College Sports
SCSU’s Emma Gentry, Dayle Ross, Sanni Ahola and Brian Idalski in PWHL
SAINT CLOUD — Four former St. Cloud State Huskies will be making the jump this season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Last week, coach Brian Idalski was named the first-ever manager of the Vancouver expansion team a day before forward Emma Gentry, defender Dayle Ross and goaltender Sanni Ahola were selected in the PWHL draft.
Taken by the Toronto Scepters on June 24 with the 11th overall pick, Gentry is the highest-drafted Husky in the PWHL’s three-year history. Ross was picked 25th by the New York Sirens, and Ahola was selected by the Ottawa Charge with the 37th overall pick. Forward Klára Hymlárová is the first former Husky to play professionally in the PWHL. She was taken 15th by the Minnesota Frost in 2024 and played 29 games for the club last winter.
“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to join an organization and city like Vancouver and want to thank (Vancouver GM) Cara (Gardner Morey) and the league for their trust and belief in me,” Idalski said in a release from the PWHL. “The PWHL has had a huge impact on the global game, and to be a part of that — with expansion helping push it even further forward — is an unbelievable feeling.”
The original six PWHL teams — including the Boston Fleet and Montreal Victoire — played their first season in 2023-24. Vancouver and Seattle are joining the league for the 2025-2026 season.
Former SCSU assistant coach, Mira Jalosuo, will be taking over the helm at SCSU. The Finland native is a two-time Olympian and helped coach the Frost to win the first two Walter Cup championships in the past two seasons. She was on the bench at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for Idalski’s debut season, when he won the 2022-23 U.S. College Hockey Online National Coach of the Year award.
Idalski led the Huskies to three of its eight highest single-season win totals, going 50-50-9. SCSU tied the program record of 18 wins in his first season, receiving its first ranking since 2009. Idalski also coached the Chinese National Women’s Team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.
“Brian is a proven winner who knows our sport, the players and has coached at the highest levels,” Gardner Morey said. “What stands out in Brian’s experience is his ability to build and transform the programs he is a part of, from his work in professional leagues, at the Olympics and turning collegiate teams into nationally ranked contenders.”
The trio of draftees were a big part of SCSU’s recent success: Gentry ends her career with the second-most career games in program history with 152 and is the second-most prolific scorer. She had 59 in five seasons and is No. 8 in career points (90). Idalski predicted her physicality would work well in the pro game, which allows checks. Co-captain with Gentry last year, Ross finished her career tied for ninth in career plus-minus (+7).
“Dayle is probably arguably the best defensive defender, if not in the country, definitely going out of this draft class — her skating, her ability to handle talented skill players in space one on one, and contain and hit and pin, take the puck away is at a high level,” Idalski said.
Ahola holds three SCSU records. She is the leader in career wins (35), career shutouts (10) and tied with herself for most shutouts in a season (5). Ahola is No. 2 in season goals against average (1.72) and season save percentage (.935, tie, 2023-24), No. 4 in career goals against average (2.62) and No. 5 in career saves (2,340), career save percentage (.917) and season goals against average (2.22, 2024-25).
Three Huskies who declared for the draft went unselected: Defender Taylor Larson and forwards Taylor Lind and Addi Scribner.
Before he left, Idalski recruited three players from the portal: sophomore forwards Sidney Jackel and Payton Holloway from Lindenwood and Minnesota Duluth and junior Hali Lawrence from Post. Three sophomores have also transferred from SCSU: forwards Grace Delmonico and Greta Henderson and defender Carmen Bray. The Huskies will see Bray in the WCHL at Bemidji State.
“I am excited to continue building on the foundation he built,” Jalosuo said. “Coach Idalski turned the program around in three years, and now it’s my great honor to keep building the program. Knowing the players and coaching staff well, I believe this will be a smooth transition. This is an incredible opportunity to lead a talented and dedicated group of student-athletes.”
Jalosuo played on the University of Minnesota’s blue line from 2009-2013, winning back-to-back national championships as an upperclassman. She also played for 12 years for Finland, retiring in 2018 after winning bronze at her last Olympic games in Pyeongchang. She is a five-time World Championships bronze medalist and played professionally in the Russian Women’s Hockey League.
Since hanging up the skates, Jalosuo has built coaching experience at different levels around the state. From 2019-2022 she led Stillwater’s high school girls hockey team, coaching the Ponies to a 52-19-4 record. She also was an assistant at Hamline and Wayzata.
The Huskies drop the puck against Lindenwood Sept. 19 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center to open the season.
Contact reporter Reid Glenn at rglenn@gannett.com.