Sanya Sandahl

Sanya is a professional Goaltending Consultant and the Women's Director for GDI USA. She has been coaching goaltenders since 2001 and has been directly involved with advancing dozens of girls to the collegiate level through her mentorship and networking skills.

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Bronze and Gold medal winning Goaltending Coach for the USA Hockey Women's Under 18 team in 2023 and 2024, she is now the Director of Girls Hockey at Team Illinois and Head Coach of their U19 team. She was named the USA Hockey Central District Women's Goaltender Development Coordinator in 2019. In addition to these roles, she previously spent 12 seasons as Assistant Coach / Goaltending Coach with MIAC D3 Augsburg University as well as serving 1 year at NCHA D3 Aurora University. ​In 2013/2014, she worked with the WCHA D1 St. Cloud State University Women's team, and while in Minnesota directed women's programming for Premier Goaltender Development (PGD) for 5 years.

 

As a player, Sanya was an All-State goaltender for Duluth Central High School. She then played and graduated from Cornell University in 2003 where she was named “All-Ivy League” goaltender in 2002. After a two-year stint playing pro hockey in Switzerland for Damen Hockey Club Langenthal, she continued to pioneer women's professional hockey for the Minnesota Whitecaps in the Western Women’s Hockey League, winning the WWHL Championship in 2012.

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Sanya brings a knowledgeable and extensive coaching base to us. She has been the head or assistant coach at Totino Grace High School, Maple Grove High School, and Benilde St. Margaret's High School, all in MN. Sanya ran the Girl’s Goalie Camp for the National Sports Center in Blaine, MN for 3 years. She coached in the prestigious Minnesota High School Elite League from 2008-2015 and was the head goaltending instructor for the Os Hockey Training Program from 2007-2015. Sanya is a Level 4 USA Hockey Certified Coach and resides in Chicago, IL with her husband and GDI USA President Ryan Honick.