Latest / Rinkside Rundown / Building an Elite Mindset: Elyssa Biederman on College Success and Preparing for the Pros
Transcript
- speaker-0: I am someone who's pretty high achieving, so you know, I made my path and that's what I wanted to do. So I knew it was gonna be a hard path, but that's something that I wanted to do to not only prepare myself for professional hockey, but also for my life after professional hockey. speaker-1: Hello and welcome back to Rinkside Rundown, the podcast that brings you inside the world of women's hockey, one story at a time. I'm your host, Chris Sinclair, and today I'm joined by Alyssa Biederman, a forward from Franklin, Michigan, graduate of Colgate University. Alyssa, welcome to the show. How you doing? speaker-0: Good, how are you? Thanks for having me. speaker-1: I am fantastic. Thank you. Even better now that we're finally getting a chance to chat. I am very excited to dive in. So let's not waste any time. Let's start with what got you into hockey? What drew you into the the world of hockey initially? Do you remember? speaker-0: I do. well, I don't but the stories remember. So I was I think two and my brother played hockey before me. My grandpa and my dad are are pretty big fans of the game. So they stuck my brother into learn to skate and mini hockey and I saw him and I wanted to do the same thing. So, yeah, I got in learned to skate clashes, and then you know, the basic just let's learn how to play hockey. And then yeah, I joined my first team I think at five or six. So speaker-1: Do you remember like how you felt that was it something that you immediately enjoyed or was it something that you felt like kind of took some time before you found how like you found you discovered your passion for it? speaker-0: Yeah, I I think it took some time. I mean, my parents always talk about how the first time I went on the ice I wouldn't stop crying. but I remember the first goal I've ever scored and I've never laughed that hard in my life. So I think that's kinda when the joy started. and when I look back I yeah, that's one of the happiest moments I've ever felt. So yeah. speaker-1: Yeah, scoring goals, like that's that's a pretty, pretty fun part of the sport, that's for sure. So I I get that's why that might be part of your foundation for sure. speaking of your foundation, grew up playing boys hockey. And so I wanted to start off by finding out what was that like for you? What was it like to to be growing up or early days anyway, certainly earlier days. playing boys hockey and and what did it teach you about yourself and and and your continued passion for the sport. speaker-0: Yeah, I think at my age a lot of girls started in boys hockey. it wasn't common that I would play another team with a girl on it, but there were a few in Michigan where I'd play and there would be one other girl. But I think it's something that, you know, teaches you resilience, work ethic, and just teamwork in general, obviously being a part of a team, but being the only girl it makes you a little bit tougher in in terms of being in the team environment and culture with everyone. So I love the boys' teams I played on. I played on three, yeah, three. I played on the Revolution, the Eagles and the Rangers. and then I switched over to girls hockey. But yeah, I had a great experience, great coaches, and a lot who I still am in contact with today. So speaker-1: Yeah, I love that about the the hockey world. It is it doesn't matter like where you are in your journey, you're always somehow still connected with like with the people along the way. It just seems like they say hockey is such a small world, but it feel or like at least from an outside perspective, it's it feels like it's really big because everyone's still so connected. when you made that switch from boys to girls hockey and and and ultimately playing with C within the little Caesars organization. What was that like for you? Cause like the Little Caesars organization is certainly, my goodness, do they have a good culture and they they they have a great pipeline to success. What was that like for you at that stage of your career? speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, I switched over 'cause it was my last year with the boys not hitting. And as a smaller player my parents were a little bit concerned for me. So, Mano Raume, who is amazing, she reached out to a bunch of the girls my age who played a boys team on boys teams across the the state and we all, you know, got together and just made a and made a team that was going to be competitive when it within itself and was going to have a winning record. So I wouldn't say we got recruited to Little Caesars, but we were all brought in because we were all great hockey players. and yeah, she kind of s paved the way for all of us. and it it made a lot of friendships that I still have to this day. And when I come back to Michigan after college, you know, those are the the guys I hang out with. So, we're a really fun bunch. We've been close for a while and yeah, we challenge each other on and off the ice. speaker-1: Yeah, it's it's interesting because and I I've I've had a few I've had the opportunity to speak with a few players who've gone through the same Little Caesars program and and they're saying even even in their college years now and even graduating and and and awaiting that next chapter, they're still in the group chats. Like there's still group chats going and they're still like it they're very active in the group chats. Is that the same sort of thing for you where you're still really well connected with even now with all of your former teammates too? speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, like the other people said, we do have our group chats going all the time. I was also fortunate to play with four little Caesars kids over the course of my time. I played with Casey Bordeal, Addison Spitz and Kaya Malikino. those guys, you know, stayed a little closer to me. yeah, my best friends still around the the world and you know, when we play each other it'd be the most competitive thing possible. Yeah, we all get back together in the summer, train together, push each other and it's a really good community to come back to when, you know, you leave, you know, your your current teammates and and the setting you're in. So it's great to come home too. