Friday, September 25
Torrey Arena (MAC) • St. Cloud, Minn.
7 p.m.
St. Cloud State
vs
#7 UConn
Photo by: Bill Prout
(RV) St. Cloud State Women’s Hockey Opens New Season Against No. 7 UConn
9/24/2026 4:32:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Huskies open 2026-27 at the MAC due to ongoing renovations at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – (RV) St. Cloud State Women's Hockey (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Conference) is set to open the 2026-27 season against No. 7 UConn (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) at Torrey Arena in the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in northwest St. Cloud this weekend. Puck drops for the nonconference series are slated for 7 p.m. (Friday) and 2 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 on the KVSC Sports Stream. Noah Grant will have the call on B1G+, while Joey Hudson will be on the audio broadcasts. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State. There will be no cost of admission either day.
Game 1 – vs. #7 UConn (Torrey Arena - MAC // St. Cloud, Minn.) – Friday, Sept. 25 / 7 p.m. / Watch ($ - B1G+) / Live stats / Listen (KVSC Sports Stream)
Game 2 – vs. #7 UConn (Torrey Arena - MAC // St. Cloud, Minn.) – Saturday, Sept. 26 / 2 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.
SERIES HISTORY
SCSU is 3-5-0 all-time against UConn and 2-2-0 when playing in St. Cloud. The two teams split their early season series in 2025 in Storrs, with SCSU winning game one, 2-1, before UConn took the series finale, 2-1.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies enter the new season receiving votes in both national polls – the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll and the USA Hockey Poll. UConn is ranked No. 7 in both polls.
RETURN OF THE MAC
The Huskies will open the new season at Torrey Arena in the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in northwest St. Cloud due to the ongoing $12.9 million construction project at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC). Although the women's team has never played a game at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC), the SCSU men's team played their home games there from 1972-1989.
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 28th 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 25th and 26th players to wear a letter in multiple seasons.
Sauriol is coming off another career season in 2025-26 in which she led the team in scoring for the second consecutive season after notching new career-highs in goals (eight), assists (21) and points (29). Her 21 assists were tied for the eighth most in a single season. She also set the school record for points in a period with four after scoring one goal with three assists in the second period of SCSU's 6-2 win over Bemidji State on February 13. Her three assists in the period also tied the school record for assists in a period. In 109 career games, she has 21 goals and 45 assists for 66 points including three power play goals, one shorthanded goal, six game-winning goals and 51 blocked shots. Her 61 career points rank No. 21 on the program's all-time scoring list.
Bulger, one of two returning captains, blocked 29 shots and recorded one assist in an injury-shortened campaign last season in which she only skated in 20 of the Huskies 37 games. For her career, she has 139 blocked shots and nine assists in 86 games.
Holloway produced career highs in every statistical category in her first season with the Huskies in 2025-26 after spending two seasons with Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) rival, Minnesota Duluth. Last season, she posted three goals and 10 assists for 13 points to go along with 11 blocks and 174 faceoff wins while skating to an even +0 mark. For her career, she has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points including one powerplay goal and one game-winning goal along with 17 blocks and 187 faceoff wins and a +1 mark in 100 games.
Zimmermann, the second returning captain and two-time Olympian, is coming off her first Olympic medal and a third consecutive 10+ point season. In 2025-26, she won a bronze medal with Team Switzerland at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and posted her second 15 point season in a row. She scored a career-high eight goals to go along with seven assists and posted 206 faceoff wins and 20 blocked shots. In her 99 career games for SCSU, she has totaled 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points, four powerplay goals, one game-winning goal, 232 faceoff wins and 44 blocks.
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 (Nokia, 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
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.
GAME NOTES
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Both games will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus (note – a paid subscription is required) with audio coverage on the KVSC Sports Stream. Noah Grant will have the call on B1G+, while Joey Hudson will be on the audio broadcasts. Live stats will be provided by St. Cloud State. There will be no cost of admission either day.
Game 1 – vs. #7 UConn (Torrey Arena - MAC // St. Cloud, Minn.) – Friday, Sept. 25 / 7 p.m. / Watch ($ - B1G+) / Live stats / Listen (KVSC Sports Stream)
Game 2 – vs. #7 UConn (Torrey Arena - MAC // St. Cloud, Minn.) – Saturday, Sept. 26 / 2 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.
SERIES HISTORY
SCSU is 3-5-0 all-time against UConn and 2-2-0 when playing in St. Cloud. The two teams split their early season series in 2025 in Storrs, with SCSU winning game one, 2-1, before UConn took the series finale, 2-1.
LET'S GO POLLING
The Huskies enter the new season receiving votes in both national polls – the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Poll and the USA Hockey Poll. UConn is ranked No. 7 in both polls.
RETURN OF THE MAC
The Huskies will open the new season at Torrey Arena in the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) in northwest St. Cloud due to the ongoing $12.9 million construction project at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (HBNHC). Although the women's team has never played a game at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC), the SCSU men's team played their home games there from 1972-1989.
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 28th 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 25th and 26th players to wear a letter in multiple seasons.
Sauriol is coming off another career season in 2025-26 in which she led the team in scoring for the second consecutive season after notching new career-highs in goals (eight), assists (21) and points (29). Her 21 assists were tied for the eighth most in a single season. She also set the school record for points in a period with four after scoring one goal with three assists in the second period of SCSU's 6-2 win over Bemidji State on February 13. Her three assists in the period also tied the school record for assists in a period. In 109 career games, she has 21 goals and 45 assists for 66 points including three power play goals, one shorthanded goal, six game-winning goals and 51 blocked shots. Her 61 career points rank No. 21 on the program's all-time scoring list.
Bulger, one of two returning captains, blocked 29 shots and recorded one assist in an injury-shortened campaign last season in which she only skated in 20 of the Huskies 37 games. For her career, she has 139 blocked shots and nine assists in 86 games.
Holloway produced career highs in every statistical category in her first season with the Huskies in 2025-26 after spending two seasons with Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) rival, Minnesota Duluth. Last season, she posted three goals and 10 assists for 13 points to go along with 11 blocks and 174 faceoff wins while skating to an even +0 mark. For her career, she has four goals and 12 assists for 16 points including one powerplay goal and one game-winning goal along with 17 blocks and 187 faceoff wins and a +1 mark in 100 games.
Zimmermann, the second returning captain and two-time Olympian, is coming off her first Olympic medal and a third consecutive 10+ point season. In 2025-26, she won a bronze medal with Team Switzerland at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and posted her second 15 point season in a row. She scored a career-high eight goals to go along with seven assists and posted 206 faceoff wins and 20 blocked shots. In her 99 career games for SCSU, she has totaled 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points, four powerplay goals, one game-winning goal, 232 faceoff wins and 44 blocks.
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 (Nokia, 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
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.
Players Mentioned
Defender
/ Women's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Defender
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Defender
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's Hockey
Defender
/ Women's Hockey
Defender
/ Women's Hockey
Forward
/ Women's HockeySunday, February 15
Saturday, February 14
Saturday, February 07
Saturday, January 24
