Stillwater's Josie St. Martin is focused on leading her team to the state tournament after the disappointment of having the IIHF U18 Women's World Championships cancelled due to COVID-19.

One Slick Pony

Stillwater sophomore Josie St. Martin plays far beyond her years

Stillwater sophomore Josie St. Martin proves age doesn’t matter to her while being the leading scorer for the Stillwater Ponies and making the 2022 U.S. Under-18 Women’s World Championship Team at only 15 years old.

“She stands out,” head coach Mira Jalosuo said. “She separates herself from others with her competitiveness and being a team player.”

St. Martin made the Stillwater varsity roster in eighth grade and totaled 34 points, then improved as a freshman with 20 goals and 26 assists.

As a young girl, St. Martin began figure skating at the age of 4 before picking up a hockey stick. Josie has played for Stillwater ever since, starting from U10’s to U12’s and eventually making it all the way up to the varsity team before she reached high school.

Growing up in a family full of hockey players, she has looked up to and learned from older family members, like cousin Olivia Arkell, who played for the Ponies and is currently competing at the University of Minnesota.

“At one point all my older cousins played hockey, whether it was youth or high school, so it's kind of just always run in the family,” St. Martin said.

Team USA at just 15

St. Martin was among seven Minnesotans selected to the 2022 Team USA U18 Women's World Championship team. 

“I honestly think that she hates losing more than she loves winning. That's the vibe I get from her because she just loves to compete,” --Stillwater coach Mira Jalosuo

This past summer, St. Martin skated her first year in the USA Hockey U18 camps in St. Cloud, Minnesota for the Women’s World Championship Team. She passed through multiple rounds of cuts throughout the process and ultimately made the team as one of the youngest players.

“All the girls were so fun and competitive and it was just the best hockey I've ever played. This summer I think I improved a lot mentally and physically just by being on the ice on and off with these amazing girls,” St. Martin said.

Josie was among seven Minnesota athletes to join the 23-player roster.

Team USA would have competed to win their sixth gold medal in the last ten years beginning on Jan. 8 in Linköping and Mjolby, Sweden, but the tournament was ultimately canceled due to COVID-19.

St. Martin says the team has made a petition since the cancellation to get the games rescheduled to a later date.

“We wrote a letter to the IIHF hoping that it can get rescheduled because the boys got sent home,” she said. “So we hope both teams can play sometime in the summer, or soon, because we've all been waiting for this opportunity ever since making the team.”

St. Martin leads the Ponies with 22 goals and 14 assists on the season. 

Ponies focused, prepping for playoffs

While not being able to compete in Sweden, Josie is turning all her focus on the high school season and reaching the team goal of winning a state championship.

“We’ve been playing some really challenging teams outside of our conference and it's been a tough year, but I think it's getting us prepared for sections and state,” St. Martin said. “The goal is to do better than the years past.”

The Ponies are hoping to come back from an early first-round loss in the state tournament last year against Eastview with the help of St. Martin, who has racked up 22 goals and 14 assists so far this season.

During a Jan. 4 game against Irondale/St. Anthony, the forward hit a career milestone of 100 points after scoring four goals and three assists.

She has become an elite playmaker for the Ponies with the ability to put pucks in the net and set up plays for her linemates.

“I like to set people up but I also love shooting too. My linemates and I, we know our roles and we do our roles really well,” St. Martin said.

The Stillwater Ponies celebrated Josie's 100th career point following a 7-1 win over Irondale/St. Anthony. 

A Finnish coach with Minnesota roots

Mira Jalosuo has been coaching at Stillwater for the last four years and the varsity team for three after she ‘fell in love’ with coaching the younger generation. She brings in professional experience to the team, having played with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons.

“I did not expect to be a coach, like it's kind of like one of those things that just happened,” she said. “I always love to be on the ice with the younger players and I was given an opportunity to coach and now it’s my full time job.”

Before her career as a coach, she played Division I hockey with the Minnesota Gophers from 2009-2013 and was a member of the Finnish national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and a total of five bronze medals at the IIHF Women's World Championships.

A competitive, determined player

Jalosuo references St. Martin's play-making skills and determination to win as reasons she has become such a standout player.

“I honestly think that she hates losing

Josie St. Martin

more than she loves winning. That's the vibe I get from her because she just loves to compete,” Jalosuo said.

St. Martin spends her summers playing in prospect and high-performance camps while incorporating weightlifting. Josie’s background being a former competitive gymnast and soccer player helped develop her into an all-around athlete.

“I've seen her a lot on her own strength and conditioning training, shooting pucks; like I know that she is doing that a lot and it shows on her shots. I'm sure she's watching a lot of NHL and professional women's hockey and learning from the pros,” Jalosuo said.

With section playoffs fast approaching, Stillwater sits with a 11-7-2 record. Josie says she is ready to “turn it on” for upcoming sections and surpass last year’s state appearance.

The Ponies have a tight bond that Josie can remember since her eighth grade year. She describes the team as a group of sisters who push each other to do better every time they hit the ice. The team mindset is a little better each day.

“Our team culture is on an uprise right now,” St. Martin said. “The first part of the year was a little tough just because we tried to find our place. Our coach Mira says we just need to get better throughout the season, but we really need to show up for sections.”