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Sanni Ahola

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Sanni Ahola
Born (2000-06-03) 3 June 2000 (age 24)
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
Medal record
World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2024 United States

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.

Playing career

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Ahola developed on the minor ice hockey teams of Red Wings Helsinki [fi], a youth ice hockey club in the Malmi neighborhood of Helsinki.[1] She played as a defenseman and in goal throughout her childhood but committed to the pursuit of goaltending by age thirteen.[2][3]

During her early teens, she served as goaltender with several boys' teams of Itä-Helsingin Kiekko [fi] (IHK) and was the starting net minder for the IHK boys' under-16 (U16) team during the 2014–15 season. In the following season, she split starts for IHK U17 in the U17 Mestis.[4] In addition to backstopping IHK teams, she continued to play as both a skater and goaltender with Red Wing girls' teams.[2][4]

When Saara Niemi established the new HIFK Naiset team in 2018, Ahola was one of the first players she named to the team.[5][6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9]

Entering the 2019–20 season, she remained HIFK's number one goaltender as the team recruited a number of new players, including Karoliina Rantamäki, French national team players Athéna Locatelli and Emmanuelle Passard, and future Finnish national team player Krista Parkkonen.[10] Ahola achieved a .915 save percentage in 21 games and helped the team secure a playoff berth in their first full Naisten Liiga season.[11]

NCAA

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By Ahola's own assessment, the 2021–22 season "didn't go exactly as [she] would have liked."[12] 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.[12] 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.[13][14][15] 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.[16][17]

International play

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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.[18]

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 of the top-three players for Finland by the coaches.[19]

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.[12] Starting in two matches, she notched a win against Switzerland and posted a shutout against Germany.[20]

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.[21][22]

Personal life

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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 [fi] in the Haaga district of Helsinki.[23]

She is pursuing a major in biology at St. Cloud State University.[24]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    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 – – – – – – – – –
2023-24 St. Cloud State Huskies NCAA 17 10 6 1 1013:23 29 5 .935 1.72 – – – – – – – – –
NCAA totals 67 27 35 2 3738:49 170 3 .917 2.73 – – – – – – – – –

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP W L MIN GA SO SV% GAA
2017 Finland U18 WC18 5th 1 0 1 61:02 3 0 .909 2.95
2018 Finland U18 WC18 5th 5 3 2 299:07 9 0 .929 1.81
2023 Finland WC 5th 3 3 0 179:39 2 1 .957 0.67
2024 Finland WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 2 3 367:49 16 0 .914 2.61
Junior totals 6 3 3 360:09 12 0 .925 2.00
Senior totals 9 5 3 547:28 18 0 .922 1.97

Awards and honors

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Award Year or Period
International
World U18 Top-3 Player on Team 2018
World Championship Bronze Medal 2024
World Championship Media All-Star 2024[25]
World Championship Top-3 Player on Team 2024[26]
St. Cloud State Huskies
WCHA Rookie of the Week Week of 1 December 2020
WCHA Goaltender of the Week Week of 9 February 2021
Week of 22 September 2023[27]
Week of 2 October 2023[28]
Week of 30 November 2023[29]
WCHA All-Rookie Team 2020–21
WCHA Goaltender of the Month November 2022[30]
October 2023[31]
December 2023[32]
SCSU Athletics Female Athlete of the Month November 2022[17]
HCA National Goaltender of the Month September/October 2023[33]
December 2023[34]
Howies Hockey Tape Performer of the Week Week of 2 December 2023[35]
HCA National Goalie of the Year semifinalist 2023–24[36]
All-WCHA First Team 2023–24[37]
WCHA Goaltender of the Year 2023–24[38][39]

See also

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References

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  • Aalto, Markku. "Pelaaja: Sanni Ahola". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 22 December 2023.

