SLIPPERY ROCK — Izabella Hays enjoys long hikes through the woods near her Slippery Rock home, lounging on a hammock to chill, yoga and meditation.

She wants to join the Peace Corps one day. She wants to help save the world.

“I'm definitely a hippie,” says the 18-year-old Slippery Rock High School graduate, chuckling.

But Hays has another side. An aggressive side. A fierce side. A side that is formidable and tenacious.

That alter ego comes out on the ice as a left-winger. Hays has played hockey at a high level for most of her life, including two years away at the prestigious Hockey Training Institute in Mulmur, Ontario, Canada.

She is big. She is fast. She can score and set others up to score.

She can get dirty in front of a net.

And she is tough — far tougher than she ever thought she'd have to be.

It's all added up to an opportunity to play at the next level at Paul Smith's College, a small, private school nestled amid the Adirondack Mountains in Northeastern New York.

Her home games will be played at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid.

It's a burgeoning program at a school that is emphasizing women's hockey.

“One of the reasons why I decided to commit to them is they had a choice to start a women's team or a Division I men's team,” Hays said. “Obviously, a men's team would have made more money in the beginning for the school, but they wanted to promote equality. I had never seen a school like that. I like to be in a changing world and this was revolutionary.”

Hays hopes to make as big an impact there as she made at HTI in Canada.

During her two years there, Hays excelled, even when playing against older girls.

But her career in Canada was derailed by a series of serious injuries.

A concussion. Broken tailbone and the most severe, a fractured pelvis.

Still, she scored 12 goals to go with 15 assists in 39 games against elite competition in Canada. She had a plus-15, showing her value as a teammate and playmaker.

Hays' goal is to one day play on the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team in the Olympics.

She feared she wouldn't make it after the injuries.

John Morgan, sports initiative director at the school, didn't share that belief.

Morgan asked Hays if she ever dreamed of being an Olympian. Hays answered, “Since I was 5, but I'm not gonna make it.”

Morgan paused, looked at her and said, “I'm not giving up on your dream as long as you don't.”

It has re-energized Hays.

She can't get on the ice because of the coronavirus restrictions, but she's working out on her own, running the wooded trails and shooting a puck on dry land.

When she gets back on the ice, she hopes to use her superior speed and toughness to shine at Paul Smith's.

“I would say that's what I'm known for the most on the ice, my speed,” Hays said, adding, “I get a lot of assists, and I'm also very physical in front of the net. I get people out of the way. I get a lot of dirty goals. I get a few breakaways, but a lot of my goals come from getting dirty in front of the net.”

Hays is trying to actually slow down a little so she can score even more goals.

Sometimes, she said, she can get ahead of herself and shoot wildly.

“Sometimes I shoot for a rebound not to score,” Hays said. “I've been getting much better at that.”

Hays said her two years away in Canada were invaluable, not just on the ice.

She met a lot of girls from all over the world and learned their cultures.

“We lived together; we did everything together like sisters,” Hays said. “Sometimes we'd fight, but as soon as we got on the ice, we'd fight for each other. It was amazing.”

Hays said it was difficult being away from home for that long and also challenging attending cyberschool while also maintaining a demanding playing schedule.

But she managed. She managed because she had a higher goal in mind.

“I knew that I'd do better up there,” Hays said. “I had more of a calling. It felt right.

“There's no women's hockey around here,” she added. “You have to leave. I wouldn't have been able to pursue my goals in the same way if I stayed.”

If Hays has learned one thing in her hockey life, it has been balance.

The stress of hockey at a high level, the pressure of succeeding, melts away on those long hikes through the woods and those deep, cleansing breaths she takes while meditating.

“Hockey is so aggressive, so it's nice to be able to step away and do some yoga and meditation to stay sane,” she said. “A lot of people tell me, 'I know you play hockey, but you're so nice. I can't see you being mean.' But I have to be in the ice. I can switch it on. But it is nice to have a side that's calm and relaxed.”