Brian Idalski named 2022-23 USCHO Coach of the Year
3/30/2023 11:45:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Idalski earns National Coach of the Year honor following historic first season on the SCSU bench
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Women's Hockey head coach Brian Idalski has been named the 2022-23 USCHO Coach of the Year as announced by U.S. College Hockey Online on Thursday morning. Idalski earns the organization's National Coach of the Year honor following his program's historic turnaround and rise to national prominence in his first year behind the SCSU bench and becomes the first St. Cloud State Hockey coach – men's or women's – to be named a national coach of the year.
St. Cloud State's head coach was also named Co-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year on March 2. Under Idalski's guidance the Huskies tied a program record with 18 wins, going 18-18-1 with an 11-16-1 mark in WCHA play – establishing a new program record with 36 conference points to finish fifth, standing as the Huskies' best conference finish since 2015-16 and marking just the second time the program has earned a top-five conference finish in the last 13 years. The club's 18 wins were the most since SCSU won 18 games in 2007-08 while their 11 conference wins stand as the third-most in program history, one shy of their total from the past three seasons combined and most since 2009-10. St. Cloud State doubled their win total from a season ago and added a 42.9% points percentage, their best mark since 2009-10 – establishing a program record for the three-point era.
Idalski led St. Cloud State back into national prominence as the Huskies entered both the USCHO and USA Today National Polls in the first week of December, placing the team in the National rankings for the first time since 2009 and 2008 respectively. After debuting at No. 14 in both polls, SCSU proceeded to remain ranked in 10 of the next 11 weeks to close the year, closing the season ranked for the first time in program history at No. 12 by the USCHO and No. 13 by USA Today. Prior to 2022-23, SCSU had only appeared in the USA Today rankings five times while appearing in just six USCHO polls – this season, the Huskies were ranked 12 and 11 times respectively.
For the first time in 13 years, the Huskies defeated or earned a point from all seven conference opponents – taking down then-No. 1 Minnesota, shutting out then-No. 8 and eventual NCAA Champion Wisconsin in front of a packed Kohl Center and taking both then-No. 1 Ohio State and then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth to overtime. In defeating 2022-23 National Champion Wisconsin during the regular season, the Huskies recorded a win over the eventual NCAA champion for the first time since 2009-10 (Minnesota Duluth) and marked just the fifth occurrence (2005-06, Wisconsin; 2001-02, Minnesota Duluth & 2000-01, Minnesota Duluth) in the program's history.
Huskies Hockey established a new culture of high-compete 200-foot hockey under Idalski, beginning in the defensive zone. SCSU led the NCAA and set a new program record with 576 blocked shots while holding opponents to 2.59 goals – their second-best mark ever – and 32.24 shots per game – their best mark since 2015-16. St. Cloud State's goaltenders anchored the rejuvenated defense, recording the program's third-best team save percentage at .920 and second-best goals against average of 2.58. The Huskies posted a program-record six shutouts in 2022-23, punctuating their stingy defensive work.
In the offensive zone, St. Cloud State scored 87 goals – eclipsing 66 for the first time since 2009-10 and standing as the program's most since that same season. The Huskies netted 64 even-strength goals, good for second-most all-time, on a 10.43% shooting percentage that becomes the program's third best mark and highest since 2000-01. For the first time since 2009-10, four Huskies recorded 20-point seasons while two defenders provided double-digit scoring seasons for the first time since 2017-18.
Special teams took a major step forward under Idalski as the Huskies power play delivered a 20.41% campaign while the penalty kill improved from a 77.27% mark a season ago to 85.50% in 2022-23. Both marks stand fourth-best in program history while the club's 20 power play goals were the most since 2009-10.
Nine Huskies set or matched career-high point totals in 2022-23 while Dayle Ross set a program record with 104 blocks, Jenniina Nylund tied the program's record with five game-winning goals and JoJo Chobak broke the single-season mark with five shutouts. Klára Hymlárová scored 17 goals – eighth-most in Huskies history – and closed the regular season as the NCAA's power play goal leader with eight. Sophomore defenders Dayle Ross and Grace Wolfe took massive steps forward under Idalski's guidance, providing 15 and 18 points respectively while ranking No. 1 and No. 3 all-time in single-season blocks with 104 and 83 respectively. The SCSU goaltending duo of Sanni Ahola and JoJo Chobak thrived in a tandem, each recording save percentages of .923 with GAA marks of 2.50 and 2.46 to help anchor the turnaround.
