Will add my congratulations to Austin Smith. Many naysayers on his behalf as an ECAC player, no tourny wins, etc...but numbers are numbers, so we'll see.
Don't share the same optimism that having a HHT finalist or Hobey winner will be the lightning rod Colgate needs. We've had talent before [MacDonald]. Our trip to the NCAAs in 2000 was followed by a less-than-stellar season from what I recall. I think this is true for most sports. Perhaps the most disappointing follow-up seasons were with football in 2003 or basketball with Foyle/Neale in '95(?). We can't seem to keep momentum on our side like some of our peer schools [Bucknell, Lehigh]. Will FF-bound Union now be an upper-echelon team in the ECAC year in and year out? It seems cyclical; good for a year or two and then back to the drawing board.
Anyone associated with Smith know him well enough to comment on his choice in coming to Colgate? In all of the articles written I have yet to read any statements about his fondness for Colgate, that he enjoyed his 4 years at Colgate...I have read that he hates the weather more than anything and that he couldn't wait to get out. I think he had other college options (assume scholarship offers as well, though I don't know if they were full ride), so what was the draw, exactly? Haven't heard him speak favorably or proudly of Colgate, so just wondering. And recently with some of the boys leaving AC early...maybe there's more to the picture than we're seeing.