Article by Samantha Roering. Photo by Samantha Roering.
When Sofianna Sundelin was about nine years old, she laced up her hockey skates for her first official hockey team. Her journey on ice had started long before that on outdoor rinks in Finland, skating with her grandfather. It was after he took her to local games that her love for hockey sparked, and she was hooked. She wanted to play hockey, too.
Now a standout player for the St. Cloud State Huskies, Sundelin’s story is about more than goals and assists. It’s about growth, adaptation, and the joy of hockey.
Growing up in Finland, the opportunities for girls’ hockey were still limited. Sundelin switched back and forth between girls’ and boys’ teams because of that. That could’ve been a challenge for some, but for her, she didn’t think much of it and was just having fun.
“Of course there’s differences like body checking, but I don’t think it’s that much different,” Sundelin said.
College hockey in the United States wasn’t always part of her plan. It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she started considering it, encouraged by other Finnish players who had already gone overseas. Their advice gave her more confidence in the decision.
The transition came with its challenges. A different language, a faster pace of hockey, and college academics were a lot to adapt to all at once. The WCHA introduced her to a more physical style of hockey and a higher level of competition. Sundelin said that it was tough at the beginning,
“It was a little bit hard at the beginning with the language, but my teammates helped me a lot. They made it as easy as possible,” said Sundelin.
Her support system of coaches and teammates helped her adjust both on and off the ice. With time, she got more comfortable. After two seasons with the Huskies, Sundelin now feels stronger, more confident, and better understands the team’s style of play.
The improvement is clear on the ice. After recording one goal and eight points as a freshman, she got 11 goals and 20 points in her sophomore season. A major part of that success has been her chemistry with fellow sophomore, Alice Sauriol. Their shared speed and hockey IQ made their line one of the most consistent and effective for the team.
The connection extends beyond the rink, as the two are close off the ice, having both joined the program at the same time.
“We see the game the same way and we talk a lot outside the rink too,” Sundelin said.
This season has brought some familiar faces to Sundelin in the Huskies locker room. With the addition of two more Finns, Emilia Kyrkkö and Siiri Yrjölä, the team is building a strong Finnish pipeline. Sundelin, who already had a Finnish player in Sanni Ahola when she first arrived, says she enjoys getting to play with the other Finns. She’s known some of them since she was 13 from hockey camps back home.
Now, they even play together on the national team. Sundelin and her teammates have represented Finland together at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, earning bronze medals for two years in a row. For Sundelin, one of her proudest moments came when she wore her countries jersey at the Olympics. While the pandemic changed her experience, getting to compete and win bronze stands out as a special memory.
Looking back at some of her other favorite memories, wins against powerhouses like Ohio State are at the top of the list. Yet, she admits that it’s hard to pick one specific moment, because simply, she just enjoys playing hockey. Every game is special.
So what’s next for the talented Finn?
To start, she wants to continue developing as both a player and a person. The bigger goal? A national championship.
“I want to win the championship with the team. That’s the main goal, why we do it,” Sundelin said.
Looking beyond college, she’s set her sights on playing professionally, specifically in the Proffesional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Though it’s still a couple of years away for her, it’s a clear goal.
Away from the ice, Sundelin finds balance in her academics, specifically drawn to her coaching classes. Juggling school and hockey isn’t easy, but it’s something she enjoys. It gives her a mental break from hockey and allows her to focus on something else.
Even when things get tough, she leans on the mindset of focusing on what you can control.
“If something is not going your way, just keep working hard and the good things will come,” Sundelin said.
For her, the good things have already started, and there’s still so much more to come.
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