Kessler to Attend Hockey Canada's Under-22 Team Selection Camp

CALGARY, Alta. -- Harvard rising senior All-America goaltender Christina Kessler has been invited to the Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Under-22 Team selection camp, to be held Aug. 7-14 at Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.

One of 42 players and six goaltenders selected, Kessler was chosen based on evaluations by Hockey Canada regional scouts and the National Women’s Team coaching staff during the 2008-09 season. The players attending the camp are eligible to represent Canada at the 2010 MLP Cup in Ravensburg, Germany in January. Hockey Canada will use the camp to select 22 players for a three-game series against Canada’s National Women’s Team in Calgary later this August.

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.

Photo of Christina Kessler courtesy of Andre Ringuette/Hockey Canada.