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. When you when thinking, diving in a little bit more into like that that culture and and that, you know, how you were challenging one e one another to always constantly be getting better, how important do you think that was in the found in your foundation in your junior years that really have helped set you up for the success which you've had collegiately, you know, having that those expectations, that winning culture and being around that and and again, just, you know, always trying to to outdo your your teammates. speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, on our team we didn't really have a I would say a star player. We were all great players and we all complimented each other very well. If if I wasn't playing great, we weren't worried about winning because we had a a roster behind me that was gonna support me in in in that way too. And, you know, we all had each other's backs and that was part of what made us so great is that, you know, if someone was off, someone else would lift them up. and it and it kind of just grew like that. But yeah, I think as a group we did our best just to have fun at drink, you know, play the game that we love. And like you said, we were a part of a winning culture. We my junior year we lost one game in overtime and my junior and senior year we both won national championships. So it definitely taught us that we hated to lose. We didn't lose often and when we did it wasn't something that we took lightly and I think, you know, all of us brought that into college and struggled when we were going through, you know, times like that. But, you know, I think when people ask us if we'd rather win or or or if we love to win or hate to lose, we hate to lose 'cause, you know, we're brought up in a winning culture and that's you know, a feeling that we don't like at all. So speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Wow, spoken like a true athlete right there, that's for sure. so you actually also had the opportunity to captain within your junior career as well. I feel like, I mean, at any point, there are, I'm not gonna say pressure, or there is, I'm not gonna use the word pressure. I'm gonna say expectations. There's a lot of expectations. How did you handle X the expectations of being a leader and and what did being a leader teach you not just about the player that you were, but also the person you wanted to be and were de and were developing into for lack of a better term? speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, being a leader is always, you know, important. But I think, you know, I always tried to let like lead by example. and I tried to, you know, just be a good person and and a good human in the locker room. So, I think, you know, those were some of the qualities that, you know, they were looking for. We had a really, you know, goofy group and and a serious group on the ice. So, you know, I just tried to help manage things and manage like making sure that we were having fun on the ice, but you know, playing to what we expected and achieving the results that we expected of ourselves throughout the season. but I had great, you know, captains beside me who who made the job really easy. And we had a great coaching staff my junior year with Kenny Ryan and Melissa who's playing in the P WHO right now. And then we had Rocky Thompson, my senior year who's coaching the islanders right now. So we we definitely had a good bench behind us to support us and and you know, help our development in terms of skill and and on the ice. But yeah, we all went to work when we were on the ice and had fun off of it. speaker-1: So I'm gonna ask you when you think back to your time in junior, what and I I feel like I might already know the answer to this, but let's see if it's different than what I'm what I think it might be. What what are some of the things that you're maybe most proud of or have helped to shape you the most when you think about the success that you've also had collegiately? speaker-0: I think there's two things that come to mind. The first is that I think as a group it taught us that our like who our best friends were like. I made my best friends there and, you know, I stay in contact with all of them and train with all of them in the summer. and two, I mean, I was brought up in a winning culture as you mentioned. So I think it not only taught us qualities of, you know, hard work, determination. And just what a standard or a bar is. But it taught us, you know, we hate this feeling and let's what can we do to n you know, never feel it again. So I think it taught us a bit of preparation and consistency at the same time and it also, you know, taught us the ways of a game. You're gonna you're gonna be down sometimes, you're gonna be up sometimes, but you know, playing the the opponent the same way, the way you wanna play is, you know, how you're gonna get the results that you that you want. So yeah, it was beneficial in in so many ways. speaker-1: Yeah, I mean, and now we're gonna get into your collegiate career. My goodness, did you have a collegiate career? so, but before we dive into, you know, the the that that journey for you, we gotta start with like what made Colgate ultimately the right spot for you when you were considering your options, you were saying to yourself, you know what, I obviously I wanna continue getting better. I wanna continue elevating my play. Also, I'm sure ac the