Forward Drew Smith emerges as key player for UNC men's ice hockey

RALEIGH — Although he's barely settled into life on the UNC men's ice hockey team, first-year forward Drew Smith found himself playing in one of the team's biggest games of the season. 

With six minutes left in the second period, Smith stood at the blue line. He received the puck from senior forward Zach Mangel and fired. The puck found the back of the net.

Smith has only played four games with the Tar Heels, but he's already making an impact. According to head coach Steve Rice, the goal provided a glimpse into the future of UNC hockey.

After an intense weekend of rivalry matchups against the N.C. State Ice Pack — who rank No. 2 in the ACCHL DII league — No. 7 UNC split results, securing an overtime 3-2 win on Friday before falling 4-1 in the Governor’s Cup on Sunday at the Lenovo Center. Despite the recent loss, Smith proved to be the highlight. He's scored two goals in the last two games, even after joining the team in January. 

On Sunday, it was a dry first period for the Tar Heels, with the Wolfpack recording their first goal with a deflection off a stick, sending the puck into the bottom left corner of the net. 

It wasn’t until halfway through the second period that Smith buried the first, and only goal, for North Carolina, sinking a puck from nearly center ice.

“He’s got a wicked shot,” Rice said. 

The score remained 2-1 for the majority of the evening, with N.C. State holding the advantage. UNC emptied its net for a chance to tie it up with an extra attacker on the ice, but in the final two minutes of the third period the Wolfpack's Alex James and Jake Gifford capitalized, scoring back-to-back goals. 

UNC took six shots in both the first and second period, and four in the third, but N.C. State managed to get off more shots than the Tar Heels, in part due to UNC's sloppy play. North Carolina averaged around five turnovers per period. 

Still, Smith stood out. With his lone goal, he proved to be the only offensive spark. 

“If [Smith] does ever turn a puck over, he actually turns around and gets the puck back,” Rice said. “It’s amazing.”

The forward studied abroad in Ireland throughout the fall, but was brought onto the team by Rice after being endorsed by junior goalkeeper Lucas Brown. Brown, who had experience skating with Smith, suggested that the team reach out to the first-year when he returned to the U.S. Smith had not skated for over four months. 

Not only did Smith score at the Governor’s Cup, he also scored on Friday against the Wolfpack. 

“He’s got a lot of grit and determination, and I think it’s gonna bode well for us,” Rice said. 

After playing hockey for Phillips Academy Andover in high school, where he saw action in 84 games, Smith has shown his potential in a short time. 

For Rice, visualization is much more than a mental exercise — it’s the key to UNC's success. He believes seeing success in the mind translates to the ice. It's a characteristic Smith shares. 

“If you visualize it, I believe that the mind is so powerful it’ll get you to find the net instead of the goalie,” Rice said.

It’s clear that Smith has visualized success. He doesn't just see it, he chases it. 

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