Canada Under-22 Roster Includes Kessler

Photo courtesy of Andre Ringuette/Hockey Canada

CALGARY, Alta. -- Harvard senior goaltener Christina Kessler is one of 23 players selected to Canada's National Under-22 Team roster that will take part in a three-game series against Canada’s National Women’s Team from August 17-20 at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, Hockey Canada announced.

Kessler is one of three goaltenders, along with eight defencemen and 12 forwards, selected by head coach Margot Page (Stevensville, Ont./Appleby College, Can. HS) and assistant coaches Jim Fetter (Waterloo, Ont./Wayne State University, CHA) and Stephanie White (Toronto, Ont./Ryerson University, GBWHL).

Canada’s roster was selected following a seven-day camp from August 6-14 in Calgary, attended by 41 of the top under-22 female hockey players in Canada – five goaltenders, 14 defensemen and 22 forwards. The camp included games between two Canadian teams – Red and White – and Sweden’s national women’s team.

Kessler, a veteran of international competition, was a member of last year’s under-22 team and also attended Hockey Canada’s under-22 strength and conditioning camp last May. She helped Team Canada’s under-22 squad win the silver medal at the MLP Cup in January 2009, recording two shutouts and turning aside 35 shots in two games. Kessler also made 40 saves in two games in a three-game exhibition series against Team USA’s under-22 team in August 2008.

A native of Trafalgar, Ont., Kessler boasts a 55-13-3 overall record in her first three seasons at Harvard, ranking her second in school history in victories. An All-America selection in 2008 after setting a then-NCAA record with 12 shutouts in a single season, she was named to the All-ECAC Hockey team for the second straight season last winter. Kessler posted a conference-best 1.55 goals-against average in league games and was 14-2-1 with three shutouts in ECAC Hockey action.

The roster includes 12 players (Bendus, Bettez, Birchard, Blais, Bram, Deluce, Fridfinnson, Kessler, Knox, Rougeau, Smith, Spooner) who played for Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team during the 2008-09 season, and three players (Fortino, McKeough, Wong) who won a silver medal with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2009 IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship in Fussen, Germany.

Four players selected to the team (Bettez, Blais, Guay, Hosier) had previously used up their under-22 eligibility. These players were eligible for Canada’s National Women’s Team, but were not selected for centralization ahead of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. As Hockey Canada does not operate a program for identified senior players that have not been centralized, these four players will train with the under-22 program for the 2009-10 season. All four players previously played for Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team.

“The selection camp held in Calgary was incredibly competitive, which made selecting a team extremely difficult,” said National Women’s Under-22 Team head coach Margot Page. “We are confident the 23 players we have chosen will represent themselves and the under-22 program well and we are looking forward to three exciting games against Canada’s National Women’s Team.”

The 2009-10 season for Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team will include the three-game series against Canada’s National Women’s Team in Calgary from August 17-20, as well as the 2010 MLP Cup in Germany in early January. The roster announced Saturday will not be Canada’s team for the 2010 MLP Cup. Player evaluations will continue during the early months of the 2009-10 season, and a final roster will be named in December.

The National Women’s Under-22 Team is a key component of Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence, which, along with the under-18 program, helps identify, evaluate and develop female hockey players for Canada’s National Women’s Team.