Finland goalie Saimi Pesola (No. 30) turns aside a shot from USA forward Annabelle Lovell (No. 25)
photo: Andre Ringuette - IIHF
It’s not uncommon for younger kids to get goalie assignments because their older siblings need someone to shoot on. But for the Pesolas, stopping pucks is a family affair.
“We started off with my dad,” said 15-year-old Saimi Pesola, who’s making her debut with Team Finland at the 2026 U18 women’s world championship. “He was always a goalie, but he didn't play super competitively.
“In Finland, you just go outside and go skate on the pond, and he would always be the goalie. My oldest brother, Aaro, he's born in 2003. Dad got him to be a goalie. And then, I don't know how, but then Nikke, who's a 2008, he also wanted to be a goalie.
“I like being a goalie because I feel like you can save the game, kind of, and you can just do your own thing. My brothers were always the role models for me."
The development stage for the three Pesola stoppers shifted from Finland to the United States when the family, including two other siblings, relocated to the Bay Area in 2019.
Aaro quickly signed on with the San Jose Jr. Sharks while also playing high-school hockey in Palo Alto. Then, Nikke joined the Jr. Sharks 13U program in 2021. He's now playing at the 18U level.
Saimi started on the Sharks’ 14U girls' team last season, and graduated to 16U this year. So while she has been facing mostly American shooters on her club team for two seasons, the level of competition was substantially different when she stepped between the pipes against Team USA to start Tuesday's second period in Membertou, with her team already down 6-0.
“I’ve played against some of these girls on the USA team, but seeing 20 others of them…” she trailed off. “It’s the top team of USA, obviously, so it was way more competitive and a way better, faster game.”
Pesola faced 46 shots in the final 40 minutes of that game, giving up eight goals against the top offensive team in this year’s WW18 tournament.
“I was kind of nervous before and but I'm happy it turned out the way it did,” she said. “I think I honestly did my best and I didn't leave anything out there.”
It may have been trial by fire, but it’s a tremendous learning experience for a player who’s developing away from her homeland and outside the Team Kuortane program that’s roughly Finland’s equivalent of the U.S. National Team Development Program on the boys side.
With her selection to the U18 squad, Saimi became the first of the Pesola goalies to earn a spot on Finland’s national team.
“My parents reached out to the coach, wondering, ‘What is the goalie situation like?’” Pesola explained. “We started talking from there. I was on backup because there were four goalies that they chose from and then, I don't know, I just got to be on the roster.”
The Finns’ struggles in Cape Breton this year opened up the opportunity for Pesola to play. After starter Eerika Kujala gave up nine goals in 56:08 in the tournament opener against Czechia, Pesola stepped in for the final 3:52 and stopped all seven shots she faced.
Then, she backed up Kujala in Finland’s 5-2 loss to Slovakia before getting the surprise call after 20 minutes against the Americans.
“Obviously, I prepared like I was going to play,” she said. “But I didn't really think I was going to go in after the first period.”
Pesola may be a California girl now, but her hockey inspirations lie in her homeland.
“I originally wore the number 35 because of Pekka Rinne, who played for Nashville,” she said. “Obviously, it's a big number in Finland. Every junior goalie loves 35 because of him. Both of my brothers are huge fans of him, too.”
Before the family relocated, eight-year-old Saimi’s passion for the game reached inferno status when the Finnish senior team delivered its unlikely upset win over Canada before pushing the Americans to the limit in the gold-medal game at the 2019 women’s world championship on home soil in Espoo.
“I remember that day,” she said, eyes glowing and a smile creeping up her face. “I was watching it with both my brothers. My whole family was watching, and it was just an amazing day. I told myself, ‘I want to be over there one day.’ We'll see if it happens.”
Pesola is currently attending public high school, but hopes to soon get more serious about her hockey development.
“I hope to stay in the USA,” she said. “Not California, maybe, but somewhere to play hockey and look towards the NCAA. Just connect school and hockey.”
