Sanni Ahola
Sanni Ahola (born 3 June 2000) is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and member of the Finnish national team, currently playing in the NCAA Division I with the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey program.
| Sanni Ahola | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
3 June 2000 Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| NCAA team Former teams |
St. Cloud State Huskies HIFK Helsinki | ||
| National team |
 Finland | ||
| Playing career | 2018–present | ||
Playing career
Ahola developed on the minor ice hockey teams of Red Wings Helsinki, a youth ice hockey club in the Malmi neighborhood of Helsinki. She played as a defenseman and in goal throughout her childhood but was invested in the pursuit of goaltending by age thirteen.
During her early teens, she served as goaltender with various boys' teams of Itä-Helsingin Kiekko (IHK) and was the starting net minder for the IHK boys' under-16 (U16) team in the 2014–15 season. In the following season, she split starts for IHK U17 in the U17 Mestis. In addition to backstopping IHK teams, she continued to play as both a skater and goaltender with Red Wing girls' teams.
Her senior league debut was made in the Naisten Mestis with the Red Wings during the 2016–17 season, in which she played eighteen games in net and recorded a .964 save percentage; she also played two games as a defenseman, tallying 2 goals and an assist. Appearing in nineteen games with the Red Wings in the 2017–18 Naisten Mestis season, she maintained a .929 save percentage.
When Saara Niemi established the new HIFK Naiset team in 2018, Ahola was one of the first players she named to the team.[1][2] HIFK's inaugural season was an historic success that culminated in the team’s promotion to the Naisten Liiga (NSML), the premier national league in Finland.[3][4] Ahola maintained a .957 save percentage across seventeen Naisten Mestis games, improving to .967 across five games in the post season Naisten Liiga qualification series.
Entering the 2019–20 season, she remained HIFK's number one goaltender as the team recruited a number of new players, includingKaroliina Rantamäki, French national team players Athéna Locatelli and Emmanuelle Passard, and future Finnish national team player Krista Parkkonen. Ahola achieved a .915 save percentage in 21 games and helped the team secure a playoff berth in their first full Naisten Liiga season.
NCAA
Ahola began her college ice hockey in the fall of 2020, joining the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey program in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference of the NCAA Division I. In her first year, the roster included starting net minder Emma Polusny and international skaters Laura Kluge of Germany, Klára Hymlárová and Adéla Škrdlová of Czechia, and fellow Finn Jenniina Nylund. The 2020–21 season was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Huskies played only nineteen games, rather than the standard 30 or more. Despite the unusual circumstances, Ahola had a solid freshman season while serving as backup to Polusny. In her collegiate debut on 27 November 2020, she recorded a shutout against the Minnesota State Mavericks, for which she was named WCHA Rookie of the Week. She was honored as WCHA Goaltender of the Week after she denied 38 shots to earn her second shutout of the season on 5 February 2021, also against Minnesota State. At the end of the season, she held a .918 save percentage, 3.23 goals against average (GAA), and a 3-5-1 record, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.
By Ahola's own assessment, the 2021–22 season "didn't go exactly as [she] would have liked."[5] The team struggled overall, amassing a 9-23-3 record with a win percentage of .300, and Ahola's game was not immune to the collective slump. Deployed in a goaltending tandem with Polusny, she played in eighteen games and recorded a .900 save percentage, 3.75 GAA, and chartered a 5-13-0 record.
Ahead of the 2022–23 season, Brian Idalski was named head coach of the Huskies program and Finnish Olympian Mira Jalosuo was hired as the assistant coach overseeing defense. The coaching staff was the catalyst for a "really big change in the team" and a Ahola was one of a number of players who had career years under the new regime.[5] Highlights of her season included a shutout against the Bemidji State Beavers on 4 November and a 34-save performance in St. Cloud State's 4–1 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on 7 November, the fourth win against Minnesota in program history.[6][7][8] Her continued level of play across the remaining games of November 2022 resulted in her selection as the WCHA Goaltender of the Month and as the St. Cloud State University (SCSU) Athletics Female Athlete of the Month.[9][10] Goalie partners Ahola and Jojo Chobak backstopped the Huskies to their best season win percentage in over a decade and both net minders recorded .923 save percentages. Ahola ended the season with a 2.50 GAA and a 9-11-0 record.
