For Mississauga, Ontario native Alyssa Regalado, the road to Cornell University started with a love of figure skating and has led to a young career which has already included the opportunity to represent her country internationally and a remarkable tenure in the junior ranks with the Etobicoke Dolphins.
“I had the opportunity to train with some figure skaters over the years and I think that has also really helped my edge work and acceleration,” Regalado said. “So I think there’s definitely a good correlation between the two and if you can figure skate, it’s not a bad thing. It will definitely help with the game of hockey.”
Playing hockey, though runs in the family, as Regalado’s father played and really encouraged her to use the skills she learned as a figure skater and translate those to hockey. A turning point for Regalado was when she was 11 and had the opportunity to travel to university and see the college ranks.
“I remember around the age of 11, my team got the chance to travel down to the Boston area and tour some schools like Harvard and Northeastern,” Regalado recalled. “I remember being able to experience that at such a young age was really cool and to be able to see that I could play at a level like this someday. That kind of gave me the mentality that I wanted to do that someday.”
As Regalado continued to find her stride in hockey, it was the Etobicoke Dolphins program, and head coach Joe Butkevich, which really helped to provide her more confidence and support, especially off the ice.
“I think him being able to build that connection off the ice provided a strong relationship between us and helped to grow my game because he knew in more detail the kind of level of coaching I needed in different aspects,” Regalado said.
Regalado, a defender entering her third season with Cornell University, has already seen tremendous success on the scoresheet, amassing 25 points in 64 career games and a collegiate career average of +14.5. “I would like to say I’m more of an offensive defender,” Regalado shared. “I definitely like to jump up into the rush when I get the chance and put pucks on that from the point in the offensive zone. I’m definitely a student of the game.”
As she looked at her collegiate options, only one clear and undeniable choice stood out to her. “It almost felt like I was already on the team before I was even there,” recalled Regalado about Cornell. “And they try to have a very strong connection with their players, which I really appreciate. It always had such a nice, warm feeling to it. I loved the old barn style rink. I got to skate on it for a camp and I was like, this is amazing.”
Whether it was an incredible junior career with the Dolphins, or the valuable experience of representing your country or now, as she heads into her third year at Cornell, Regalado has learned to soak in each moment, enjoy every step and appreciate the opportunity to continue her amazing career with even bigger aspirations on the horizon.
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