How I can handle the language?
The question came up Sofianna Sundelin in his head when he left for university in the United States after last summer.
Sundelin, in his twenties, is a winger for the Women’s Lions and an Olympic bronze medalist who, after graduating from Kuortanene sports high school last year, set out to fulfill his dream.
The United States had nurtured Pori Ässie, who hails from Ulvila, from a young age.
The only concern was the English language, which Sundelin did not know particularly well before crossing the Atlantic.
“Language skills were not my strong point,” he says.
It added to the tension.
“It was exciting to go to a new country to study and also to play hockey in a new language, when all the coaches and friends speak English. But my dream and goal has been to join the Yankees one day.”
Sofianna Sundelin is one of the rising core players of the women’s national team.
Sundelin’s the destination was the University of Saint Cloud in the state of Minnesota, about an hour’s drive from Minneapolis. In the everyday life of the university team, the Finn ran into a language barrier.
“I didn’t understand everything the guys and coaches were saying,” he says.
“I had to ask quite a lot if someone would explain it better.”
Fortunately for Sundelin, the team already had a Finnish goalkeeper for the fourth year Sanni Ahola. Former national team kit Mira Jalosuo on the other hand, has lived in Minnesota for a long time and currently works as a coach.
“I got help from them. It made it a lot easier in the beginning.”
The English language started to catch on.
“It started to flow surprisingly quickly when I saw teammates and coaches in the hall. I got to know the language. I didn’t think it would catch on so quickly.”
He no longer needs to ask for a more thorough interpretation.
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It started to flow surprisingly quickly when I saw teammates and coaches in the hall.
United States attracts Finnish female hockey players, because in the university league a player can at the same time study for a degree and train and play with the rising talents of the sport, mainly from North America, in top-class conditions.
The Title IX law enacted in the United States in 1972 guarantees student athletes, regardless of gender, the same opportunities to train and compete in their sport.
There are clear instructions for complying with the so-called ninth section. Among other things, both men and women have the same equipment and training conditions.
The setting in St. Cloud has impressed Sundelin.
“It’s been really great to see the framework there for physical training and everything else. There is, for example, a private gym for us and the men’s team to use. There is plenty of room to train,” he says.
Sundelin says that the first year was already a good experience.
“It was a really great year and a lot of educational moments. I had a great time in St. Cloud. It’s a little bigger place than Kuortane.”
“But luckily it’s not the Yankees’ biggest city. The campus area is quite small and you can walk everywhere.”
Sofianna Sundelin airs her goal against Japan in the 2022 World Cup.
Sundelin are the rising names of the women’s national team, which has already played in three women’s World Cups and one Olympic Games at a young age. There is an Olympic bronze and a World Championship bronze in the trophy cabinet.
Sundelin considers the Beijing 2022 Olympics to be the highlight of his career so far.
“When I started hockey, I dreamed that one day I would make it to the Olympics. Those are the biggest competitions.”
Of the competitions, Sundelin remembers the medal ceremonies best, where hard work was concretely rewarded with a precious metal hung around the neck.
“There was a good mood. Mitali is at home with her parents in Ulvila.”
On the ice, Sundelin is an enthusiastic winger, an efficient puck graber, whose legs work tirelessly. He is a package of energy, who runs to the finish line with a tap and always weighs a hundred in the glass.
The role in the national team has grown year by year. In the last World Cup, he already scored 0+5 in seven matches.
“I feel that I have developed a little over the years, and there is still a lot of work ahead. I am ready to work”, says Sundelin.
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I feel that I have developed a little over the years, and there is still a lot of work ahead. I am ready to work.
Naisleijonat is going to the World Championships starting on Wednesday in Utica, USA, with pressure on his neck. Finland has been left out of the medal games in the previous two games.
“Certain bronze” was the bane of the national team in previous years, but now there is no guarantee of a medal position.
Naisleijon is under a lot of pressure to return to the medal base, because the credibility of the operation and, for example, the issue of grants for athletes are at stake. It is difficult to justify support money if the team does not show potential for success.
“A medal is the goal, of course. We always go to get it,” says Sundelin and notes that the team is aware of the situation around it.
“We have to go through them (the failures of the previous games) with the team and learn from them.”
Sofianna Sundel is known as an efficient puck handler and a pack of energy.
Sundelin recently went to see a match of the new women’s professional league PWHL in Saint Paul, a neighbor of Minneapolis.
Six teams play in the league, which started in January, three from Canada and three from the United States. The world’s best female ice hockey players cool off on the ice.
“I had a really good feeling from that game,” says Sundelin.
Minnesota plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center, i.e. in the same arena as the NHL team Minnesota Wild.
“It was a physical game and it was really exciting to see that there was actually an audience there and some noise in the hall. It was really great that the women’s game event turned out just like that.”
Minnesota women’s home games have averaged 7,278 spectators.
Sundelin’s dream is to become a professional in the PWHL after university.
“It would be really great to play with the world’s best in the Yankees. I’ve had a really good time here. There hasn’t been any such thought of wanting to leave here.”
Finland’s first group matches:
Tuesday 3.4 at 22: Finland – Czech Republic
Thursday 5.4 at 02: Canada – Finland
Sunday 7.4 at 02 Finland – United States
Monday 8.4 at 22:00 Switzerland–Finland 22:00