From small outdoor rinks in Minnesota to the Olympic Village in Torino, Italy, Keith Jordan's hockey career has been a memorable one.
Now as a senior defenseman for the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers, Jordan wants to add an elusive national championship to his résumé.
He is hoping his experience at the World University Games last year helps in the Icers' quest.
Players from all around the league were selected to go to Torino, the location of the 2006 Olympic Games to play in an international event. Players from around the globe stayed in the Olympic Village and participated in the biggest international sporting event other than the Olympics.
The American team competed against squads from Canada, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Korea, Jordan said.
"It was an awesome experience because some of the other players, especially Canada and Russia, were semi-professional players," he said. "The Russian team had players from the Russian Super League, which is the second-best league in the world next to the NHL."
The move up to that level of hockey was a big step for Jordan to take, he said. Along with the international experience, Jordan played junior hockey for three years before college. This learning experience is something he wants to bring back to his teammates.
His teachings have not gone unnoticed by Penn State coach Scott Balboni.
"Jordan is a great leader and shows the team how to act on and off the ice," he said.
"He is very even-keeled on the ice, and when one of the younger players gets flustered, he calms them down and tells them to forget about it."
Being considered a leader is a great honor, Jordan said. At practices, he talks to the younger players and gives them advice when needed.
On the ice, Jordan brings scoring ability from the defenseman position, a relatively unexpected weapon.
"He's an offensive-minded defenseman," Balboni said. "He knows when to jump up into a play or hold back and play defense. He realizes the opportunity when he sees it with his great ice vision, and it add another dimension to our team."
Despite thinking offensively at times, Jordan became a defenseman because he learned how to skate backward really well at the age of 4. In Minnesota, playing hockey is a pastime.
His brother, Kyle Jordan, is five years older and loved playing the game as a kid. As with most younger brothers, Keith Jordan aspired to be like his brother.
"It's unfortunate we never played together because I was so much older," Kyle Jordan said. "But it was nice that we played outdoor hockey on the rinks with my friends because he really picked up the game himself."
Working on his game all the time, Keith Jordan continued to improve and started thinking about collegiate hockey when his father got a job teaching economics at Penn State.
Kyle Jordan began his playing career for the Icers shortly after moving to State College. His four seasons on the team brought him recognition as a leader and Penn State three national championships.
"He was a really gritty player," Keith Jordan said. "I tried learning anything I could from him. He was a real smart player, and he still comes to games sometimes and gives me pointers. I definitely respect his knowledge of hockey."
While Keith attributes his learning to his brother, Kyle begs to differ.
"My brother is far more talented than I ever was," Kyle Jordan said. "He has such great composure on the ice that I didn't have and sees the ice extremely well."
Living in State College adds even more pressure to winning national championships.
While he loves playing in front of his family and friends, he knows it will take his entire focus to win a national championship in his senior season.
"Naturally, there is a lot of pressure trying to win it as a Penn State player," he said. "It was exciting watching my brother's team win, but every year it's a different team. Our makeup is a lot different than theirs was.
"We've come so close the last three years, and it's frustrating. But you just have to keep going, and I believe we have a pretty good shot this year."