academic side of things factored into that as well. Could you talk about What made Colgate University the the right fit for you? speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, there were a lot of things that were important to me in in the recruiting process. and honestly, I didn't I wasn't thinking that much about a winning culture, but the main thing I was thinking is, you know, could I see myself there without hockey? more so like if I got injured or for some reason things weren't going well, like would I be able to still go to the college, if I wasn't a hockey player, like that was you know, the bonus, the fun part of going there. So I liked Colgate's small campus. I really wanted to be in like a really small community where I would have good relationships with my professors. you know, know the majority of my peers and, you know, felt like, I was, you know, able to connect with everyone rather than going to a larger school where there would be people that I didn't know and and I wouldn't have as good of a connection with my professors. Looking back, I wish I took into consideration how much like career planning should be considered when choosing a college. Colgate's alumni network and career services platform is amazing and it's something that I used a lot while I was there to prepare for my future. but I didn't like know about that until I got there and I'm I was really happy and glad that there was something like that. But also the coaching staff was just a really, really big factor. I loved Fargo. he played exactly like the way we played at Little Caesars, just puck possession mentality, you know, making plays the way that we did in high school and that's the type of game that I like to play. and yeah, I had great relationships with Chelsea Walkland and Stefan DeCos, who is now my current or who was my current head coach my senior and junior year, but Yeah, I just really loved the coaching staff and I really loved the school and the program and yeah, they I mean, a perk was they were doing well too. So, I got to win a lot of games too while I was there. speaker-1: Yeah, and first of all, I want to acknowledge that advice is, you know, when you th when you're thinking about which program you want to attend or which university you want to attend, think about what happens if you're not playing. Because things happen. There are a lot of variables, obviously injury, like you had mentioned. but there are a lot of other factors that may come into play as well. So that's actually advice that a lot of people have shared. That that very specific thing, how much it's important to yes, do you obviously want to enjoy. wherever you end up being able to play the game of hockey. But if you only go for that and something happens, can make your experience a lot less enjoyable. speaker-0: Yeah. So that was that was that's my advice. I also think do your research is just really important. especially if you don't know what you want to do, just choosing a place that forces you to explore or, you know, has what you're interested in is is really important. speaker-1: Thinking about your journey as well, how did you find the balance between the academic side, biology, sociology, while you were also obviously playing very well on the ice? How did you find that balance? Was that something that took some time to adjust to? Did you feel like you had, I don't like using it, keep constantly coming back to the same word, foundation, but did you have enough experience during your junior career that set you up for that? What was that like to balance being successful in the classroom as well as on the ice? speaker-0: Yeah, I think everyone freshman year at Colgate kind of shares the same experience where, you know, it's a learning curve. I was taking hard classes and I was, you know, in a in a good hockey program and, you know, there was a lot of different things that I was juggling, but I think, you know, I learned to compartmentalize things, you know, focus on hockey while I was at hockey, focus on school when it was my time to study, but Obviously everyone's gonna say time management skills are important, you know, having a schedule, staying structured. but I am someone who's pretty high achieving. So, you know, I made my path and that's what I wanted to do. So I knew it was gonna be a hard path. But that's something that I wanted to do to not only prepare myself for professional hockey, but also for my life after professional hockey. So yeah, it was definitely difficult. Don't don't get me wrong. Like I had long nights, long days, but you know, just staying on top of your work, finding a routine that works for you is really important in just you know, settling in and also just ask questions to the upperclassmen who've experienced you know, what it's like to be in college. speaker-1: Could you also talk about your evolution as a player? Like offensively, it I mean, looking at the stat sheets, looking at a scorecard, it seemed like you were always there. You were always on the on the, you know, somehow contributing offensively to a game. Did you find that you found your game col at the collegiate level relatively easily? and how did that grow? How did you grow as a player, your confidence as your career progressed collegiately? speaker-0: Yeah, I mean, I came in and my first five g five games I think I struggled and it was frustrating. I wasn't playing bad. I just wasn't producing and I was, you know, used to producing at at a program like Little Caesars. So, it was a it was a bit weird at first, but I think, you know, I was being challenged in practice by great players again. so it made the adjustment in game easier to, you know, play against people who had who were just as good and if not the people in practice were better. So, I think, you know, that challenged me. Also was in a community of, you know, my coaching staff supported me, my coaching staff believed