MINNEAPOLIS — As a freshman last year, Amanda Kessel tallied 50 points to lead the University of Minnesota women's hockey team in scoring.
And she's only gotten better since then.
Kessel, a sophomore forward on the Gophers, scored a team-leading 26 goals this year to go along with 41 assists during the regular season. Her 67 points were fifth most in all of college hockey, and easily the most among sophomores.
"I think it's a lot easier coming in as a sophomore compared to freshman year," Kessel said. "You just kind of learn that you've got to just work a little bit extra harder every single game. Consistency is a big thing this year that I've improved on from last year."
So what is it that makes Kessel such a special player?
"I don't think it's one thing," said Gophers senior co-captain Jen Schoullis. "I think it's her competitiveness, her speed, her heart. She's a very smart player. She has a knack for the net. She's one of the best playmakers I've ever played with, if not the best."
Kessel and Schoullis were teammates before either was a Gopher. The duo played together at Shattuck-St. Mary's, a prep school and hockey powerhouse in Faribault, Minn. While at SSM, Kessel and Schoullis teamed up with some of the best players in college hockey, including Wisconsin's Brianna Decker and twin sisters Monique and Jocelyne Lamoreux of North Dakota — all three of which are in the top four scorers in women's college hockey.
Having seen what Kessel was capable of as a high schooler, Schoullis wasn't surprised to see Kessel score 50 points last season to lead the Gophers in scoring as a freshman.
"I've known her for a very long time. I know how she's built," Schoullis said. "She's one of the biggest competitors and has one of the biggest hearts for hockey on the team. She has so much talent and skill. It's amazing."
While at SSM, Kessel scored 122 points — including an unbelievable 67 goals — during her senior year. Teams at Shattuck play a rigorous schedule of more than 50 games against some of the top programs in the country.
Shattuck-St. Mary's has produced some top-level NHL talent, such as Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews. But it's also churned out some of the best talent in women's hockey.
That includes Kessel.
"Shattuck I think is a great program. There, I got to play with a bunch of great players, too," Kessel said. "Every day in practice I got better. I just think it's a great program there. It wasn't too big of a jump to college then, so it was a good preparation for me."
Gophers head coach Brad Frost has coached some talented freshmen, including the Lamoreux twins before they transferred to North Dakota. But Frost knew Kessel was special before she got to campus and wasn't shocked to see her lead Minnesota in scoring last year.
"That's always a surprise but not something that was maybe unexpected when we were recruiting her," Frost said. "She's a special talent and somebody who's going to be a potential Olympian here in the near future."
Hockey talent runs in the Kessel family. Amanda's older brother, Phil, also played at Minnesota and is currently one of the best players in the NHL. As of Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward was second in the league with 32 goals.
"He's having an unreal year," Kessel said of her brother.
Like her older brother, Kessel left her hometown of Madison, Wis., to play across the border for the Badgers' rivals. Her other brother, Blake, played for the University of New Hampshire, meaning none of the Kessel siblings stayed home to play for Wisconsin.
Kessel said she was drawn to Minnesota because of the coaching staff, the players and the team's facilities. Being able to play in Ridder Arena — which is used exclusively for the women's hockey team — was a big plus.
During the recruiting process, Kessel talked with her brother about his decision to spurn the hometown Badgers and play for Minnesota.
"He helped me out. He didn't tell me which one to choose or anything, just kind of where I thought I'd be happiest," Kessel said. "He didn't want me to make a decision off of his. I think with both of my brothers not going to Wisconsin, I really wasn't a Badger fan anymore. That made it easier."
Since she's arrived in Dinkytown, Kessel has helped turn the Gophers into national title contenders. Thanks in large part to Kessel's offensive contributions, Minnesota finished the regular season 21-5-2 in the WCHA and 27-5-2 overall, second in the conference behind Wisconsin.
If the Gophers can knock off the defending NCAA-champion Badgers this year, Kessel will likely play a hand in it. Minnesota was 2-1-1 against Wisconsin this year, with Kessel tallying a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win and contributing three assists in a 3-3 tie.
Kessel also recently had a six-point game against St. Cloud State in early February when she scored twice and had four assists in an 8-1 Gophers win. Yet despite Kessel's scoring prowess, her coach thinks she still has room to improve throughout her career at Minnesota.
Given Kessel's already-impressive numbers, that's a scary thought.
"I think she can continue to get a little stronger, and for her I think consistency is something she can continue to get a little better at," Frost said. "Overall, she's a tremendous hockey player and really good kid."
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