No. 10/9 St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Opens New Year on the Road at No. 4 Minnesota Duluth

Friday, January 10

AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minn.

3 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

Minnesota Duluth

Photo by: Jason Soria

No. 10/9 St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Opens New Year on the Road at No. 4 Minnesota Duluth

1/9/2025 3:43:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Series Notes

Huskies travel to Duluth to play No. 4 Bulldogs at AMSOIL Arena Jan. 10-11 in first series of 2025

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 10/9 St. Cloud State Women's Hockey (10-6-4, 5-6-3 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) open the new year with a WCHA road series in Duluth. The Huskies play No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (13-5-2, 8-4-2 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday at the AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. Puck drop on Friday is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT while Saturday's game will begin at 1 p.m. CT.

Series Notes

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Both games will be streamed on B1G+ (note – a paid subscription is required) with radio coverage on 97.5 FM RadioX. KVSC talent Alex Fern (play-by-by) and Brian Moos (color) will be on the call. Live stats will be provided by UMD. Links to each coverage option are available on the SCSU Women's Hockey schedule page.

Game 21 @ No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (AMSOIL Arena – Duluth) – Friday, Jan. 10 / 3 p.m. CT / Livestream ($ - B1G+) / Live Stats / Audio (97.5 FM RadioX)

Game 21 @ No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (AMSOIL Arena – Duluth) – Saturday, Jan. 11 / 1 p.m. CT / Livestream ($ - B1G+) / Live Stats / Audio (97.5 FM RadioX)

SERIES HISTORY
SCSU is 15-88-12 all-time against Minnesota Duluth, inlcuding 0-3-2 in the team's last five matchups. The Huskies own a 5-52-5 record when playing in Duluth. SCSU went 0-1-1 against the Bulldogs in St. Cloud during their final series before winter break.

LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies are ranked No. 10 in the USCHO Poll and No. 9 the USA Hockey/The Rink Live Poll. St. Cloud State is one of five WCHA programs featured in the rankings with one additional clubs receiving votes. Minnesota Duluth enters the series ranked No. 4 in both polls.

LAST TIME OUT
The then-No. 8/9 Huskies went 0-1-1 against Minnesota Duluth in their final series of 2024 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud on Dec. 6-7. The teams skated to a 1-1 tie in the first game with UMD winning the shootout and the Bulldogs took the series finale 3-1.

Sophomore forward Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) and senior defender Taylor Larson (Nisswa, Minn.) were the lone goal scorers for the Huskies. Saruiol added an assist and was the only Husky to tally multiple points. Sauriol also took the team lead in assists (seven) and points (10). Larson's goal was the fifth of her career.

The SCSU power play went 0-for-6 for the second consecutive series and the Huskies struggled on the dot, only winning 46.0% of the draws over the two games.

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA
Friday, Jan. 10
Bemidji State at No. 2 Ohio State* - 2 PM CT
No. 10/9 St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota Duluth* - 3 PM CT
St. Thomas at No. 3 Minnesota* - 6 PM CT

Saturday, Jan. 11
Bemidji State at No. 2 Ohio State* - 1 PM CT
No. 10/9 St. Cloud State at No. 4 Minnesota Duluth* - 2 PM CT
St. Thomas at No. 3 Minnesota* - 2 PM CT
(RV) Minnesota State at No. 1 Wisconsin* - 5 PM CT

Sunday, Jan. 12
(RV) Minnesota State at No. 1 Wisconsin* - 2 PM CT
*WCHA Game

HUSKIES AT THE SIX NATIONS TOURNAMENT
St. Cloud State Women's Hockey had six current players and one aluma that competed for their respective country's national team in the 2024 Six Nations Tournament that took place from Dec. 11-15 in Tampere, Finland.

Fifth year forward Emma Gentry (Alpena, Mich.) represented the Stars and Stripes on the U.S. Collegiate Women's Select Team while fifth year goaltender Sanni Ahola (Helsinki, Finland), freshman goaltender Emilia Kyrrkö (Nokia, Finland), sophomore forward Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland) and freshman defender Siiri Yrjölä (Vantaa, Finland) were joined by 2023 SCSU aluma Jenniina Nylund (Pietarsaari, Finland) on the Finnish National Team and redshirt sophomore forward Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland) played for the Swiss National Team .

The Six Nations Tournament was the third competition on the annual Women's Euro Hockey Tour (WEHT) and in addition to Switzerland, included Canada, Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the U.S.

The six participating countries were split into two groups. Group A included the United States, Finland and Switzerland, while Group B featured Canada, Czechia and Sweden. The United States beat Finland 4-0 and Switzerland 6-2 to win the group while Finland beat the Swiss 4-0 to take second place in the group and advanced to the semifinals. Sundelin scored in the 4-0 shutout of Switzerland. Finland dropped its semifinal game to Canada, 3-0 and its third-place game to Sweden, 2-1. The U.S. took down Sweden 5-0 in the semifinals and Canada 5-3 in the championship.

