2012-13 • Junior Season: Appeared in 37 games • led the nation in scoring with a career-high 101 points (46g-55a) • became only fourth player in NCAA history to reach 100 points in a season • became the 24th player in NCAA history to reach 200 career points and only the ninth to do so in three seasons • posted a plus/minus ratio of +71 • 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner • listed as a First Team All-American • named USCHO.com Co-Player of the Year • placed on All-USCHO.com, First Team • named WCHA Player of the Year • tagged All-WCHA First Team • 2013 WCHA Scoring Champion with 75 points in conference games • named to All-WCHA Academic Team • scored on goal in the season opener against Colgate (9/28) • tallied five points (2g-3a) in the 11-0 rout of Colgate (9/29) • named WCHA Offensive player of the Week for her six-point (3g-3a) weekend against Colgate (9/28-29) • recorded two goals and two assists in a 7-1 win over St. Cloud State (10/5) • dished out three assists in the series finale against SCSU (10/6) • netted two goals and had one assist in the Gophers' 5-0 shutout of St. Lawrence (10/12) • had one goal and one assist in final game versus SLU (10/13) • notched four points (1g-3a) in 7-2 home win over Ohio State (10/19) • recorded sixth career hat trick in 8-0 defeat of OSU (10/20) • sat out first game of North Dakota series, due to an injury (10/27) • scored two goals and an assist in 4-2 triumph over North Dakota (10/28) • dished out two assists in road win over Minnesota Duluth (11/2) • had one goal and an assist in 4-0 shutout of UMD (11/3) • tagged WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for her four-point (1g-3a) performance versus Minnesota Duluth (11/2-3) • assisted Hannah Brandt on the game-winning goal against Minnesota State (11/16) • tallied five points (2g-3a) in 9-1 thumping of MSU (11/17) • notched five points (2g-3a) in 10-2 rout of New Hampshire (11/24) • had one goal and an assist in the series finale against UNH (11/25) • scored a goal and an assist in 4-1 win over Wisconsin (12/1) • tallied an empty-net goal in 2-0 triumph over UW (12/2) • snapped a five-game goal streak at Bemidji State but still managed three assists (12/7) • recorded seventh career hat trick in 5-0 win over BSU (12/8) • had a 10-point (6g-4a) weekend against North Dakota (1/11-12), including notching her eighth career hat trick • named Co-Offensive Player of the Week (1/15) by the WCHA for her double-digit weekend against UND (1/15) • tallied her fourth hat trick of the season in 8-1 rout of Minnesota State (1/18) and began a six-game goal streak • notched her 200th career point with three assists versus MSU (1/19) • tagged WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (1/22) for her seven-point weekend (3g-4a) against the Mavericks • had four assists in the series sweep of Wisconsin (1/25-27) • posted back-to-back four-point games against Minnesota Duluth (2/1-2) • received WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (2/6) for notching eight points (3g-5a) against UMD • had six points (3g-3a) in the Ohio State series (2/8-9) • scored three goals and an assist in the series sweep of Bemidji State (2/15-16) • sat out the St. Cloud State series (2/22-23) to rest for the playoffs • had an assist in limited action against BSU in the first game of the WCHA First Round (3/1) • snapped 40-game scoring streak in 5-0 win over Ohio State (3/8) in the semifinals of the WCHA Final Face-Off • notched an assist in the 2-0 win over UND (3/9) in the WCHA Tournament Championship • recorded a goal and an assist in the Gophers' triple-overtime win over North Dakota (3/16) in the NCAA Quarterfinals • posted four points (2g-2a) in the National Championship victory over Boston University (3/24) • named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
2011-12 • Sophomore Season: Led the Gophers with 80 points, and finished fourth nationally in points per game, averaging 1.95 ppg • played in all 41 games • scored the team's first goal of the season and added two assists vs. Union (9/30) • tallied a pure hat trick in a 8-0 defeat of St. Cloud State (10/8) • recorded a goal and an assist in her hometown of Madison, Wis., in a 3-2 win over the No. 1 Badgers (10/16) • assisted on all four Gopher goals in a 4-1 victory over Bemidji State (10/28), the four assists tied her career-high • had a goal and two assist in a 3-2 victory against Minnesota Duluth (11/5) • scored a career-high four goals in a 11-0 victory over UNH (11/18) • netted three goals vs UNH (11/19) • was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week in the WCHA after getting seven goals on the weekend and hat tricks in both games against New Hampshire (11/18-19) • assisted on all three of the team's goals in a tie with No. 1 Wisconsin (1/6) • collected eight points in the road series against St. Cloud State (2/3-4), including a six-point night when the Gophers won the first game against the Huskies 8-1 • won the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award for her performance at St. Cloud State • reached 100 career points with an assist in Minnesota's 6-3 win at Minnesota State (1/28), making her the fourth player in Gopher history to reach the 100-point milestone as a sophomore • had a hat trick with three goals in Minnesota's 6-0 win against St. Cloud State in the WCHA First Round (2/25) • had two points against UND in the NCAA Quarterfinal win, including a shorthanded goal (3/10) • scored points in 33 of 41 games • scored multiple points in 25 games • scored 13 points in seven postseason games, including a three-point performance with a goal and two assists in the Frozen Four semifinal win over Cornell (3/16) • led the Gophers in +/- rating with a +55 • finished her sophomore campaign with the second-highest point total by a sophomore in school history, as only Natalie Darwitz had scored more points after two seasons of play • ranks third in the Minnesota record book for points in a season with 80 points • Academic All-WCHA • a Patty Kazmaier Award top 10 finalist • All-WCHA second team • second-team All-America • named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament team.
