March 23, 1989
Conestoga center Doug Smink exudes quiet confidence. When you lead the Inter-County Scholastic Hockey League in scoring, your statistics do all of the talking.
“He’s a leader in a quiet sort of way,” Conestoga coach Taylor Railton said. “He doesn’t ask anybody to do things he wouldn’t do. He never misses a practice, and consequently, the other kids don’t miss practice.”
Smink also doesn’t miss many scoring opportunities. He scored 2 goals and added 2 assists in Conestoga’s 5-2 victory over Archbishop Carroll on March 14. He finished the regular season with 39 goals and 29 assists, leading the Pioneers to a 15-0-1 record.
The 5-foot, 9-inch, 150-pound senior has a good shot, fine moves, and excellent balance. But that isn’t what makes him “obviously the best player in our league,” according to Railton.
“He’s smart,” Railton said. “He has command of the flow of the game. He plays within himself.”
He also helped the Pioneers squeeze the most out of their talent. “We knew we had a chance to be undefeated, but it would be tough,” Smink said. “We lost a lot of guys from last year.”
Smink played left wing for Conestoga as a junior. He switched to center this season, a position he also plays for the Little Flyers. The Conestoga senior favors center. He also favors hard work.
“He’s not the biggest or the strongest kid out there,” Railton said. “That’s why he has to work a little harder.”
