Sports Oakville Beaver By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Mention this ad and receive two free lessons!* * With one month sign up, applicable to new students only, expires March 15th. 905-582-5132 info@inklingmusic.com SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2010 29 Injury brings early end to Kessler's stellar NCAA career Christina Kessler had considered coaching before. She just didn't think she'd become one this fast. Arguably the top goaltender in Harvard University women's hockey history, Kessler is now relegated to mentoring duties after a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her knee prematurely ended her NCAA playing career last month. The 21-year-old Oakville Trafalgar grad admits the severity of her injury hasn't quite sunk in yet. She can still move forwards and backwards without any trouble, and even rode an exercise bike for 45 minutes this week. But any lateral movement -- obviously essential for a goaltender -- is virtually impossible, and she will undergo surgery next week to replace the ligament. "They'll be taking part of my hamstring tendon below my knee, then using two screws and putting it back in. I'm not sure what that whole process entails," said Kessler, who "felt something pop" in her knee while making a save during practice. "I tried to watch some of the prep on YouTube. Then I had to shut my computer off." Fortunately for Kessler, the injury isn't likely to recur if she rehabilitates her knee properly after the surgery. She has been told it will take six months for the new ligament to stabilize itself, and to take her time coming back. But it's obviously a disappointing end to a stellar career with the Crimson. Kessler's Harvard was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference's top goaltender two years ago -- when she led her team to the Frozen Four -- and she broke the school's goaltending wins record in her final game, collecting her 64th victory Jan. 16 against Colgate. "At least (the injury) happened after that," said Kessler, 9-3-3 with a 1.34 goals-against average and .944 save percentage this season. "That wasn't my goal. I was obviously hoping to break the record but I was also really hoping to extend it so nobody could catch up to me. It's great that's how (my career) ended, by setting a record, but ultimately my goal was to win a national championship. And I still think we can." Since the injury, Kessler has been working mostly with freshman Laura Bellamy, who inherited the number-one goaltending chores for the nationally-ranked Crimson. But she has been dishing out plenty of advice to the team's defencemen and forwards as well. "Over the past few weeks, I've really enjoyed it," Kessler said. "I've been helping out where we can improve on our breakouts, how we can improve (getting more) scoring chances, what are the other goaltender's weaknesses. RECORD SETTER: Christina Kessler finishes her playing days at Harvard with the most wins in the history of the Crimson women's hockey program. PHOTO BY GIL TALBOT PHOTOGRAPHY / COURTESY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY "Coaching is a position where I can see myself in the future. It's something I'm getting a taste of." It's only one of several postuniversity paths Kessler is considering. She originally planned on going to med school, having studied human evolutionary biology at Harvard, but now she's intent on staying involved in hockey. "It's always been a dream to play hockey at (a high) level," said Kessler, who honed her skills with the Oakville Junior Ice a few seasons ago. "My dream is to make t h e national team." Kessler appears to be She hopes to be considered for the 2014 Olympic team, on the right track. She backstopped the Canadian under-22 team to gold at the MLP Cup last month, cognizant that veteran Canadian netminder Kim St-Pierre setting a record by earning her fourth career U22 has hinted this year's Games will be her last. Kessler also plans on playing for a team in the Canadian shutout in a 9-0 rout of Switzerland in the tournaWomen's Hockey League next season. ment final. Investments with an annual dividend rate of 5.50%*. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too. Investment Shares are in limited supply and can sell out quickly. Visit your nearest branch or call 1-800-616-8878 to book an Investment Service Chat now. ThinkFirstNow.com *Dividend rates and payments are not guaranteed; however FirstOntario has historically always paid a dividend on its previous two series of Investment Shares. Past payment of dividends in no way predicts future ability to pay dividends.