in me. so having that kind of, you know, help support me, you know, while I was transitioning, like I was I was very well supported throughout it. But you know, once the first one goes in, it's kind of that's That's the hardest one to get. So, things kinda kept going and, you know, as the year goes on you become more comfortable playing with, you know, the people you're you're on a line with and and just the team overall. So, I got better as the year went on. and then, you know, sophomore year everything's familiar and you're you got a year under your belt. So it just kinda keeps going. But yeah, I think the first year's always the hardest and as you, you know, get older, like the pressure goes up. But you get more comfortable in the system you're in and in the in the program that you're playing through. So it's just a progression. speaker-1: Fair. you like the when I think about of course we've talked about Little Caesars and and the the culture that that's created there, especially around winning and and being being elite. Could you now talk about the culture at Colgate and and what you f or how from the inside how you feel the culture or what you feel the culture is there when it comes to winning, when it comes to growth and maybe how how has that evolved in your time collegiately as well with with the program. speaker-0: Yeah, I mean obviously I played with, you know, really high achieving players too. I mean, playing with Calty for three years and Sir Dacne for two years, Derek Gregg, Ali Simpson, Sid Bard, like you can list for hours. But, you know, when you have great people on your team, it makes, you know, your life a little bit easier. again in games, but you know, they challenged you, they pushed you. they were also great leaders. and I think just overall, like as my years went on, our our group became more determined, hardworking, I would say. Like we would just get, you know, harder and more determined to, you know, keep achieving the goals we have to achieve. and it's it's hard 'cause every year there's new freshmen coming in, there's people going out. So the culture, you know, changes a little bit every single year just based off of, you know, personalities. and you know, the way people are. So, I think that's one of the, you know, challenges in creating a consistent culture is, you know, there's always constant changes, but the team makes the culture and you know, it's important to, you know, have goals, values in in terms of what the team wants to achieve and the way, you know, the group wants to operate. So speaker-1: As you now say goodbye to your collegiate years, could you take a moment to reflect? What are you maybe most proud of? and this can be, you know, something, your growth as as a player, this can be your growth as a person, this could be the relationships you you made along the way. I may have just answered the question for you. but whatever you like, what are you what what are some of the things you're most proud of over your time with Colgame? speaker-0: I would say one relationships. I think Colgate's a very special place. and the community that it has. athletes support the athletes. and you're in a very strong and supportive community where where the village is is backing you up too. So, you know, my teammates are amazing. I love all of them and you know, it's it's comforting moving to the next level, having people to talk to. and you know, being that same outlet for the for the people that are, you know, coming up and are young still. But you know, the people are special and they're people that'll stay in my lives for a really long time. So, yeah, that's that's one thing. And then I'd say the other thing on the ice, I would say, yeah, the development as a player, you know, I I you know, was a proud of who I was as a player there. I was proud of you know what I accomplished, what we accomplished as a team. it was hard. Always winning a championship is hard. but, you know, being proud of where we are, proud of where we showed up for being, you know, a smaller school and not one of those, you know, bigger warehouses where, you know, people have to be both school and hockey oriented to to go there. So we had a great group, you know, all four of my years. and yeah, I really I really had a great experience at the school. speaker-1: Yeah, absolutely and it I mean certainly when you look at the your sta your stat sheet, it certainly looked like for sure. Especially when I think about the fact that one of your the I guess the foundational experience you had was that first goal. Getting that first goal was so much fun. And my goodness, did you do that a lot in college? So I can only imagine how much fun you had along the way, that's for sure. speaker-0: Yeah, super. speaker-1: Yeah. could we you know, I I we've put it off long enough. Like let's talk about this next chapter and what you must be feeling and how maybe I'm gonna say excited, but there's probably a little bit of nerves in there as well. with the PWHL draft, first of all, how you feeling? How you how are you preparing for what could be a very exciting chapter of your career? speaker-0: Yeah, I think it's, you know, a mix of nervous and exciting. everyone dreams of playing professionally when they're younger, so it's something that's, you know, kind of scary, but also just exciting in the moment and you know, waiting for for the details and everything leading up to the draft. So, and it being in Detroit is even more, you know, amazing to have my family there. and, you know. being just in a city that I've grown up in and loved and being right next to the rink that I used to play in. So it's gonna be amazing. prep preparation wise, it's you know, it's always eyes forward in terms of, you know, getting ready for the next season. So just, you know, preparing myself in in the best way possible to, you know, walk into a new team and create an impact both, you