but Sullivan said her intelligence and attitude help her on the ice.

“She picks up things quickly, she has a high hockey IQ, and her anticipation skills are very high,” Sullivan said. “She has to be physically and mentally tough, especially because of her stature. She’s obviously not the biggest one out there.” Sullivan said Smith plays a lot during penalty kills.

Smith said she wanted to prove to herself she could rise to the challenge of playing at a much more difficult level.

“What I hoped to accomplish was to be able to play at this level of hockey which is like a million times more intense than high school girls’ hockey.”

Smith credits her teammates for helping her transition into a rougher game.

“I love them, they’re great guys,” she said. “The team doesn’t think it’s a big deal and the coach doesn’t think it’s a big deal, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.”