2010-11 • Freshman Season: Played in 36 games, missing three to an injury • WCHA Rookie of the Year • All-WCHA Third Team and WCHA All-Rookie selection • WCHA All-Tournament Team selection • Letterwinner • Gophers' leading point and assist scorer with 19 goals and 31 assists for 50 points • Along with teammate Kelly Terry, led the WCHA rookie scoring with 34 points against WCHA opponents • Led the team with 14 multiple-point games • Named the WCHA Rookie of the Week three times and Offensive Player of the Week once • Tied for second on the team in power-play points (12) • Second on the team in plus/minus with a +25 • Set a career-high four points in three games • Started her Gopher career with six points against Clarkson (10/1-2) to earn WCHA Rookie of the Week honors • Scored the Gophers' lone goal in the 1-0 win over Wayne State (10/9) • Scored a goal in the 7-5 win over Wisconsin (11/5), only to suffer an injury that sidelined her for the next three games • Netted a goal and two assists in the 6-2 win over Bemidji State (12/4) • Held a career-high four assist performance in the 6-2 win over Ohio State and was later named the WCHA Rookie of the Week • Has scored 25 of her 45 points here in the second half of the season • Held the first assist in two of the Gophers' three goals against UMD (1/15) • Was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week when she posted three points in the series sweep over Minnesota State (1/7-8) • Had a four-point performance in the series sweep over Ohio State (1/21-22) • Posted seven points against St. Cloud State en route to WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 9 • Tallied four assists in the series sweep over Bemidji State (2/11-12) • Held the single assist on Sarah Erickson's game-winning goal (2/25) and scored the game-winning goal against OSU to send the Gophers to the WCHA FINAL FACEOFF • Netted first career hat trick in the 4-2 WCHA semifinal win over Minnesota Duluth (3/4) • Tallied an assist in the WCHA Championship game against Wisconsin (3/5) and was named to the WCHA All-Tournament Team.
THE KESSEL FILE:Member of both the United States Under-22 Team and Under-18 Team • With the U.S. Under-18 in 2009, was named the tournament's most valuable forward when she scored six goals and 13 assists for 19 points to lead Team USA to a gold medal • In the 2008 World Championships, played in five games with Team USA and tallied 11 points, ranking third among all players in scoring • Tallied 122 points in her final season at Shattuck St. Mary's, the leader of the team in point by 61 • Scored 67 goals and 55 assists in just 46 games played her senior year • As a junior with SSM scored 44 goals and 56 assists for 100 points in just 34 games played en route to a U-19 national championship • Was a member of SSM that won the 2007 U-19 national championship, a season in which she had 102 points in 56 games• Played for the Madison Capitols Bantam boys' team in 2005-06 and helped the team to state and regional championships.
PERSONAL:A 2010 graduate of Shattuck St. Mary's • Born August 28, 1991 • Daughter of Phil and Kathy Kessel • Third sibling to play college hockey • Brother, Phil, played for Minnesota in 2005-06, while Blake was a defenseman at New Hampshire and is currently playing in the AHL • Undecided on a major • Shoots right.
