Smelker to Participate at U.S. Select Camp
TROY, N.Y. – USA Hockey is set to open camp at the 2011 Women’s National Festival and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) student-athlete Jordan Smelker is among the the invitees to this year’s event, which runs from August 10-20 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minnesota.
A sophomore winger out of Anchorage, Alaska, Smelker will compete for the Blue squad, which is one of four teams featuring 79 of the best women’s hockey players in the nation. Throughout the festival, the players will participate in daily practices, scrimmages, testing and off-ice training in the hopes of being named to either the U.S. Women's Under-18 Select Team or the U.S. Women’s Select Team.
Appearing in all 35 games for the Engineers last season, Smelker led all freshmen and finished second overall in scoring with 20 points on 10 goals and 10 assists. She also led the team in power play goals (4) and added a game-tying and a game-winning marker.
A former standout with Team Alaska 19U, Smelker closed out the 2010-11 season ranked 24th-nationally in points per game by a rookie (0.57) and eighth among ECAC Hockey freshmen. Additionally, she notched at least one point in 14 games, including three multiple point contests.
Of the 79 players at the festival, 14 were members of the silver medal-winning 2010 U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team and 19 were a part of the U.S. Women's National Team that captured the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship.
Smelker will be one of 51 athletes vying for a spot on the U.S. Women's Select Team. Those chosen for the final squad will compete at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s Eight Nations Tournament, held in Vierumaki, Finland from August 24-31st.
Rensselaer concluded 2010-11 with a 10-18-7 record, including an 8-12-2 mark in ECAC Hockey play. The Engineers advanced to their third straight appearance in the conference playoffs last season, falling in the quarterfinals to eventual league champion and NCAA Frozen Four participant, Cornell.