FIRST HUSKY ON A PWHL OPENING DAY ROSTER
Former St. Cloud State Women's Hockey forward Klára Hymlárová (Opava, Czech Rebublic) made history for the program on Nov. 29 when she was named to the opening day roster for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) following the team's preseason minicamp. She became the first alumna to make an opening day roster for a PWHL team.

On June 10, Hymlárová was selected by then-PWHL Minnesota in the 3rd round (15th overall) of the league's draft, becoming the first Husky to be selected since the inauguration of the PWHL Draft in 2023.

The Frost won the first annual Walter Cup Championship in 2023-24 and return 16 members from that team. The final 10 players that make up the 26-player roster are PWHL rookies, including Hymlárová. The Frost opened their season with a 4-3 overtime loss against the New York Sirens on Sunday. Hymlárová skated to a +1 mark in her professional debut.

A two-time alternate captain, Hymlárová ended her five-year Huskies career in 2023-24 with 36 goals and 53 assists for 89 points over 142 collegiate games. She compiled four Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) weekly awards in her career including one Forward of the Week nod in 2023-24 after being named Most Outstanding Player at the 2023 Ice Breaker in which she led the Huskies to the title with a natural hat trick in the Championship Game, and three Rookie of the Week selections in 2019-20. She also earned WCHA Rookie of the Month honors in December 2019 and was named to the 2019-20 WCHA All-Rookie Team.

Hymlárová is well-known on the international circuit as a leader on the Czechia Senior National Team, earning two Bronze medals at the World Championships (2022, 2023) while appearing in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In total, she has represented Czechia seven times at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and three times at the IIHF U18 World Junior Championships (2015, 2016, 2017).

HCA NATIONAL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Freshman goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) was named the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) National Rookie of the Month, as announced by the organization on Nov. 1, following her impressive stretch in the net during the month of October.

As of Nov. 1, Kyrkkö ranked No. 3 in goals-against-average (0.97), No. 3 in save percentage (.962), No. 4 in shutouts (two) and No. 6 in goalie winning percentage (.800) among all Division I goaltenders.

WCHA ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Freshman goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Month, by the league office on Oct. 30, following her impressive stretch between the pipes during the month of October.

Throughout October, she earned her first three WCHA weekly honors of the season and of her career. She was named Goaltender of the Week on Oct. 7 and Oct. 28 and was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Week on Oct. 21.

The freshman netminder led the WCHA in goals against average (0.97) and save percentage (.962) during the month while posting an impressive undefeated record of 3-0-2. She began her career with two consecutive shutouts and only two of the five goals she conceded in the month were full strength goals.

Kyrkkö also ranked No. 2 in shutouts (2), No. 2 in shutouts/game (0.4), No. 3 in total saves (126), tied for No. 3 in goaltender wins (3) and No. 5 in saves/game (25.2) among all conference goaltenders during the month.

The Nokia, Finland native tallied a career high 45 saves in SCSU's tie/shootout win over No. 2 Ohio State. Her 45 saves were the most in a single game by a conference goaltender during the month.

WCHA WEEKLY HONORS
Freshman goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Nokia, Finland) was named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Goaltender of the Week, by the league office on Oct. 28, following her standout performance in the net during the series against (RV) St. Thomas. It was her third weekly award of the season and of her career (Goaltender of the Week – Oct. 7; Oct. 28 | Rookie of the Week – Oct. 21).

The Nokia, Finland native did not allow an even-strength goal and made 14 saves in Saturday's 3-1 home win over (RV) St. Thomas. The Tommies scored a powerplay goal with just eight seconds left in regulation to take away her third shutout performance of the season. In Friday's 1-1 tie/shootout loss at UST she made 28 saves and allowed just one goal in regulation (.966 save %) while saving three of the penalty shots she faced in the shootout.

Kyrkkö led the WCHA in goals against average (0.96) and was third in save percentage (.955), third in saves (42) and fifth in saves/game (21.0). Kyrkkö remains undefeated through her first five collegiate games (3-0-2) and owns impressive marks for goals against average (0.97), save percentage (.962) and shutout (2).

St. Cloud State has won each of the WCHA weekly awards at least once this season. Kyrkkö has been named the Goaltender of the Week twice (Oct. 7 & Oct. 28) and the Rookie of the Week once (Oct. 21), and senior defender Ella Anick (Hermantown, Minn.) and fifth year forward Emma Gentry (Alpena, Mich.) were named the conference Defender and Forward of the Week respectively on Sept. 23 after SCSU's season-opening sweep of Lindenwood.

It was the second time Anick had been named WCHA Defender of the Week in her career, both coming while playing for SCSU. It was Gentry's third career time being named the WCHA Forward of the Week.

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.