Matthew Kessel

Position:
Defenseman
Height:
6-3
Weight:
203
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Prev School:
Sioux Falls (USHL)

Selected in the fifth round, 150th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft

AS A JUNIOR IN 2021-22: Earned a spot as a Hockey East Third Team All-Star for a second straight year … Appeared in all 37 games, totaling 17 points on six goals and 11 assists and was +9 with two power-play goals and one game winner … In Hockey East play, saw action in all 24 games and contributed 12 points on four goals and eight assists, including two power-play tallies and one game winner … Was +7 in league action and tied for the team lead in blocks with 21 … Registered a pair of assists vs. Boston College (3/5) and was named the game's No. 3 star ... Scored power-play goals in back-to-back games at Vermont (2/25-2/26) and added an assist in the second contest against the Catamounts ... Assisted the game winner at #20 UConn (2/18) ... Logged an assist vs. LIU (2/5) ... Scored a goal and added an assist against LIU (2/4) ... Notched a goal and a power play asssist vs. Boston University (1/25), earning the game's third star ... Registered an assist on the power play at Merrimack (12/8) ... Opened the scoring vs. Boston University (11/13) ... Collected an assist at Boston University (11/12) ... Registered an assist vs. Merrimack (10/30) ... Scored first goal of the season against AIC (10/16) ... Logged an assist on the power play at AIC (10/15).

AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2020-21: Earned All-USCHO recognition and was tabbed a Hockey East Third-Team All-Star … One of eight players to see action in all 29 games … Logged 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists, including one game winner …Was +15 with a team-best six power-play goals … Had six points (1g, 5a) in postseason play … Led all defensemen nationally in goals, goals per-game (.34) and power-play goals …Tied for fourth nationally in points by a defenseman, ninth in points per-game (.88) and tied for 10th in power play points (9) … Was an All-Tournament Team selection at the Frozen Four … Scored 10th goal of the season on the power play vs. St. Cloud State (4/10) in the National Championship game ... Logged an assist on the power play in a 3-2 OT victory vs. #9/5 Minnesota Duluth (4/8) in the NCAA National Semifinal ... Registered an assist in the NCAA East Regional final vs #14/15 Bemidji State (3;27) ... Had a pair of assists vs. #14 Providence (3/17) ... Notched an assist and had three blocks vs. #20 Northeastern (3/14) ... Registered an assist at #14 Providence (2/23) ... Picked up an assist at #16 UMass Lowell (1/30) ... Scored ninth goal of the season vs. #16 UMass Lowell (1/29) ... Netted two power-play goals and was named the game's No. 1 star vs. New Hampshire (1/6) ... Scored on a penalty shot and picked up an assist vs. #10/13 Northeastern (1/2) and was named the game's No. 1 star ... Logged an assist on the tying goal in the third period at #10/13 Northeastern (1/1) ... Capped four-game goal scoring streak and had two assists for a career-best three points at New Hampshire (12/30) and was named the game's No. 1 star ... Logged a goal and an assist on the power play vs. UConn (12/23) and was named the game's No. 3 star ... Scored in both games of a weekend sweep of Vermont (12/19-12/20), including one power-play goal ... Assisted a shorthanded goal at #2 Boston College (11/27) ... Scored on the power play at UConn (11/21).

AS A FRESHMAN IN 2019-20: One of six players to appear in all 34 games … Was the top scoring freshman defenseman in the nation with seven goals, which also led all UMass defensemen … Also had four assists for a total of 11 points … Scored one power-play goals and was +13 with 25 blocks … Had eight points on five goals and three assists in Hockey East play … Logged an assist vs. #10 Providence (2/7) ... Scored first career power-play goal at Vermont (1/18) ... Netted sixth goal of the year at #5/7 Denver (1/3) ... Scored fifth goal of the season at RPI (12/29) ... Logged an assist at Quinnipiac (11/29) ... Scored for a second straight game vs. Merrimack (11/22) ... Registered third goal of the season vs. Boston University (11/16) and was tabbed the game's No. 2 star ... Logged an assist vs. #10 Northeastern (11/2) ... Posted first career multi-goal game with a goal and an assist and was +4 at #10 Northeastern (11/1), earning the game's No. 2 Star ... Scored first career goal at #15/14 Northeastern (10/15) ... Made collegiate debut vs. RPI (10/11), paired with Gianfranco Cassaro.

BEFORE UMASS: Played in 114 career regular season games in the United States Hockey League (USHL), splitting time between the Fargo Force (2017-18), Chicago Steel (2017-18) and the Sioux Falls Stampede (2018-19) … Totaled 22 career points on two goals and 20 assists … Saw action in 62 regular season games in 2018-19 and logged 19 points on two goals and 17 assists with Sioux Falls … Helped the Stampede to a Clark Cup championship, appearing in 15 postseason contests and registering four points on a goal and three assists.

PERSONAL: Born Matthew James Kessel on June 23, 2000 in Scottsdale, Arizona … Son of Tom and Leila Kessel … Has three siblings, Peter, Will and Mitch … Brother, Peter, plays hockey at Holy Cross … Brother, Will, played hockey at Western Michigan (2011-15) and captained the Broncos in 2014-15 … Brother, Mitch, played football at Cincinnati … 2018 graduate of Michigan Connections Cyber Academy (Okemos, Michigan) … Majoring in finance.

Career Highs
Goals: 2 - vs. New Hampshire (1/6/21)
Assists: 2 - 3x - Last vs. Boston College (3/5/22)
Points: 3 - at New Hampshire (12/30/20)

Miscellaneous
Multi-Goal Games: -
Multi-Point Games: - 10; Last vs. Boston College (3/5/22)