know, on the ice and off the ice in the locker room, and in the community surrounding the teams. you know, I I think, you know, the first month of summer will be kind of relaxing, just spending time with family, friends, traveling a little bit. and then, you know, the draft will be exciting and, you know, seeing where I end up or or, you know, the team that you know, I'll be involved with and then hopefully the near future and you know it's just a time where it's like to slow down a little bit and just, you know, be appreciative of the things that are, you know, the process I'm going through, the things that occur before the draft and you know, just kind of get the feeling that, you know, my dream might be coming true pretty soon. So speaker-1: Yeah, and I what a what a storyline right there. I hadn't even I hadn't even sadly I hadn't even put two and two together there, being that, you know, you're you're obviously from Michigan and now you have the opportunity to to be drafted in you know, in Detroit, which is of course, like you said, such an important place. What is that? I mean, I guess think just thinking about what does that mean for you to be able to to join the PWHL, but to also have it happen at home, basically at home. speaker-0: Yeah, I mean it it's a full circle moment. it I love Detroit. I I grew up here my whole life. I played in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena with Little Caesars. So, you know, that's all very familiar and you know, being drafted and having the draft in in Fox Theater, that's that's my roots. That's where I grew up. So it's always special, you know, having an event this, you know, important to me and And something that I've looked forward to for such a long time in a place that's surrounded by so many memories and and love is is awesome. And it's something that, you know, I was ecstatic to hear about. You know, it's awesome for women's hockey that, you know, we ex you know, they're expanding to twelve teams and it should be amazing and and grow the league. but having one in my hometown is, you know, obviously a little bit more special. speaker-1: You had mentioned earlier about the fact that you played with a lot of players who have made that jump and have are now, you know, seeing success at the PWHL level. What does that mean for you as well when you think about their journey and you're like, well, like we were we were teammates and they made that jump and they're seeing that success. What does that do to inspire and maybe fuel what you're thinking about as your next step? speaker-0: Yeah, I think it's it's comforting in a sense, knowing people who are already there. you know, I talk to a lot of them still and and you know, they provide a sense of clarity for for all the changes that are going on in in the league and and what I'm supposed to expect, you know, for my first year. but I think it's also amazing for, you know, our Colgate program to see that. you know, they're having success. and, you know, the way that the program develops people who they recruit and and everything like that. But yeah, it it definitely makes the transition easier, having people to talk to. it also is, you know, amazing to f to know that, you know, our style of play is transferable to to a level like this. And yeah, I think it just it just relaxes you a little bit and all the the waves of uncertainty and, you know, questions that we have about all that's going on and all the changes that are going on. speaker-1: Yeah, everyone's kind of figuring it out. So it's nice to be able to have those people to to lean on that that have at least experienced what the PWHL is. Of course, again, there's a lot of uncertainty moving forward, but at least a little bit of help is certainly takes at least the edge off a little bit, I'm sure. so then I guess this begs the question: considering this is gonna be at home, we're gonna fast forward to draft night and you hear your name called. Who are you thinking about in that moment? And what are some of those, maybe those memories or those moments throughout your career that you're also going to be thinking about is like as you take to the stage, as you are now officially embarking on the next chapter of your journey, especially who are those people that you're I'm certain are gonna also be in the crowd, but who are some of those people that you're think that you're gonna be thinking about on that night? speaker-0: I think, you know, obviously my family, family sacrifice a lot for hockey players. it's definitely an expensive s sport. It means sending your your kid out of, you know, the co out of the country possibly or the state. so, you know, I'm grateful for whatever and all the things that my family has done, you know, to get to me to this point. whether that was, you know, flying me to tournaments, letting me explore all the colleges that I wanted to explore, and kind of just like putting no restraint on, you know, what I thought I needed to do to, you know, best prepare myself for my dreams. so family, obviously friends and teammates, just all the people that have, you know, been with me along the way, pushed me along the way, you know, all that is important. And then also the coaching staff that have, you know, developed me, taught me things. made me a better player and a better person. So those those people will all be in, you know, my mind that night. both organizations, Little Caesars and Colgate will always, you know, hold a special place in my heart. And you know, those are programs that I'll, you know, give thanks to for for an accomplishment of this sort. speaker-1: Absolutely, absolutely. which is all the more reason why I I'm really excited to to inevitably hear your name called on draft night, especially knowing that it'll be f in front of friends and family, which is makes that moment even even that much better when it's not on Zoom or something like that, right? So