Gophers Kessel To Miss 2014-15 Season With Concussion Symptoms
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – University of Minnesota women's hockey coach Brad Frost said Wednesday that senior Amanda Kessel will miss the 2014-15 season because of lingering concussion symptoms suffered while playing for the U.S. Women's National Team.
After working with doctors and specialists, it was determined that Kessel needs to dedicate all of her time to making a full recovery from her symptoms. Kessel missed last season to train and compete for Team USA in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
In three seasons playing for the Gophers, Kessel scored 97 goals and collected 134 assists. She's fourth on the all-time scoring list for the Gophers women's program with 231 career points. As a junior, she helped lead Minnesota to its fifth national championship in 2012013 and a perfect 41-0 record.
"I've had an unforgettable experience at the University of Minnesota thus far, so I'm disappointed that I won't be able to return to the team this year," Kessel said in a statement. "It's obviously a difficult decision and one that I've taken time to come to terms with. 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 percent healthy when I'm on the ice. Unfortunately, that isn't the case right now."