Influenced to play hockey by her brother and dad when she was younger, junior Cassidy Cha earned the opportunity to play for Team USA, a goal she had worked toward for years.
“Being able to represent the U.S. at my age level is unreal and something I never thought I would actually be able to feel,” said Cha. “It was just super exciting.”
Cha represented the United States U18 Women’s National Ice Hockey Team in a three-series competition against Team Canada.
The team spent a week training for the series through practicing and watching film. To build team chemistry, they also went mini-golfing and sang karaoke together.
“[Team chemistry] is super important,” said Cha. “Once you get older and reach the competitive level of the U.S., we can’t really play by ourselves, so having team chemistry helps us play together and win.”
Team USA lost the first two games of the series, but defeated Canada 5-4 in the final game on Aug. 15.
“It was an honor, honestly,” said Cha. “I felt like just playing Canada and being able to beat them is an experience you never thought you would have, but just experiencing it was amazing.”
Senior Amanda Rosen has played alongside Cha for about five years at Team Illinois, where they also played together for a state championship.
There’s always a huge crowd watching, and I use my nerves to help me play better, Cha said.
“There are little moments of stress, but I feel like with me, stress fuels my game,” said Cha. “I don’t take things too seriously and just try to have fun.”
Cha’s presence brings a lot of calmness to people, and if she has the puck, she’ll do something amazing with it, Rosen said.
According to Cha, her hockey career began because she grew up watching her older brother, who also plays hockey, and her father, a former collegiate defender, play.
“As I grew older, I’d be like, ‘Look at my brother go,’” said Cha. “‘I want to be like him, and the same with my dad.”
I would practice with my brother and dad and do a little something every day, whether it was a workout or on the ice, Cha said.
According to Cha, she went on unofficial campus visits and talked with coaches before she verbally committed to play Division I hockey at the University of Wisconsin–Madison beginning in fall 2028.
After meeting players from the University of Wisconsin–Madison women’s hockey team during one of her unofficial visits, seeing the culture of the team helped her make her decision, Cha said.
“I chose Wisconsin because of the academics but also the amazing program and the coaching,” Cha said.
My parents were proud of my decision and supported me through the recruiting process, allowing me to decide where I wanted to continue my career, Cha said.
According to Cha, she is considering either playing professionally or going down the business path after college since she plans on majoring in business.
“[Playing for the national team] has honestly been incredible,” said Cha. “The opportunities and resources you have are unimaginable, and you kind of get treated like a little celebrity.”