No. 9 St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Returns From Bye Week With Home-And-Home Against No. 2 Minnesota

Friday, November 13

Ridder Arena • Minneapolis

6 p.m.

St. Cloud State

#2 Minnesota

Photo by: Kayden Kircher

11/12/2026 3:26:00 PM | Women's Hockey

Game Notes

Huskies travel to Minneapolis Friday, host the Gophers Saturday

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – No. 9 St. Cloud State Women's Hockey (8-4-0, 6-2-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Conference) returns from its bye week with a home-and-home series against No. 2 Minnesota (9-1-0, 5-1-0 WCHA). Puck drop from Ridder Arena in Minneapolis Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m., while the series finale at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday.

GAME NOTES

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Both games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus (note – a paid subscription is required) with audio coverage provided on the KVSC Sports Stream. Noah Grant will have the call on the Sports Stream Friday and B1G+ Saturday, while Joey Hudson will be on the Sports Stream Saturday. Live stats will be provided by each home team and tickets for Saturday's game can be purchased at SCSUTickets.com.

Game 13 – @ #2 Minnesota (Ridder Arena // Minneapolis) – Friday, Nov. 13 / 6 p.m. / Watch ($ - B1G+) / Live stats / Listen (KVSC Sports Stream)
Game 14 – vs. #2 Minnesota (Herb Brooks National Hockey Center // St. Cloud, Minn.) – Saturday, Nov. 14 / 1 p.m. / Watch ($ - B1G+) / Live stats / Listen (KVSC Sports Stream)

Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Women's Hockey game day central or schedule page.

GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. #2 Minnesota
Promotions: Sophie's Squad Game // Ladies Day

Full 2026 Promotional Schedule

SERIES HISTORY
SCSU trails the all-time series against the Gophers, 7-114-4 (.072), but 3-7-0 in its last 10 games against the "U". The Huskies are 2-64-2 against Minnesota in Minneapolis (both wins coming since 2/14/25) and 4-47-2 against the Gophers in St. Cloud. Last season the teams met seven times including a WCHA First Round series and SCSU's lone win came in game one of the playoffs, a 1-0 overtime victory.

LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies are ranked No. 9 in the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll the USA Hockey Poll, while Minnesota enters the series No. 2 in both polls.

INTERNATIONAL HUSKIES
Four current St. Cloud State Women's Hockey players and six alumnae were named to their respective national team rosters for the 2026 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship. The tournament runs from Nov. 6-16 and is being held at two sites in Denmark – the KVIK Hockey Arena in Herning and the Granly Hockey Arena in Esbjerg.

The preliminary round concluded on Nov. 11, and the playoff stage begins on Friday, Nov. 13 with the relegation game and all four quarterfinals. The two semifinals will be played on Sunday, Nov. 15, before the bronze and gold medal games conclude the tournament on Monday, Nov. 16.

Among NCAA teams, St. Cloud State has the fourth highest number of current, former or committed players with 10 and only trail WCHA foes Wisconsin (15), Ohio State (12) and Minnesota (11).

FINLAND
The largest contingent of Huskies – three current players and two alumnae, suited up for Team Finland. Junior goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Ylöjärvi), senior forward Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila) and junior defender Siiri Yrjölä (Vantaa) are joined by goaltender Sanni Ahola (Helsinki), who played for the Huskies from 2020-25 and former alternate captain, forward Jenniina Nylund (Pietarsaari) who wore the red and black from 2018-23.

Previously, Kyrkkö played in one U18 Junior World Championship (2022) and two World Championship (2023, 25), Sundelin played in two World Juniors (2019, 20) and five World Championships (2021, 22, 23, 24, 25), Yrjölä played in two WJC (2020, 22) and two World Championships (2024, 25), Ahola played in two World Juniors (2017, 18) and three World Championships (2023, 24, 25) and Nylund played in two WJC (2016, 17) and five World Championships (2021, 22, 23, 24, 25).

