After a turbulent season, the Syracuse Orange hope to revitalize the team with one of the NCAA’s most experienced coaches. Former University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University coach Brian Idalski takes over as the third head coach in program history.
Syracuse University Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair welcomed Idalski by stating in the initial announcement, “Brian Idalski is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport, and we are thrilled to welcome him, his wife Nicole and their boys to Syracuse. His track record speaks for itself — a proven program-builder who wins at every level, from the NCAA to the Olympics. Just as important, he has a track record of developing complete student-athletes who succeed in the classroom and beyond. This is an exciting moment for the future of Syracuse Women’s Ice Hockey.”
But what is the future of Syracuse Women’s ice hockey? And how can Idalski lead Syracuse there?
Where Idalski finds Syracuse
Syracuse’s season ended with two losses where Penn State outscored them 9-1 and outshot them 66-32. The AHA tournament semifinal exit capped off a 2026 10-11-3 season where Syracuse failed to make the conference final for the fourth straight year. Head coach Britni Smith stepped down shortly after, citing a desire to be closer to her family.
The Orange only have two conference titles, but the program has punched above its weight in terms of impact. They’ve produced a notable number of professional players and Olympians, particularly defenders. Four active PWHL players (Mae Batherson, Shiann Darkangelo, Jessica DiGirolamo, and Allie Munroe) are Syracuse alumni. Recent graduates such as Lauren Bellefontaine and Alexandria Weiss continued their careers overseas.
Syracuse’s quality of play declined after winning the 2022 AHA conference title. They’ve to record a winning season since the departure of longtime coach Paul Flanagan immediately after the AHA championship. Not a single Syracuse player hit double digit goals last year. As a team, they only scored a combined 69 goals, the second fewest in the AHA. Overall, they were a bottom ten team by goal differential in Division I.
Syracuse’s best performers during the 2025-2026 season were some of the youngest players, allowing a foundation to build upon in the upcoming years. Ava Drabyk is the current star of the team after a stellar first year where she started 34 games and had a .922 save percentage. Fellow incoming sophomore Emma Gnade led the team in scoring with 9 goals and 11 assists. On defense, Jessica Cheung is the team’s most reliable defender, finishing last season 11th in blocks in the AHA.
Where Syracuse finds Idalski
Across the continent, the Vancouver Goldeneyes underperformed preseason expectations under inaugural head coach Idalsi. They failed to qualify for the playoffs, ultimately finishing in sixth place. The season was characterized by offensive struggles and the coaching staff failing to make needed adjustments. General manager Cara Gardner Morey announced after the season ended that the Goldeneyes were parting ways with Idalski, before ultimately taking on the head coaching position herself. Much like how Syracuse is hoping the Idalski hiring will turn things around after a disappointing season, Idalski is hoping he can bounce back after a rough year in Vancouver.
Alongside his new role in Syracuse, the Czech Women’s National Team hired Idalski this upcoming Olympic cycle. He returns to the international stage for the first time since 2022, where he coached the Chinese Women’s National Team at the Olympics to two wins.
The bulk of Idalski’s career has been in the NCAA women’s hockey. He spent a combined eighteen seasons as head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, University of North Dakota, and St. Cloud State University.
Like Syracuse, Idalski is more known for the players he’s developed than the titles he’s won. Idalski only appeared in two NCAA tournaments, but kept both North Dakota and St. Cloud State consistently ranked while playing in the same conference as several NCAA’s powerhouse schools. Players such as Michelle Karvinen, Monique Lamoureux, Jocelyne Lamoureux, and Josefine Jakobsen developed under Idalski’s coaching.
Idalski’s ability to raise the floor of a team shined at St. Cloud State. During the 2022-2023 season, he improved the team by nine wins, trying the program record for most wins in a season with 18. The dramatic improvement earned Idalski the USCHO Coach of the Year award.
What are the realistic goals for Syracuse going forward?
Barring a miracle run, a conference championship or NCAA tournament appearance is currently out of reach for the Orange. What Syracuse can aim for under Idalski is an over .500 winning percentage, finding their identity as a tough team to play against defensively, and continuing to develop pro-level players consistently. Penn State is the conference favorites with their financial might, but Syracuse doesn’t have to make it easy on them. A more practical goal is to dethrone Mercyhurst, who’ve held second place in the AHA over the last few seasons.
One of the more immediate and tangible areas that Idalski can assist with is recruiting, particularly of overseas players. Over the last five years, only three players from outside of the United States or Canada have played for Syracuse. Idalski’s new position as Czechia’s head coach gives him ample opportunities to scout young players in Europe on top of an already strong track record of overseas recruitment. Most recently, he added Sofianna Sundelin, Emilia Kyrkkö, and Siiri Yrjölä to St. Cloud’s roster, all of whom have spent time on the Finnish Women’s National Team.
Restoring Syracuse to a more competitive program isn’t something Idalski can accomplish alone. The entire Syracuse athletic department needs to commit more resources to the women’s hockey team to draw in top talent. The Orange compete in the second smallest rink in NCAA hockey, with only 350 seats available, an aspect that creates difficulty landing big name recruits. Syracuse improved some aspects of the student athlete experience, renovating the women’s hockey teams locker rooms in 2023 and expanding the One Orange Alliance marketing agency to help athletes connect to NIL opportunities, but are behind most NCAA programs in what support is offered. Idalski also needs to navigate the challenge of recruiting to the AHA, which typically only has one or two ranked schools in a season, compared to his previous experience in the WCHA.
The Orange start the season on Oct. 2 against the Mercyhurst Lakers, the benchmark for what their program can be. If Syracuse is looking to set the tone under Idalski, they have an immediate opportunity to do so.
