Gophers hockey star Amanda Kessel to miss season with concussion
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gophers women's hockey team announced Wednesday that star forward Amanda Kessel will miss the upcoming 2014-15 season due to lingering concussion symptoms. According to a release from the team, the symptoms stem from injuries suffered during Kessel's time on the U.S. Women's National Team.
Kessel, the younger sister of NHL forward and former Gopher Phil Kessel, also missed the 2013-14 season as she spent it training for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
"It's obviously a difficult decision and one that I've taken time to come to terms with," Kessel said in a release. "As someone who has played through a lot of injuries, it wasn't until suffering a concussion that I fully understood the importance of being 100% healthy when I'm on the ice. Unfortunately, that isn't the case right now."
As a junior during the 2012-13 season, Kessel helped lead the Gophers to an undefeated 41-0-0 season and a national championship. During that season, the Madison, Wis., native scored a career-high 101 points (46 goals, 55 assists) and won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in women's college hockey.
Without Kessel last season, Minnesota advanced to the national championship once again but fell just short, losing 5-4 to Clarkson in the title game.
Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter
