Behind the Scenes: Jordan Smelker

It's not every day that one gets to compete alongside the world's best players, but for Rensselaer sophomore Jordan Smelker, the opportunity has struck twice in the past six months.  The Anchorage, Alaska native was selected both in August and December to participate at USA Hockey Training Camps, which served as evaluations for placement onto the U.S. Women's National Team.
 
Smelker's first appearance in August was in her own words “a little intimidating” as she stepped onto the ice with Olympians like Caitlin Cahow, Kelli Stack, Molly Engstrom, Hillary Knight and three-time medalist, Julie Chu.  Come December, the nerves of skating with the nation's best had ebbed and it gave the winger an appreciation for the environment she was in.
 
“I felt much more comfortable and felt like I really had a chance to get to know the other girls and learn from them,” Smelker explained.
 
While the August camp had been a chance to be selected to participate for the Four Nations Cup, the camp in December served as an opportunity to join the Women's National Team, which will look to defend its Gold Medal at the 2012 World Championships in April in Burlington, Vt.
 
“Coming in, they separated us into two teams and immediately we were brought into off-ice workouts,” Smelker explained.  “We went through a ton of conditioning and then had practice.  After that, the routine was pretty simple, practice-lift-games.”
 
Though Smelker was not chosen to compete on the National Team, it is a goal that she does hope to achieve during her time at Rensselaer.  For now, she continues to lead her Engineers squad in scoring and hopes that at season's end, Rensselaer is a playoff team for the fourth straight season.
 
A Little One-on-One

Following my hockey career, I want to be: An engineer or a veterinarian back in my home state (Alaska)
Person who had the biggest influence on my life, thus far: my grandmother
The most famous person I have met is: Angela Ruggiero
My advice to young kids: Do what you love, but make sure you have fun doing it
Person in history I'd most like to meet: Bobby Orr
What are some of your hobbies or favorite things to do besides hockey? My family loves to play tennis together and we also enjoy camping.
What's your pre-game ritual? First I use the foam roller then I tape my stick.  I play soccer with Missy (Mankey) and then it's in to the locker room to get dressed
If I were going to play another sport, it would be: Downhill skiing
People would be surprised to know that: I love to bake
The greatest hockey game I ever played in was: When I played on my U14 team, we got to play in the Regionals in front of our home crowd. We won the game in overtime to advance to the championships.
 
My Favorite Things
Professional athlete: Usain Bolt
Actor/Actress: Neil Patrick Harris
Book: Any book written by Jodi Picoult
Food: Macaroni & Cheese
Color: Pink
Superhero: Batman
Breakfast Cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats
Movie: It usually changes everytime I watch one, but right now it's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
RPI Memory: The Wisconsin game.  We came out and played so hard against the number one team in the country and lost by just a goal at home. (4-3 on November 18, 2011)