NAME: Kendall Smythe

SCHOOL: University of Delaware

HOMETOWN: Bear, DE

YEAR: Junior

POSITION: Goaltender

Q: What is the single best thing about playing college hockey for your current CHE team?
A: It has given me some of my absolute best friends since coming to college.

Q: What is the most-memorable hockey game you have ever been involved in, at any level?
A: My most memorable game I've ever been a part of would have to be the district final game in my last year of travel. As captains and seniors, I had 35 saves (one of them being the best save of my life to this day) and my twin sister scored all four of our team's goals to send us to USA Hockey Nationals. It was such an amazing game and felt like a great way to end our travel careers. This was a memory we will both share forever.

Q: Are there any routines or rituals you must stick to before every game, such as listening to a certain song?
A: My routine stays pretty much the same. I always warm up with the same exercises/stretches. Then I put my bottom half on and go into the hall way to throw tennis balls with my goalie partner. I then juggle alone, do a stretch that has been compared to twerking, and visualize myself making saves while I listen to the only song that can really get you hyped to win a big game: One Day More from Les Miserables!

Q: Which opposing CHE team do you really enjoy playing against, and why?
A: I really enjoy playing against the Naval Academy. They are tough, strong, and skilled, and they always make for a hard-fought game. The best example is our triple overtime game against them in CHE playoffs last season. They are respectful of the game and those who play it, which makes playing them always something to look forward to.

Q: If you were put in charge of the entire sport of hockey and could change just one thing about the game, what would it be?
A: I would allow checking in women's hockey. Because we have never be "allowed" to check, it means people have not been taught the proper way to receive hits. I think this contributes to some of the injuries in our sport. I would rather see safer hits that people can expect and protect themselves against than blindside hits that sideline players.

Q: What made you choose to attend your current school?
A: Growing up in Delaware, UD is somewhere a majority of people from here go. For a while I did not want to go just because a lot people did. It wasn't until my junior year when I started thinking about what I wanted in a college did I see how great of a fit UD actually was for me. The academics are great, it's the perfect size, and it has given me everything I hoped for in a college. It didn't hurt that they had hockey, of course. After attending here, I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else.

Q: What is your major and what do you want to do with it after graduation?
A: I am a psychology major with a double minor in health and wellness and sociology. With this degree, I plan on pursuing a master's degree and PhD in Sports Psychology. I hope to become a sports psychologist that works with high-level athletes to improve their performance on and off the court/ice/field. Being a psychologist will allow me to work with them not only in their sport but also in their life with the way they approach the game.

Q: What person outside of your family has done the most for you?
A: If I am only allowed to pick one person, it would have to be my academic advisor from high school. She was the person who always encouraged me to make meaningful relationships with those around me and be a well-rounded person, showing me that is what gets you to succeed.  She was also the person who initially suggested to me the field in which I am not trying to pursue a career in.

Q: Would you rather be Superman or Batman, and why?
A: Superman! He can fly which is sick! He has great hair, and he is tall, which is something I envy. He also can be a normal dude so it's a win-win.

Q: What are your two favorite apps on your smartphone, and why?
A: GroupMe, because there are always some wonderful memes of our teammates being thrown around in the group chat! And it's nice that you don't have to keep up with a group message with 14 people in it.  My other one is Find My Friend. It's perfect for someone like me because I am needy and need to know where all my friends are and what they are doing.  That allows me to figure if they aren't in class so then they can hang out with me!