International play
Ahola was a member of the Finnish national under-18 ice hockey team during 2015 to 2019. She served as backup goaltender to Jenna Silvonen at the 2017 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship and played the preliminary round match against Czechia, recording a .909 save percentage and 2.95 GAA as Finland lost the march 2–3 in overtime.[11]
At the 2018 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, she recorded the best save percentage (.929) and best goals against average (1.81) of all starters at the tournament, and was selected as one the top-three players for Finland by the coaches.[12]
She made her debut with the Finnish national team in the second tournament of the 2022–23 Women's Euro Hockey Tour, a 5-nations tournament in Ängelholm, Sweden.[5] Starting in two matches, she notched a win against Switzerland and posted a shutout against Germany.[13]
Ahola was selected to the Finnish roster for the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship on 20 March 2023, alongside goaltenders Anni Keisala and Emilia Kyrkkö.[14][15]
Personal life
Ahola was born on 3 June 2000 to Riikka and Jukka Ahola in Helsinki, Finland. She attended the sports high school of the North Haaga Community School in the Haaga district of Helsinki.[16]
She is pursuing a major in biology at St. Cloud State University.[17]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Post season | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | Min | GA | SO | SV% | GAA | GP | W | L | T | Min | GA | SO | SV% | GAA | ||
| 2018-19 | HIFK | NMestis | 17 | 15 | 1 | – | 1023:33 | 18 | 5 | .957 | 1.05 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2018-19 | HIFK | NSML | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | 4 | 0 | – | 275:40 | 4 | 1 | .966 | 0.87 | ||
| 2019-20 | HIFK | NSML | 17 | 5 | 10 | – | 1074:27 | 48 | 2 | .914 | 2.68 | 3 | 0 | 3 | – | 180:24 | 9 | 0 | .922 | 2.99 | ||
| 2020-21 | St. Cloud State Huskies | NCAA | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 541:07 | 28 | 2 | .918 | 3.11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2021-22 | St. Cloud State Huskies | NCAA | 18 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 1056:16 | 66 | 0 | .900 | 3.75 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2022-23 | St. Cloud State Huskies | NCAA | 20 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 1128:03 | 47 | 1 | .923 | 2.50 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| NCAA totals | 48 | 17 | 29 | 1 | 2725:27 | 141 | 3 | .912 | 3.11 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | SV% | GAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Finland U18 | WW18 | 5th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 61:02 | 3 | 0 | .909 | 2.95 | |
| 2018 | Finland U18 | WW18 | 5th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 299:07 | 9 | 0 | .929 | 1.81 | |
| Junior totals | 6 | 3 | 3 | 360:09 | 12 | 0 | .925 | 2.00 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| International | |
| World U18 Top-3 Player on Team | 2018 |
| St. Cloud State Huskies | |
| WCHA Rookie of the Week | 1 December 2020 |
| WCHA Goaltender of the Week | 9 February 2021 |
| WCHA All-Rookie Team | 2020–21 |
| WCHA Goaltender of the Month | November 2022[9] |
| SCSU Athletics Female Athlete of the Month | November 2022[10] |
References
- Kosunen, Janne (26 April 2018). "HIFK perustaa naisten jääkiekkojoukkueen – "Tavoitteet ovat korkealla"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Myllyaho, Manu; Lehtisaari, Matti (26 April 2018). "HIFK perustaa naisten kiekkojoukkueen – päävalmentaja pelannut Naisleijonissa". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Tokarski, Anne (14 November 2020). "2020-21 NCAA Preview: Newcomers to watch in the WCHA". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Pirkkiö, Jaarli (3 March 2019). "HIFK rankaisi RoKia kovalla kädellä ja varmisti nousun Naisten Liigaan". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Seppä, Lassi (15 December 2022). "Sanni Ahola Naisleijonien tolppien väliin ensimmäistä kertaa − kokoonpanossa pieniä muutoksia". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "SCSU shuts out Bemidji State 2-0 behind Ahola's strong night". St. Cloud State University Athletics (Press release). 4 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Donnelly, Patrick (7 November 2022). "St. Cloud State stuns No. 1 Minnesota women's hockey". NCAA.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Schoenberg, Eitan (10 November 2022). "Women's hockey suffers first season loss". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "Sanni Ahola named WCHA Goaltender of the Month". St. Cloud State University Athletics. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "SCSU Athletics Names Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for November". St. Cloud State University Athletics (Press release). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Mennander, Pasi (5 January 2017). "Sanni Ahola ja Jenna Silvonen Tyttöleijonien maalivahdit MM-kisoissa". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Uusitalo, Timo (12 January 2018). "Tyttöleijonat voitti päätösottelun MM-kisoissa - Tshekki nurin". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "Naisleijonat voitti kaikki ottelunsa viiden maan turnauksessa Ruotsissa". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). STT. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Hanhikoski, Herkko (2 April 2023). "Maajoukkueen tulokasvahti Sanni Ahola tavoittelee peliaikaa Naisleijonissa − "Minut on syystä valittu tähän joukkueeseen"". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- Huttunen, Sasha (20 March 2023). "Naisleijonien MM-joukkueeseen valittiin yllätysnimiä! Viime kisojen kohupelaaja jäi rannalle". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "Sanni Ahola: Career Statistics". USCHO. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- "2022-23 Women's Ice Hockey Roster: 1 Sanni Ahola". St. Cloud State University Athletics. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com