Notes

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  1. ^ Aalto, p. 2014-2015.
  2. ^ a b "Skater Profile: Sanni Ahola". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Finland Selects - 2014 3rd Place Game - Roster - #13 - Sanni Ahola - D". World Hockey Group. 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Goalie Profile: Sanni Ahola". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  5. ^ Kosunen, Janne (26 April 2018). "HIFK perustaa naisten jääkiekkojoukkueen – "Tavoitteet ovat korkealla"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  6. ^ Myllyaho, Manu; Lehtisaari, Matti (26 April 2018). "HIFK perustaa naisten kiekkojoukkueen – päävalmentaja pelannut Naisleijonissa". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ^ Tokarski, Anne (14 November 2020). "2020-21 NCAA Preview: Newcomers to watch in the WCHA". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  8. ^ Pirkkiö, Jaarli (3 March 2019). "HIFK rankaisi RoKia kovalla kädellä ja varmisti nousun Naisten Liigaan". Lapin Kansa (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  9. ^ Aalto, p. 2018-2019.
  10. ^ "2019-2020 Kookoonpano HIFK Naisten Liiga". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  11. ^ Aalto, p. 2019-2020.
  12. ^ a b c Seppä, Lassi (15 December 2022). "Sanni Ahola Naisleijonien tolppien väliin ensimmäistä kertaa − kokoonpanossa pieniä muutoksia". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ Donnelly, Patrick (7 November 2022). "St. Cloud State stuns No. 1 Minnesota women's hockey". NCAA.com. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  15. ^ Schoenberg, Eitan (10 November 2022). "Women's hockey suffers first season loss". The Minnesota Daily. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  16. ^ "Sanni Ahola named WCHA Goaltender of the Month". St. Cloud State University Athletics. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  17. ^ a b "SCSU Athletics Names Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for November". St. Cloud State University Athletics (Press release). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  18. ^ Mennander, Pasi (5 January 2017). "Sanni Ahola ja Jenna Silvonen Tyttöleijonien maalivahdit MM-kisoissa". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  19. ^ Uusitalo, Timo (12 January 2018). "Tyttöleijonat voitti päätösottelun MM-kisoissa - Tshekki nurin". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Naisleijonat voitti kaikki ottelunsa viiden maan turnauksessa Ruotsissa". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). STT. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Huttunen, Sasha (20 March 2023). "Naisleijonien MM-joukkueeseen valittiin yllätysnimiä! Viime kisojen kohupelaaja jäi rannalle". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Sanni Ahola: Career Statistics". USCHO. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  24. ^ "2022-23 Women's Ice Hockey Roster: 1 Sanni Ahola". St. Cloud State University Athletics. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  25. ^ "2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Media All Stars". International Ice Hockey Federation. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  26. ^ "2024 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship – Best Players of Each Team Selected by Coaches". International Ice Hockey Federation. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  27. ^ "WCHA Sterling Trophy Players of the Week named for Sept. 22-24". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 25 September 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  28. ^ "WCHA Announces Sterling Trophy Players of the Week for Oct. 2-8". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 9 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Week announced for Nov. 30-Dec. 3". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  30. ^ "November Players of the Month Top WCHA Scoresheets". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 29 November 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  31. ^ "Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of Month for October 2023". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 31 October 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  32. ^ "Sanni Ahola Named HCA and WCHA Goaltender of the Month". St. Cloud State University Athletics (Press release). 5 January 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Ahola and Curl earn HCA National Player of the Month Honors". wcha.com (Press release). 1 November 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  34. ^ "SCSU's Sanni Ahola named December's HCA Goaltender of the Month". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 5 January 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  35. ^ "Sanni Ahola Named Goaltender and Performer of the Week". St. Cloud State University Athletics. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  36. ^ Wolf, Sydney (10 February 2024). "4 WCHA netminders named HCA Goalie of the Year semifinalists". The Rink Live. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  37. ^ Kennedy, Ian (29 February 2024). "USA National Team Stars Highlight WCHA All-Star Teams". The Hockey News. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  38. ^ Kennedy, Ian (6 March 2024). "Simms, Harvey, Ahola, Dunne Take Home Major WCHA Awards". The Hockey News. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  39. ^ "Athlete Awards: Sanni Ahola, Goaltender of the Year". Western Collegiate Hockey Association (Press release). 14 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
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