Penn State's Keith Jordan waited patiently as 37 other all-stars were announced to the crowd, each garnering a generous applause. He stood on the goal line he had protected for the last four years before finally hearing his name and number called for the last time.
As he skated out toward the blue line, his hometown crowd showed its appreciation by greeting Jordan with the loudest applause of the evening.
After the Penn State ACHA Division I Icers had their Senior Night canceled against Stony Brook University last month, Jordan didn't think he would get a chance to play in front of the Greenberg Ice Pavilion crowd again. But thanks to the inaugural ACHA All-Star game Saturday night, he got his wish for one last game.
"It felt good to be out there for one more game on a home ice where I have a lot good memories," said Jordan, a defenseman on the White team. "It was really nice to be out there again and be announced, hear people cheer for me as I went out to the blue line. It was a nice feeling."
The senior defenseman helped the Icers make three consecutive national championship games over his career and had the honor of being named a captain for his last two seasons. Jordan led all Icer defensemen in scoring and was selected to the all-star game despite missing seven games this season due to injury.
This dedication and commitment has led Jordan to be respected by all of the ACHA, Penn State coach Scott Balboni said.
"Keith is one of the elite players we have on our team and he's one of the elite defenders in all the ACHA," Balboni said. "Obviously, he's a great leader on the ice. But off the ice, all the guys listened to him and look to him for advice. He's going to be extremely hard for us to replace."
Jordan was joined on the ice by teammates Nick Signet and Mike McMullen. McMullen was a late replacement for a player who couldn't make it to the game.
"The game was great, but it was nice to see Keith get that last game at home," Signet said. "We both looked at each other after the first period and realized our bodies weren't ready for this after the long layoff, but everyone went hard out there and it was great for all of us."
Jordan didn't score in his final game, but played solid on defense in the White team's one-goal victory. He was on the ice when teammate McMullen assisted on the White team's fourth goal late in the second period.
Despite the game being the last for Jordan in his collegiate career, he will always be a member of the Icers family.
"It's been a great experience, and it's the Icers family because once you're a part of it, you're a part of it for life," Jordan said. "You get to know everybody, make friends for life and everyone in the organization is great. It's something special to be a part of."
