Goaltender Stops No. 2 Minnesota

The No. 2 University of Minnesota hadn’t been shut out since Nov. 17, 2007, and had beaten Harvard in the team’s previous five meetings—including in the 2004 and 2005 National Championships. But it couldn’t get the puck past Crimson senior goaltender Christina Kessler on Friday and Saturday.

“Kessler played out of her mind this weekend,” junior forward Katherine Chute said. “She saved us so many times.”

The Gophers came into the game averaging nearly four goals per game. Seven players entered with ten points or more. But none of the seven increased their tally, as Kessler made 24 saves on Friday in a 1-0 win for No. 6 Harvard, and repeated her performance in Saturday’s 0-0 tie, making 29 saves.

“When Harvard needed her to make a big save, she did,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost wrote in an email.

Kessler became the NCAA’s all-time career save percentage leader in the process.

“She doesn’t go out there thinking about wanting to get the save percentage up,” Buesser said. “She just takes it one game at a time. You don’t get there by thinking ahead. She’s very grounded in what she does.”

The senior’s consistency has allowed Harvard to play more aggressive on the offensive end, according to coach Katey Stone. That was certainly the case this weekend, as the Crimson twice outshot the Golden Gophers.

“Our forwards are taking the chances,” Kessler added. “[They’re] playing very tough, knowing we have reliable defense, knowing they can go the extra two steps.”

At her own end of the ice, Kessler’s position in the crease allows her to see things her teammates sometimes can’t, and the senior is quick to pass on her observations to her teammates.

“She sees everything that’s going on,” co-captain Cori Bassett said. “She’s always talking. She’s always helping us.”

Against Minnesota, the defense responded, helping Kessler to the two shutouts.

“My hat’s off to my defense,” Kessler said.

Still, as Bassett conceded, in a fast paced game, the defense was unable to follow all of Kessler’s instructions. But whenever that happened, the goaltender came up with the saves.

“[Kessler’s] an unbelievable player all-around,” Buesser said. “She saves our butt sometimes.”

And the senior is having a great time doing it.

“I’ve really enjoyed every single game, every single practice,” Kessler said. “I hope the fun continues.”

Recently, the good times have been rolling for Kessler, who has twice been named the ECAC Goaltender of the Week.

“I don’t really care too much about the stats,” she said. “It’s a goalie’s job to keep the pucks from going in the net. I just focus on one shot at a time. As long as the team is winning, that’s all I’m concerned about.”

Before this weekend, the Crimson’s only victory against a ranked opponent had come on Nov. 7 against then-No. 7 St. Lawrence. And the rest of the top ten had given Harvard a ton of difficulty—the Crimson tied New Hampshire, but lost to both Clarkson and Princeton.

So the Gophers looked like they would be trouble. Like the Crimson, Minnesota boasts a talented goaltender in Noora Raty, a member of the Finnish National team.

“Us and Harvard are very similar, in that we both have fast teams, work extremely hard and both teams have outstanding goaltending,” Frost wrote in an email.

Raty lived up to the billing, making 39 saves against the Crimson on Saturday, and only letting the puck past her on one shot all weekend, with the lone score coming from Harvard junior Liza Ryabkina.

“Generally when you only give up one goal on the weekend, you would expect to come out with a win or two,” Frost wrote.

But this weekend, one goal wasn’t going to cut it. Not with Kessler in the opposing net.

“[It’s a] huge testament to Kessler’s focus and intensity,” Stone said. “That’s exactly what we needed her to do.”

—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.