No stranger to success at the highest level of NCAA DI Women's Hockey, Idalski was also the architect of an impressive rebuild at North Dakota. He compiled five 20-win seasons while leading the Fighting Hawks to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013, inheriting a team that went 3-31-2 prior to his arrival and rebuilding UND as a national power. His teams were consistently ranked in the Nation's Top-10 while producing a record of 169-156-39 in 10 seasons.
Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
St. Cloud State's head coach was also named Co-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year on March 2. Under Idalski's guidance the Huskies tied a program record with 18 wins, going 18-18-1 with an 11-16-1 mark in WCHA play – establishing a new program record with 36 conference points to finish fifth, standing as the Huskies' best conference finish since 2015-16 and marking just the second time the program has earned a top-five conference finish in the last 13 years. The club's 18 wins were the most since SCSU won 18 games in 2007-08 while their 11 conference wins stand as the third-most in program history, one shy of their total from the past three seasons combined and most since 2009-10. St. Cloud State doubled their win total from a season ago and added a 42.9% points percentage, their best mark since 2009-10 – establishing a program record for the three-point era.
Idalski led St. Cloud State back into national prominence as the Huskies entered both the USCHO and USA Today National Polls in the first week of December, placing the team in the National rankings for the first time since 2009 and 2008 respectively. After debuting at No. 14 in both polls, SCSU proceeded to remain ranked in 10 of the next 11 weeks to close the year, closing the season ranked for the first time in program history at No. 12 by the USCHO and No. 13 by USA Today. Prior to 2022-23, SCSU had only appeared in the USA Today rankings five times while appearing in just six USCHO polls – this season, the Huskies were ranked 12 and 11 times respectively.
For the first time in 13 years, the Huskies defeated or earned a point from all seven conference opponents – taking down then-No. 1 Minnesota, shutting out then-No. 8 and eventual NCAA Champion Wisconsin in front of a packed Kohl Center and taking both then-No. 1 Ohio State and then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth to overtime. In defeating 2022-23 National Champion Wisconsin during the regular season, the Huskies recorded a win over the eventual NCAA champion for the first time since 2009-10 (Minnesota Duluth) and marked just the fifth occurrence (2005-06, Wisconsin; 2001-02, Minnesota Duluth & 2000-01, Minnesota Duluth) in the program's history.
Huskies Hockey established a new culture of high-compete 200-foot hockey under Idalski, beginning in the defensive zone. SCSU led the NCAA and set a new program record with 576 blocked shots while holding opponents to 2.59 goals – their second-best mark ever – and 32.24 shots per game – their best mark since 2015-16. St. Cloud State's goaltenders anchored the rejuvenated defense, recording the program's third-best team save percentage at .920 and second-best goals against average of 2.58. The Huskies posted a program-record six shutouts in 2022-23, punctuating their stingy defensive work.
In the offensive zone, St. Cloud State scored 87 goals – eclipsing 66 for the first time since 2009-10 and standing as the program's most since that same season. The Huskies netted 64 even-strength goals, good for second-most all-time, on a 10.43% shooting percentage that becomes the program's third best mark and highest since 2000-01. For the first time since 2009-10, four Huskies recorded 20-point seasons while two defenders provided double-digit scoring seasons for the first time since 2017-18.
Special teams took a major step forward under Idalski as the Huskies power play delivered a 20.41% campaign while the penalty kill improved from a 77.27% mark a season ago to 85.50% in 2022-23. Both marks stand fourth-best in program history while the club's 20 power play goals were the most since 2009-10.
Nine Huskies set or matched career-high point totals in 2022-23 while Dayle Ross set a program record with 104 blocks, Jenniina Nylund tied the program's record with five game-winning goals and JoJo Chobak broke the single-season mark with five shutouts. Klára Hymlárová scored 17 goals – eighth-most in Huskies history – and closed the regular season as the NCAA's power play goal leader with eight. Sophomore defenders Dayle Ross and Grace Wolfe took massive steps forward under Idalski's guidance, providing 15 and 18 points respectively while ranking No. 1 and No. 3 all-time in single-season blocks with 104 and 83 respectively. The SCSU goaltending duo of Sanni Ahola and JoJo Chobak thrived in a tandem, each recording save percentages of .923 with GAA marks of 2.50 and 2.46 to help anchor the turnaround.
No stranger to success at the highest level of NCAA DI Women's Hockey, Idalski was also the architect of an impressive rebuild at North Dakota. He compiled five 20-win seasons while leading the Fighting Hawks to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2012 and 2013, inheriting a team that went 3-31-2 prior to his arrival and rebuilding UND as a national power. His teams were consistently ranked in the Nation's Top-10 while producing a record of 169-156-39 in 10 seasons.
Information regarding single game and season tickets can be found at scsutickets.com. For all the latest on St. Cloud State Women's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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