At some point, every athlete arrives at the crossroads and must begin to reflect on a game that has always been a piece of his or her life.

It could be a pivotal moment in which he or she decides on whether or not the time has come to hang up the cleats, the sneakers or in Ice Lion Jake Wolfe's case, the skates.

The senior forward and team captain will play his final game at Penn State on Feb. 10 when the Ice Lions host Indiana University of Pennsylvania at the Greenberg Sports Complex.

Wolfe has been a solid leader all season, and the team has revolved around his consistent play. The numbers alone define his offensive impact as he leads the Ice Lions with 27 goals and 37 total points. Wolfe, a finance major, excels in the classroom setting as well.

"Jake is a very talented ice hockey player, and a serious student," Ice Lions head coach Mo Stroemel said. "He is the kind of student-athlete we expect to have on the team."

Wolfe's work ethic off the ice is reflected in his style of play in the rink. Wolfe's swift skating ability coupled with his elusive puck handling skills has proven to be a great asset when the Ice Lions are on the offensive attack.

"He has unbelievable offensive awareness, and a great ability to put the puck in the net," teammate Ralph Stoehr said.

Combined on a breakaway, Wolfe and Stoehr are an exciting tandem to witness in action as they make slick passes and quick shots that result in Ice Lion scores.

"I just go where Stoehr isn't, and I just know where the puck is going to end up," Wolfe said.

Off the ice, Wolfe approaches the game modestly.

"I like playing ice hockey for fun," he said. "In all honesty, I'm not going to be good enough to play in the NHL, but my grades are good, so I'll take that."

Wolfe started playing ice hockey when he was 10 years old, and his first experience in the rink occurred when he attended an ice skating party.

He grew up in Pittsburgh and lived just down the street from an ice rink. He found a source for inspiration in NHL star Mario Lemieux.

"When the Penguins won the first Cup, that is when I started taking hockey seriously," Wolfe said. "Now it's kind of cool because Lemieux is back."

After playing forward for four years in high school, Wolfe began his collegiate ice hockey career at Penn State-McKeesport where he played during his freshman and sophomore years. During the last two years as a starting forward and team captain for the Ice Lions, Wolfe has earned the respect of his teammates as a player and a person.

"Jake exemplifies leadership and holds the team together," Ice Lion forward Corey Rudzinski said. "We can always look to him when we need a goal."

"Jake is a great leader on and off the ice, and he is a phenomenal goal scorer," goaltender Brian Gratz said. "The team will miss him next season."

Looking at life after Penn State, Wolfe is focused on beginning his career in finance, but ice hockey will not be permanently shelved.

"I just want to get a good job making decent money," he said. "I'll play adult league hockey all my life, and coach maybe."

Wolfe remains upbeat as the season draws to a close, and looks back with a certain degree fondness for his fellow Ice Lions.

He will miss picking on teammate Eric Ritter's mullet, and jokingly suggested some possible scenarios for his last home game such as a bench-clearing brawl or retiring his jersey over the women's locker room. He finds satisfaction in his academic performance, and the role ice hockey has played in conjunction with his grades.

He also hopes his teammates will always think the best of him. In all essence, Jake Wolfe is a respected leader and playmaker, which makes him the most dangerous Lion on ice.