All five were on the 2025 Finland team that earned a bronze medal, while four of the five have multiple medals - Nylund and Sundelin each have three bronze's (2021, 24, 25) and Ahola and Yrjölä each have two (2024, 25).

Ahola, Kyrkkö, Nylund and Yrjölä skated for Team Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Milano Cortina in February. It was the Olympic debut for Ahola, Kyrkkö and Yrjölä and the second appearance for Nylund.

SWITZERLAND
Fifth-year forward Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg) is playing for Team Switzerland. Previously, she had played in two World Juniors (2019, 20) and five World Championships (2021, 22, 23, 24, 25).

Zimmermann capped off her second Olympics appearance in February by winning a bronze medal as Team Switzerland took down Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the third place game. She became just the second active Husky and fifth overall in program history to win an Olympic medal.

GERMANY
Two former forwards – alternate captain Laura Kluge (Berlin), who wore a Huskies sweater from 2017-21 and Svenja Voigt (Cologne), who skated for SCSU from 2022-26 are playing for Team Germany. Additionally, Kluge has been named an alternate captain for the tournament. Voigt has played in two U18 Junior World Championships (2020, 22) and four World Championships (2021, 23, 24, 25), while Kluge has played in three WJC (2012, 13, 14) and nine World Championships (2015, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

In February, Kluge and Voigt both made their Olympic debuts for Team Germany at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Milano Cortina.

CZECHIA
Former alternate captain forward Klára Hymlárová (Opava), who skated for the Huskies from 2019-24 is playing for Team Czechia. She had previously played in three World Junior Championships (2015, 16, 17) and nine World Championships (2015, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25). She won back-to-back bronze medals in 2022 and 2023.

In February, Hymlárová skated in her second consecutive Olympic Games for Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Milano Cortina.

AUSTRIA
Former defender Annika Fazokas (Zell am See), who skated for the Huskies in 2019-20 is playing for Team Austria and made her World Championship debut. She previously had experience in two Division I World Juniors (2012, 14) and 11 Division I World Championships (2012, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24).

TOP 10 MARKS ON THE NATIONAL LEADERBOARD
As of Nov. 10, the Huskies are ranked No. 9 in shutouts (two) among all Division-I teams.

Individually, goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Ylöjärvi, Finland) ranks No. 8 in goaltender win percentage (.833), sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) ranks No. 2 in power play goals (three) and senior forward Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) ranks No. 4 in assists/game (1.17) and No. 7 in points/game (1.50).

LAST TIME OUT // SWEPT BY THE BADGERS
The then-No. 9/8 Huskies had its four game win streak and perfect 6-0-0 start to WCHA play ended by No. 3 Wisconsin. SCSU dropped game one 2-1 before falling 7-2 in the series finale.

Notes from the games
GAME 11 - 2-1 LOSS VS. #3 WISCONSIN (10-30-26)

SCSU moved to 9-103-5 (.098) all-time against the Badgers and 5-47-4 (.125) all time against Wisconin in St. Cloud.
The Huskies moved to 4-1-0 in home games this season and 2-1-0 at the HBNHC. SCSU also moved to 4-3-0 in games against teams ranked in either the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll or the USA Hockey Poll and 6-3-0 against teams ranked or receiving votes in the polls.
SCSU had its program best start to WCHA play (6-0-0) snapped.
SCSU went 0-for-1 on the power play. For the season, SCSU is 6-for-29 (20.7%) on the PP.
The Huskies led the game in saved (36-26) and blocked shots (14-10), while Wisconsin led in shots (38-27) and faceoff wins (28-18).
SCSU's 14 blocked shots were a season-high and they have blocked double-digit shots in six games this season.
The Huskies went penalty-less for the second time this season.
Sophomore forward Julianne Labbé (Wendake, Quebec) scored the Huskies lone goal. Her goal was her first of the season and the eighth of her career. It was her 15^th career point.
Freshman goaltender Alexis Ehrman (Calgary, Alberta) made a career-high 36 saves (.947 save percentage) and was named the games No. 3 star. Her 36 saves were the most by a Husky this season. This season, she owns a 3-2-0 record with a 1.37 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage.
Sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) earned the primary assist on the Huskies goal. Her assist was her 10^th point this season and the 10^th assist of her career.
Senior forward Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) recorded the secondary assist on the SCSU goal. She recorded her team leading 13^th assist and 17^th point while extending her point/assist streak to three games. She also recorded two blocks for the third time in the last four games. It was Sauriol's 120^th career game.
Sophomore defender Maélie Pion (Sherbrooke, Quebec) blocked a game-high four shots. She recorded multiple blocks for the first time this season.