that's gonna be great that you're gonna be able to be there. so before we move on to the final buzzer segment of the show, I do want to, and I'm gonna say it again in a moment as well, but I do just wanna wish you the best of luck. At the PWHL draft and in the inevitably successful professional career that you have. good luck. speaker-0: Thank you. speaker-1: okay. So final buzzer segment of the show. I always say it's it's you know, it's only ra it's a rapid fire way to end the conversation, but only rapid fire in the sense that I'm gonna ask you questions and I'm gonna try to ask zero follow up questions. Okay. and the intent is this hopefully we We move things along a little bit quicker because I tend to like to ask a lot of follow up questions. So you can take as long as you want in answering. I will try not to an ask any follow up questions, although I almost always fail. first one for you. What is your go to pregame meal? speaker-0: there's this place called the Eatery in Hamilton and I would always build my own bowl. So it used to be it's like brown rice, spring mix, cold roasted chicken. There's like these crunchy noodles they put on it, and then I get this soy brown sugar dressing. So it's it's like kind of just like a green bowl with, you know, carbs, fiber, protein, all the things that I need and Sometimes if I'm feeling really hungry, I'll get a side of mac and cheese. Kinda depends. speaker-1: That sounds fantastic. And I feel like I would lean heavily into that mac and cheese. who were when you think about your your journey growing up in the sport, of course, who are some of your favorite players growing up, in hockey? speaker-0: I used to go to Red Wings games a lot. So I used to watch Datsuk a ton. Red Wing Legend. Yeah, good. But you know, obviously that changes as players go in and out of the week, but I also used to watch Brianna Decker and Kendall Coyne a lot and the Olympics and world championships and everything on the women's side. so yeah, I would say those those two, but now it's probably I watch a lot of like Brad Marshannon and Cole Garfield, those guys a lot. speaker-1: Hmm. solid picks across the board. So great job. what's one word that your teammates might use to describe you? speaker-0: Organized. speaker-1: Ooh, okay. Interesting. Okay. I'm gonna try not to ask any follow up questions, just know that they're there. w when you think about your entire time at Colgate, what's one of your favorite memories? speaker-0: My favorite memory is like over the course of two weeks. but we won the ECAC championship and the regional final to send us to the frozen four against Cornell. Well, we won the championship first Clarkson and then we played Cornell, but we played Cornell four times that year. and we won the ECAC championship at home, beating our rival, and then we won the regional final at home. home to against a different rival. and it's just amazing seeing the, you know, community rally around you and being in a home environment and setting that's, you know, so so supportive of your program. And you know, going back to the frozen four for our program's, you know, history is was awesome and a great experience. speaker-1: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you? speaker-0: That's actually a good question. What is something people would be surprised? I'm a good cook. I'm not a good baker, but I'm a good cook. Like I like to make big meals, sweet potatoes, steak, ground beef, whatever it is, I like to try new things and and cook things. speaker-1: Awesome, good. And I'm glad because I didn't I was gonna ask you what were some of the things you like to cook, and then you started to answer it. And then I realized I didn't have to ask a follow up question. So we're still good. We're still good. I haven't failed yet. I haven't failed yet. I also want to know if you could go back and give your younger self some advice about the journey ahead. Of course, there are gonna be ups, there are gonna be downs, but about that journey, what do you think some of the advice that you would share with young Alyssa? speaker-0: I think slow down and have fun. I think in college there's so many things going on that it's hard to slow down. and that's why the years go by so fast is because there's always a new semester or a new weekend that you're looking forward to and your eyes are always looking forward to the next opponent, the next test, the next everything that you don't you don't be present and, you know, be be where your feet are, as as our coach would say. But I would say that because you know, this is my dream and I don't wanna not, you know, f like really feel and feel the emotions of achieving it. So yeah, I would say that. speaker-1: Great advice. I love that. That's great. Yeah, it's always about being being where your feet are. You're an athlete. You're always thinking forward. You're never really reflecting. all right. That's it. You passed the test. that wraps up the final buzzer segment of the show. I also passed the test, which is a rarity for me. that wraps up the episode as well. Alyssa, I just want to say thank you so much. this has been an absolute pleasure. I'm so excited, well, to have this conversation with you, but also to once again to be able to cheer you on in your professional career that I've said it a couple of times now, but that is inevitably going to be very successful for you and very long. wish you the best of luck in the draft, wish wish you the best of luck in the future. And just know I'm gonna be cheering for you every step of the way and I can't wait. speaker-0: Thank you so much. speaker-1: And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your fellow hockey fans. Your support helps me to continue bringing you stories just like this one from across the world of women's hockey. I'm Chris Sinclair. Thank you so much for tuning in, and I'll catch you next time on Ringside Rundown.