wpuk110409
On the homepage
Thanksgiving
Out There
Video
Reusse's Turkey
U goalie: The world is her stage
Noora Raty has been wearing out her passport and excelling across the globe ever since donning goalie pads.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on DiggGOPHERS WOMEN GOALIE NOORA RATY
Up next: at Minnesota State Mankato • Nov. 13-14
Gophers Women Goalie Noora Raty Up next: at Minnesota State Mankato • Nov. 13-14Related Content
More from Sports
The Gophers women's hockey team is idle this weekend, so goalie Noora Raty went home to Finland. Except the 5-4 freshman from Espoo, her country's second-largest city, is not there simply to rest and visit family.
On Wednesday, Raty, wearing her Gophers helmet and pads, played in the nets for Finland's national team in the opening game of the Four Nations Cup.
The Finns had a tough draw: the powerful U.S. team.
The Americans, with six former Gophers, won 4-0 but Raty made 48 saves and was named the Finns' player of the game. Defenseman Mira Jalosuo, another Gophers freshman, also played for the Finns (Canada and Sweden are the other tournament participants). Raty, though, is the much more acclaimed of the two. She has been on Finland's national team since she played in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and was nicknamed "Baby."
"She is our soul," Jalosuo said. "We need her so much."
Gophers coach Brad Frost is thrilled to have her on his roster, too. "At 15, she was playing in the Olympics on the world stage," Frost said. "There is not a whole lot more pressure than that situation. That's why we love having players on our team with international experience whether they are U.S., Canadian or Finnish kids."
Raty was in goal for both of Finland's two victories over the U.S. team in international competition. She had 30 saves as the Finns won 1-0 over the U.S. team in overtime in the 2008 World Championships in China, and again for the 3-2 victory in the Canada Cup two months ago.
The Gophers, 8-2-0 and ranked No. 4 nationally this week, had two veteran goalies returning from a Frozen Four team this season in Alyssa Grogan and Jenny Lura. But Frost did not hesitate to sign Raty.
"She is incredible. She is world-class," he said.
Raty, who turned 20 in May, was named the MVP of the 2008 World Championships despite the Finns' third-place finish.
The United States and most other women's teams in the Olympics have their players together for months beforehand. Not Finland, though. Seven of its players are on WCHA teams this season.
"It is so high level here," Raty said. "All our games are so tough. Everybody can play this game."
"What is great for [Raty], is she has been able to come and play in a very competitive environment here," Frost said. "So hopefully when she goes out to the Olympics, she is even better than when she first started here."
Raty will miss three to four weeks of the Gophers' season during the Olympics in Vancouver.
As a Gopher, Raty has not disappointed. She is 5-1-0 with a 1.17 goals-against average (third best in the nation) and a .960 save percentage (second best).
Raty played soccer and golf as a youngster. But her father Jarmo coached her older brother's hockey team and she asked to join the boys' team.
She always has been a goalie. "I say to my mom, 'I want to be on the ice all the time. I don't want to change,'" Raty said. "That's why maybe."
On her recruiting visit to Minnesota, all Frost promised Raty was a chance to compete for playing time.
"I have been the clear No. 1 [goalie] all my life, so this is the first time I have had to compete," Raty said. "I like this. It just makes me better."
Recent Sports stories
Mark Craig: The importance of kicker Ryan Longwell can't be overlooked - November 4, 2009
Mark Craig: The importance of kicker Ryan Longwell can't be overlooked - As long as the Vikings keep winning, we'll be dishing out praise to the Brad Childress regime. (Warning: This exercise could end extraordinarily abruptly with a first-round playoff exit). Childress and the organization have gotten well-deserved credit for the Jared Allen trade. Chasing and catching Brett Favre. Doing background work on Percy Harvin (so far, so good). But watching the Texans fall to 5-5 [Monday] night when kicker Kris Brown missed a last-second field goal for the second consecutive week made me think about one of Childress' first decisions as a Vikings coach: Ryan Longwell. Remember how bad the Vikings' kicking situation was under Mike Tice? Even Tice has admitted that kickers were his Achilles' heel. Well, Childress came in before the 2006 season and on Day 1 of free agency, one of the players he locked up was Longwell. Longwell has a career field goal percentage of 82.7, third-best in NFL history. He's 85.9 percent since he joined the Vikings. Longwell has made 15 of 16 field goal attempts this season. Just thought I'd throw that out there after watching Brown miss a 49-yarder that would have sent Monday night's game against Tennessee into overtime. It came a week after he missed a 42-yarder as time expired in a 20-17 loss to the Colts. More
I made this championship belt for the push to the '09 Division Title. Gladden offered to buy it; I wanted a trade for one of his rings. He declined.
See thousands of photos from other StarTribune.com readers and share your own photos and video today.
  Find Your New Car Here!Search and browse new and used vehicles from area dealers & private sellers. Search now! |
Win tickets to The Midnight Movie Society's screening of "Clue" at Red Stag Supperclub.Vita.mn and DJ Jake Rudh present the first meeting of The Midnight Movie Society at Red Stag Supperclub on Dec. 4, with drinking, dancing and a midnight screening of cult-classic film, "Clue." |
Comment on this story | Be the first to comment | Hide reader comments