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For five years straight, Nea Tervonen sent Mira Kuisma a text every Sunday.

Tervonen detailed her week to Kuisma, a coach on Finland’s U18 National Team and a former Finnish National Team player. She explained how many shots she took, how many miles she ran and the number of pull-ups she did. For Tervonen, it was an opportunity to learn from someone that she aspires to be like.

After two years on Finland’s U18 National Team, Tervonen joined Syracuse this year. While many find the transition from European to North American ice difficult, Tervonen earned CHA’s first Rookie of the Week award of the season. She has been a detail-oriented workhouse for the Orange, though still has her eyes set on making the Finnish National Team.

“She’s someone who wants to be on her national team at the senior level,” Syracuse head coach Britni Smith said. “So for her to have that drive is something that is beneficial for us.”

Having won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics, Kuisma has seen lots of talent. However, when he first saw Tervonen play for the U16 National Team, he was impressed.

“She was small as she is nowadays,” Kuisma said. “But she was very athletic at the time and a very motivated player.”

At the professional level, Tervonen also played under Kuisma for Team Kuortane in the Naisten Liiga — the top women’s ice hockey league in Finland. The team, which is entirely made up of up-and-coming Finnish talent, also serves as one of the country’s top development programs.

With Team Kuortane, Tervonen flourished. In her last season with the team, she garnered 33 points and captained the squad.

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When she made her way to Syracuse, she came in older than the average freshman. While most collegiate athletes enter school at age 18, Finland’s education system gave Tervonen an extra year before coming to Syracuse as a 19-year-old.

“I wasn’t living with my parents anymore in Finland. So I was living on my own,” Tervonen said. “So it helped to get that experience.”

At Syracuse, Tervonen’s extra experience has paid off. Despite her saying NCAA hockey is faster, more physical and played in smaller rinks, the changes didn’t stop her from scoring just two games into her freshman campaign.

As she’s adjusting, Smith said Tervonen instantly bought into SU’s playstyle.

“(New players) coming from a lot of different programs, sometimes you come in with different standards, and (Tervonen’s) someone who’s come in and really played to our standard right away,” Smith said.

While coaching her, Kuisma observed the same and has watched her teammates make a similar jump to Division-I hockey. One of Tervonen’s best friends and former teammate, Sofianna Sundelin, is now a freshman at St. Cloud State, she said.

Peppi Virtanen, a former teammate of Tervonen with Kuortane, said seeing Tervonen make the jump has been motivating.

“It’s really nice how far (Tervonen) has gotten in this short amount of time,” Virtanen said.

While Tervonen said she “battles hard every night” for the Orange, part of her is thinking about the blue and white jersey she hopes to one day wear at the senior level.

“It’s a huge honor to play for Team Finland,” Tervonen said. “You’re always playing for that logo, not for your name.”

Published on October 30, 2023 at 10:43 pm