GAME 12 – 7-2 LOSS VS. #3 WISCONSIN (10-31-26)

SCSU moved to 9-104-5 (.097) all-time against the Badgers and 5-48-4 (.123) all time against Wisconsin in St. Cloud.
The Huskies moved to 4-2-0 in home games this season and 2-2-0 at the HBNHC. SCSU also moved to 4-4-0 in games against teams ranked in either the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll or the USA Hockey Poll and 6-4-0 against teams ranked or receiving votes in the polls.
SCSU went 0-for-3 on the power play. For the season, SCSU dropped to 6-for-32 (18.8%) on the PP and haven't converted on the player advantage in seven games.
The Huskies led the game in saves (31-28) while Wisconsin led in shots (38-30), faceoff wins (29-19) and blocked shots (12-9).
The Huskies went penalty-less for the third time this season (second straight game).
Senior forward Payton Holloway (Tomah, Wis.) scored a goal, tied a team-high in blocks with three and skated to a +1 mark. She scored her second goal in the last three games and her third goal of the season which matches her single season career high mark that she set last season. She has points in three of the last four games.
Mikaelyan scored a goal. It was her seventh goal of the season which is tied for the most on the team with senior forward Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland). It was her 20^th career goal and 30^th career point. She extended her point streak to three games, and her 11 points rank third on the team this season.
Sauriol notched her team-leading 14^th assist of the season and extended her assist/point streak to four games. She has twice as many assists as the second place Husky.
Ehrman made 31+ saves for the fourth time this season and the second consecutive game.

WCHA WEEKLY HONORS // EHRMAN NAMED ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman goaltender Alexis Ehrman (Calgary, Alberta) was named earned Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Week, as announced by the league office on Oct. 26. She saved 23 of 24 shots she faced for a .958 save percentage and did not allow an even-strength goal in her lone start during SCSU's weekend sweep of Bemidji State.

It was Ehrman's first-ever Rookie of the Week honor, but her second career weekly award after she was named Goaltender of the Week on Oct. 5, the same day that sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) was named Forward of the Week. In SCSU's road sweep of then-No. 15/14 Minnesota State, Ehrman posted a 33-save shutout in her first collegiate start and Mikaelyan notched a six-point weekend.

The weekly honor was the third in Mikaelyan's young career and the first Forward of the Week nod after being named Rookie of the Week last season twice (Oct. 13, 2025 and Dec. 8, 2025).

Senior forward Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) was the first Husky to earn weekly honors this season after she was named Forward of the Week on Sept. 28 after tallying a six-point weekend of her own during SCSU's season-opening sweep of then-No. 7 UConn, scoring three goals and three assists with a +6 mark on the ice. It was her first WCHA weekly award of the season and fourth of her career after being named Forward of the Week twice (Oct. 20, 2025 | Feb. 16, 2026) and Rookie of the Week once (Oct. 16, 2023).

2026-27 WCHA WEEKLY HONORS
Forward of the Week

Maria Mikaelyan (1x, Oct. 5)
Alice Sauriol (1x, Sept. 28)

Goaltender of the Week

Alexis Ehrman (1x, Oct. 5)

Rookie of the Week

Alexis Ehrman (1x, Oct. 26)

O CAPTAINS! OUR CAPTAINS!
St. Cloud State named four captains ahead of the 2026-27 season on Sept. 18. Senior forward Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) was named the captain, while fifth-year defender Regan Bulger (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories), senior forward Payton Holloway (Tomash, Wis.) and fifth-year forward Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland) were selected as alternate captains.

