As a goalie for Bowling Green State University's ice hockey team, Jordan Sigalet is used to standing firm as opponents rush the net and unleash their best shots.

Sigalet has applied that same strategy to life after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a little more than an year ago.

A key presence on the ice for the Falcons, Sigalet led the nation in minutes played, saves and shots faced during the 2003-04 season. A 2001 seventh-round selection of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, Sigalet had his sights firmly set on making it in the NHL. But in late February of last year, his life took an unexpected twist when, after turning in a 69-save performance in back-to-back games against Northern Michigan, Sigalet awoke the next day to numbness in his foot. The condition spread throughout his body and by the end of the day, he had no feeling from the neck down.

After a battery of tests, the senior was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a nonfatal disease that affects the central nervous system. Beyond the numbness, other symptoms associated with the condition include vision difficulties, severe fatigue, dizziness and trouble with balance. In the most common form of MS, an onset of symptoms can be followed by periods of good health, but there is no way to predict how long those periods will last or even when they will occur.

Doctors initially thought Sigalet might have to give up hockey, but he was determined to continue -- so determined, in fact, that just two weeks after the diagnosis, he was back in goal. Despite being numb from the neck down, he tallied 80 saves in season-ending consecutive losses in the playoffs against Ohio State University.

Through treatment, including injections three times a week and dietary modifications, feeling has fully returned throughout Sigalet's body, except for his hands, which Sigalet says never get better.

"I had to get used to holding my stick and how hard I was gripping it. Sometimes when pucks would go in my glove, I wouldn't even know they were there. It's just something I've gotten used to," he said. "It's become a part of my game and part of my life."

The numbers illustrate that the senior has indeed adjusted. Sigalet was one of 10 finalists for the 2005 Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's top prize. He ended the season with a 16-12-3 record and led all Central Collegiate Hockey Association goaltenders with an average of 30.1 saves per game.

Early on, Sigalet kept word of his condition closely guarded. He shared the news with his coaches and teammates, but asked that it stay within the team. But after a second onset of symptoms in November of last year, it was Sigalet's turn to go on the offensive.

The British Columbia native went public with his condition this past December, a decision he said was difficult because he was worried about what people would think.

"I didn't want people to hold it against me. I didn't want to use it as a crutch. I wanted to come in and prove I could play with the disease before I came out and spoke about it," he said.

In response to his announcement, he was flooded with an overwhelming wave of support from his coaches and teammates, other teams, players, fans, others with MS and even the MS Society.

Sigalet has done more, though, than just speak publicly about his battle with the disease. A desire to turn something bad into something good has motivated Sigalet to become highly active with the MS Society. In addition to participating in walks and accepting speaking engagements around the country to talk about the disease, Sigalet worked with the Bowling Green athletics department and his team to put together a silent auction during a two-game home series against Western Michigan University.

As if the event wasn't personal enough for him, among the items up for bid were about 10 framed black-and-white photos of ice hockey equipment that Sigalet, a digital arts major, had taken as part of a photography class during his first two years at Bowling Green. Each earned between $150 and $200. Overall, the effort generated nearly $12,000 for the MS Society.

"I was hoping to just raise $5,000 or somewhere around there," said Sigalet. "I was blown away by how much people donated and wanted to help out."

Plans are in the works for another silent auction in Vancouver this summer, even as Sigalet moves forward toward a future that hopefully will include a chance in the NHL and will definitely include work on behalf of the MS Society.

Sigalet said experience has taught him not only how much he loves to play hockey, but also has magnified the importance of keeping a positive attitude.

"At first, I was really down and depressed all the time. I learned really fast that that's the wrong way to approach things," Sigalet said. "It's definitely not the end of the world to have MS. A lot of people might think that, but you just have to face it head-on."

Much like making a save.