Emma Laaksonen a star for Ohio State and native Finland – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Ice Hockey
Sept. 24, 2003
A number of Buckeye student-athletes have international experience competing at camps or on national teams, but very few are faced with the tough job of balancing their Ohio State and national teams while attending school.
Women’s ice hockey senior defender, Emma Laaksonen of Espoo, Finland, is one of the rare individuals that are able to do both. A standout offensive defenseman for the Buckeyes, she also spends time each year competing on the Finnish National Team.
In three years, Laaksonen has established herself as one of the top competitors in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and in the nation. She became the first Buckeye to claim All-America honors in women’s hockey as a 2001-02 JOFA/American Hockey Coaches Association Second Team All-American. She was one of two defensemen in the country chosen as a Top 10 finalist for the 2002 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate women’s hockey player. Ohio State’s career leader in power-play goals (22), Laaksonen led the nation with 17 power-play tallies as a freshman. She ranks among Ohio State’s leaders in points (3rd/80), points by a defenseman (2nd/80) and assists (3rd/49).
The 2002 Best Female Player of the Year in Finland, Laaksonen has been a member of the Finnish Team since 1997, competing in 79 games, recording eight goals and 13 assists. She was a member of Team Finland when they won an Olympic bronze medal in Nagano, Japan, in 1998. At the age of 16, she was the youngest Olympian to medal for Finland.
“The absolute highlight of my international career was winning the bronze medal at the Nagano Olympics in 1998,” Laaksonen said.
Splitting time with both teams does not affect her performance on the ice for either team. Luckily for her, she has understanding coaches on both sides of the ocean.
“I am very lucky to still compete with Team Finland throughout the school year,” Laaksonen said. “I try to make arrangements so I don’t have to miss any OSU games. Team Finland’s camps are mostly in the summer and during OSU’s winter and spring breaks. (Ohio State head) Coach (Jackie) Barto and myself have an understanding with my national team coach (Hanna Saintula) that I’ll play in the tournaments and games if it is a big tournament or event. I don’t travel to Europe just for one game or a practice camp if OSU is in the middle of the season.” While traveling to Bemidji, Minn., Grand Forks, N.D., and Duluth, Minn., with Ohio State is fun, it does not compare to the different countries and continents Laaksonen has visited as a member of her national team.
“I have been to Sweden, Canada, the United States, Japan, China and Russia competing with Team Finland,” Laaksonen said. “I have many good memories from traveling around the world with the team.”
Among the events Team Finland participates in throughout the year is the Four Nations Cup. For the past three years, Laaksonen has taken time off from Ohio State to train for and compete in the round-robin tournament between Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, which takes place every November. The Four Nations Cup is just one of the numerous tournaments Laaksonen competes in for Team Finland throughout the year, but it is usually the only competition during the Ohio State season.
The main international event of the year for women’s hockey is the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women Championships, which is held at the beginning of April after the OSU season concludes. Laaksonen was honored as Team Finland’s best defenseman in 2000, when the squad took home the bronze medal at the World Championships. Nine countries (Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States) will be competing in the 20-game tournament for the 2004 title March 30-April 6 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Despite the exciting cities and various customs Laaksonen is exposed to by competing on both teams, there are some minor drawbacks.
“I do have to admit going back and fourth between both teams is difficult,” Laaksonen said. “The way each team plays is a bit different. Also, the coaching, the people and the cultures within each team are different. Even though we play the same sport, the style of play is different for a European team than it is for an American team.”
Between traveling, training, competing and taking classes nine months out of the year, Laaksonen always is on the go and rarely ever takes time out to relax and see her family.
“I haven’t really been able to have a spring break or very many breaks away from hockey since I have been training with both teams,” Laaksonen said. “But I don’t regret it. The experiences I have had are great and the memories I have made are awesome. I can’t complain about having to forgo some other stuff.”
No matter the time restraints, Laaksonen is able to keep up with her studies. An excellent student, she is a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and a two-time WCHA All-Academic and Academic All-Big Ten selection.
“I try to do a lot of school work in advance, but sometimes I am still catching up,” Laaksonen said. “I try to make the most of my time when traveling. The plane serves as a pretty good study hall, especially if I am traveling alone. I do have to admit I have had some pretty bad shoulder aches from carrying heavy school books on the trips.”
The lack of free time and shoulder aches are outweighed by the positives of competing on Team Finland and the Ohio State squad.
“One of the benefits of playing on both teams is traveling to different places and experiencing different cultures,” Laaksonen said. “I also get to see different styles of coaching and get to know various ways for a team to operate and see how many different things can affect a team.”
Barto said spending time with both squads has helped Laaksonen grow tremendously as a person and a player.
“Emma is a very mature student-athlete,” Barto said. “She is very committed and has really made the most of her opportunities. She has had some wonderful experiences, which have helped her bring a great prospective to the team and to her life.”
“If something works better on one team, I try to bring part of it to the other team,” Laaksonen said. “It also works the other way around; if something doesn’t work, I know not to make those mistakes again. I always try to take the good things from both teams and become a better player and person.”
While she appreciates the opportunities she has by being a member of both teams, Laaksonen does not want to sacrifice her Buckeye career.
“Playing with a national team is always an honor,” Laaksonen said. “It would be nice to be part of it as much as possible, but at the same time it would mean missing more OSU games. I love playing for the school and the team and want to do my best to help them succeed. I do not want to miss any more Ohio State games, so I do not wish to be able to play more than I currently am with Team Finland at the moment. But maybe later in my career.”
Entering her senior year at Ohio State, Laaksonen is facing the decision of what she will pursue next.
“As for my plans next year they are still open,” Laaksonen said. “I am kind of interested in playing hockey in Canada, but Switzerland and Finland are options as well. Right now I am concentrating on having a great season with OSU, and don’t want to plan ahead too much.”
Laaksonen does know one thing for sure: she is planning to train for the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.
“I still haven’t accomplished my goal of winning a gold medal,” Laaksonen said. “So, I have plenty of motivation remaining.”