Sauriol, the 28^th player in program history to wear a "C", is wearing a letter for the first time in her career alongside Holloway, who was named an alternate captain in just her second season with the program after transferring in from Minnesota Duluth. Bulger and Zimmermann are alternate captains for the second consecutive season, becoming the 25^th and 26^th players to wear a letter in multiple seasons.

2026-27 SCSU Women's Hockey Captains
C – #4 Alice Sauriol
A – #11 Laura Zimmermann*
A – #18 Payton Holloway
A – #45 Regan Bulger*
*served as an alternate captain in 2025-26

WELCOME TO THE PACK
The Huskies welcomed nine newcomers to the team this fall – eight freshmen and one transfers. Of the eight freshmen, four are forwards – Jasmine Hovda (Roseau, Minn. / Roseau HS (USHS)), Tayla Lamabe (Peace River, Alberta / St. Albert Slash (AFHL U18 AAA)), Madelyn Lee (White Bear Lake, Minn. / White Bear Lake HS (USHS)) and Sophie Olson (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Hill-Murray School (USHS)), three are defenders – Riley Iverson (West Fargo, N.D. / Academy of Holy Angels (USHS)), Emily Mitchell (South Lyon, Mich. / Little Caesars (19U AAA)) and Anna Sviridova (Voskresensk, Russia / Agidel Ufa (ZhHL)) and one is a goaltender – Alexis Ehrman (Calgary, Alberta / Edge School (CSSHL U18)).

The lone transfer, junior defender Tristan Thompson (Manotick, Ontario) comes to St. Cloud from Northeastern (Mass.).

SEASON PREVIEW
The Huskies return its two top point producers and top five goal scorers from a young team that made strides in Jalosuo's debut season as bench boss in 2025-26. The two top returning point scorers - senior forwards Alice Sauriol (Sherbrooke, Quebec) and Sofianna Sundelin (Ulvila, Finland) - notched eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points and 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points respectively. Sauriol's 21 assists were tied for the eighth most all-time in a single season and Sundelin's 16 goals were the most by a Husky since 2022-23.

Additionally, sophomore forward Maria Mikaelyan (Moscow, Russia) looks to build off her impressive freshman campaign which saw her tally 13 goals and six assists for 19 points while SCSU also returns three 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympians including two-time Olympian fifth-year Laura Zimmermann (Ringgenberg, Switzerland) who won a bronze medal with Team Switzerland along with junior goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö (Ylöjärvi, Finland) and junior defender Siiri Yrjölä (Vantaa, Finland) who each made their Olympic team debuts for Team Finland. SCSU welcomes nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one transfer, to the 2026-27 team.

WCHA PRESEASON COACHES POLL
St. Cloud State Women's Hockey was selected to finish sixth in the 2026-27 Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league office on Sept. 8. The Huskies are coming off a sixth place finish in head coach Mira Jalosuo's first season in 2025-26.

SCSU received 20 points in the poll and were selected to finish behind Ohio State (48 points, six first-place votes), Wisconsin (44 points, two first-place votes), Minnesota (35 points), Minnesota Duluth (32 points) and Minnesota State (23 points). St. Thomas (15 points) and Bemidji State (seven points) rounded out the poll.

2026-27 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll
Pl.             Team (First Place Votes)      Points
1.              Ohio State (6)                          48
2.              Wisconsin (2)                           44
3.              Minnesota                                 35
4.              Minnesota Duluth                  32
5.              Minnesota State                     23
6.              St. Cloud State                20
7.              St. Thomas                                15
8.              Bemidji State                            7

*First-place votes in parentheses, Coaches could not vote for their own team

WCHA COMMISSIONER'S CORNER
Fifth-year defender Regan Bulger (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) was featured on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Commissioner's Corner podcast series on June 5. In the series, WCHA Commissioner Michelle McAteer sits down one-on-one with extraordinary student-athletes from across the league to discuss real-life topics, hockey, and everything in between. You can watch the video on the WCHA Hockey YouTube page.

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.