Finland has one more game at this week’s tournament. After dropping a 12-0 decision to Canada in Thursday’s quarter-final, the Finns will face Hungary in Saturday’s seventh-place game.
“We started off with my dad,” said 15-year-old Saimi Pesola, who’s making her debut with Team Finland at the 2026 U18 women’s world championship. “He was always a goalie, but he didn't play super competitively.
“In Finland, you just go outside and go skate on the pond, and he would always be the goalie. My oldest brother, Aaro, he's born in 2003. Dad got him to be a goalie. And then, I don't know how, but then Nikke, who's a 2008, he also wanted to be a goalie.
“I like being a goalie because I feel like you can save the game, kind of, and you can just do your own thing. My brothers were always the role models for me."
The development stage for the three Pesola stoppers shifted from Finland to the United States when the family, including two other siblings, relocated to the Bay Area in 2019.
Aaro quickly signed on with the San Jose Jr. Sharks while also playing high-school hockey in Palo Alto. Then, Nikke joined the Jr. Sharks 13U program in 2021. He's now playing at the 18U level.
Saimi started on the Sharks’ 14U girls' team last season, and graduated to 16U this year. So while she has been facing mostly American shooters on her club team for two seasons, the level of competition was substantially different when she stepped between the pipes against Team USA to start Tuesday's second period in Membertou, with her team already down 6-0.
“I’ve played against some of these girls on the USA team, but seeing 20 others of them…” she trailed off. “It’s the top team of USA, obviously, so it was way more competitive and a way better, faster game.”
Pesola faced 46 shots in the final 40 minutes of that game, giving up eight goals against the top offensive team in this year’s WW18 tournament.
“I was kind of nervous before and but I'm happy it turned out the way it did,” she said. “I think I honestly did my best and I didn't leave anything out there.”
It may have been trial by fire, but it’s a tremendous learning experience for a player who’s developing away from her homeland and outside the Team Kuortane program that’s roughly Finland’s equivalent of the U.S. National Team Development Program on the boys side.
With her selection to the U18 squad, Saimi became the first of the Pesola goalies to earn a spot on Finland’s national team.
“My parents reached out to the coach, wondering, ‘What is the goalie situation like?’” Pesola explained. “We started talking from there. I was on backup because there were four goalies that they chose from and then, I don't know, I just got to be on the roster.”
The Finns’ struggles in Cape Breton this year opened up the opportunity for Pesola to play. After starter Eerika Kujala gave up nine goals in 56:08 in the tournament opener against Czechia, Pesola stepped in for the final 3:52 and stopped all seven shots she faced.
Then, she backed up Kujala in Finland’s 5-2 loss to Slovakia before getting the surprise call after 20 minutes against the Americans.
“Obviously, I prepared like I was going to play,” she said. “But I didn't really think I was going to go in after the first period.”
Pesola may be a California girl now, but her hockey inspirations lie in her homeland.
“I originally wore the number 35 because of Pekka Rinne, who played for Nashville,” she said. “Obviously, it's a big number in Finland. Every junior goalie loves 35 because of him. Both of my brothers are huge fans of him, too.”
Before the family relocated, eight-year-old Saimi’s passion for the game reached inferno status when the Finnish senior team delivered its unlikely upset win over Canada before pushing the Americans to the limit in the gold-medal game at the 2019 women’s world championship on home soil in Espoo.
“I remember that day,” she said, eyes glowing and a smile creeping up her face. “I was watching it with both my brothers. My whole family was watching, and it was just an amazing day. I told myself, ‘I want to be over there one day.’ We'll see if it happens.”
Pesola is currently attending public high school, but hopes to soon get more serious about her hockey development.
“I hope to stay in the USA,” she said. “Not California, maybe, but somewhere to play hockey and look towards the NCAA. Just connect school and hockey.”
Finland has one more game at this week’s tournament. After dropping a 12-0 decision to Canada in Thursday’s quarter-final, the Finns will face Hungary in Saturday’s seventh-place game.