Women's Ice Hockey | 1/29/2018 4:34:00 PM

BROOKLYN – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) women's ice hockey alumnae Alexa Gruschow (2012-16) and Jordan Smelker (2010-14) were named to the 2018 National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) All-Star. Both Gruschow and Smelker will be playing for "Team Ott" in the All-Star Game in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Feb. 11 at TRIA Rink.

The pair of forwards were named to Team NWHL, the squad that represented the league in two games against the U.S. Olympic Team in January. These exhibition games were the final tune-ups for Team USA in preparation for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The first game was a scoreless deadlock while the second contest ended 6-2 in favor of Team USA. Smelker scored Team NWHL's second goal early in the third period.

Gruschow, a forward for the undefeated, first place Metropolitan Riveters (11-0), currently leads the NWHL in scoring and goals this season. The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native is 9-10-19 over 11 games.

Gruschow earned numerous awards throughout her RPI career, including the team's Most Valuable Player following the 2015-16 season. She was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team in 2012-13 as well as the team Rookie of the Year. A multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic selection, the Biology major was a multiple Dean's List honoree.
 
Over the course of her four year career, Gruschow was 48-47-93. The forward ranks ninth in RPI career history in points and tenth in goals. A captain her senior year, Gruschow led the Engineers in scoring all four years of her tenure, including a 27 point season her rookie campaign (13 goals, 14 assists).

Smelker a three year forward for the Boston Pride (2-9), has posted is 13-17-30 over 43 games in her career. The Anchorage, Alaska native competed in the 2015 Four Nations Cup for the U.S. Women's National Team in Sweden. Additionally, Smelker spent the 2014-15 season with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), posting eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 22 games. Compiling a +17 rating, she had one power play and two game-winning tallies. She also had one assist during the Blades Clarkson Cup Championship.  A former Team Alaska 19U standout, Smelker has been invited to multiple USA Hockey camps throughout her career, including the USA Hockey Women's National Festival, in 2015 and the National Team Selection Camp in 2013. She was also a participant in the 2012 U.S. Women's National Team Winter Camp in Minnesota.

Smelker earned numerous awards throughout her RPI career, including the team's Most Valuable Player following the 2013-14 season. She was named the team Rookie of the Year in 2010-11 as well as the team's Bob Conway Scholar-Athlete Award in 2011-12. A multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic selection, the Biomedical Engineering major was a multiple Dean's List honoree.
 
Over the course of her four year career, Smelker was 34-52-86. The forward ranks eighth in RPI career history in assists and eleventh in points. A captain her senior year, Smelker was a top two team scorer for the Engineers, including a 23 point season her sophomore campaign (10 goals, 16 assists).

In partnership with the NHL's Minnesota Wild, 2018 NWHL All-Star Weekend will take place Feb. 10-11 at TRIA Rink, the Wild's state-of-the-art Practice Facility in downtown Saint Paul. The NWHL Skills Challenge will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 6:45 p.m. CT. The 2018 NWHL All-Star Game is on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m. CT. Tickets are available now at NWHL.zone/tickets. Skills Challenge tickets are $15, All-Star Game seats are $25 and an All-Star Weekend Package with both events is available for $35. There will be an autograph session with the players after both events for all ticketholders.