University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Celebrate Smith's First Goal
11/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
By Ellen Larson, Athletic Communications Student Intern
MINNEAPOLIS -- When Sierra Smith scored the Gophers' fifth goal against the Mavericks last Friday, it was a long time coming. In the Nov. 3 game against Mankato State, the junior scored her first career goal for the Maroon & Gold.
In her time as a Gopher, it was only Smith's fourth shot on goal -- but that made it all-the-more special.
"It's been a long time in the making and we've been talking about our first goal for a while now," Smith said. "It's always nice to get noticed and recognized for your hard work."
It wasn't just any goal, either; the play was highlight-reel worthy. Teammate Jackie Pieper got the puck, feeding it to Smith in the neutral zone. Smith split the Minnesota State defense to face the goalie alone, putting the puck in the net to put the Gophers up 5-0 in the third period.
"It's kind of cool not having a dirty goal," Smith said. "It was a goal where I split the D and had a little bit of a breakaway."
"Sierra's biggest attribute is probably her shot, and you saw that," head coach Brad Frost said. "If our third and fourth lines went out there and didn't play well, I wouldn't have kept putting them out. But they got four or five shifts in the third and did a really nice job."
For the whole team, the play represented more than just a first career goal. For Smith and the Gophers, this was validation of the hard work that low-ice-time players put in both on and off the ice. The Gophers bench exploded in celebration after the goal. For more than one player, there were tears shed.
"First, the tears came," Smith said. "Tianna Gunderson pummelled me first, and I nearly fell. I wasn't expecting as much energy on the bench as I got, but it was nice."
"Seeing her coming through the line, some of our players had tears of joy in their eyes," Frost said. "That's why we do what we do. To be a junior not getting a lot of ice time, and to finally get that first goal, it was something I know she'll never forget."
It wasn't just current teammates who celebrated Smith's goal. When Smith checked her phone after the game, she had many texts from friends and family.
"I first looked at my phone, and I saw that Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein and Hannah Brandt -- even Mankato's former captain, who I know -- had texted me," Smith said. "I had texts from a lot of friends, but hearing from Kelly, Lee, and Hannah was the most emotional."
Although Smith has been in Minnesota's lineup every game but one this year, she only suited up in 15 combined games in her first two seasons. Players like Smith are found on every team; they don't necessarily get a lot of ice time, but they're there for a reason.
"They're more of the role-players, they're the energy players, they're the encouragers," Frost said. "They make everybody better in practice, on the bench. You can't hear it, but they're always communicating with the players that are maybe getting a little more ice, and encouraging them and helping them along and picking them up when they need it."
Role-players won't go down in the record books for on-ice accomplishments, but that doesn't mean they're not vital to the team. At major programs like Minnesota, the role-players are just as important as the All-Americans and the leading scorers.
"I think my role off the ice is much more important than on the ice," Smith said. "I think that if I can impact the younger girls as much as I can, just being good people and living out our values of being tough, grateful, disciplined, and devoted, then I've done a good job."
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