Courtney Kessel leaves PWHL Boston Fleet in return to Princeton as head coach of women's hockey team
Kessel spent the past two years coaching the PWHL Boston Fleet and returns to Princeton where she spent four seasons, from 2019-23, as an assistant under Cara Gardner Morey. She now succeeds Gardner Morey, who left the Tigers in May upon being hired as general manager of the PWHL's expansion team in Vancouver.
The 35-year-old Kessel had a 27-19-8 record in Boston, including a Walter Cup Finals appearance in 2024, which the team lost to Minnesota in a decisive Game 5.
'It is bittersweet to move on from the Boston Fleet and the amazing people building that organization and the PWHL as a whole,' Kessel said. 'This opportunity was the only one that could draw me away from where I was.'
From Toronto, Kessel played at New Hampshire, where she was a 2010 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the MVP of women's college hockey. She also represented Canada at three world championships, including a gold-medal win in 2012.
She also has Hockey Canada coaching experience, serving as a senior team assistant in 2024 and head coach of the 2023 gold-medal winning Under-18 team.
The Fleet have undergone major changes this offseason. Star forward Hilary Knight left Boston to sign with the PWHL's expansion team in Seattle. The Fleet also have an opening at assistant general manager after Meghan Turner was hired as Seattle's GM.
'Courtney set the tone from Day 1 and elevated our group with her competitiveness, preparation, and care,' Fleet GM Danielle Marmer said. 'She's already established herself as an elite coach early in her career, and I know she'll continue to raise the bar as the next head coach at Princeton.'
___
AP women's hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WATCH: Every target for Jacksonville Jaguar's TE Brenton Strange in 2024
Take a look below at every one of the targets that Jacksonville Jaguars' tight end Brenton Strange had during the 2024 season. Strange assumed a much larger role in 2024 compared to his rookie year in 2023. When it was all said and done, Strange was targeted 54 times, catching 40 of those passes for 411 yards with two touchdowns. Advertisement Of note, Strange ranked 17th out of 45 eligible tight ends in yards per route run, an efficiency metric from Pro Football Focus. The Jaguars' organization is extremely bullish on Strange this season, who now sits atop the team's tight end depth chart. That in itself will lead to more opportunities, but within Liam Coen's offense, the tight end is a key part of the passing game. Last season, with Coen calling the plays in Tampa Bay, Bucs' tight end Cade Otton finished the year with 84 targets, which was the ninth-most among all tight ends in the NFL. Along with Strange's ability to impact the game as a pass-catcher, he's also versatile, able to line up across the formation, and he's a capable run-blocker as well. When a tight end can fill a variety of roles, it adds a level of unpredictability to an offense. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Watch every Brenton Strange target from Jaguars' 2024 NFL season
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Browns QB Deshaun Watson marries longtime girlfriend Jilly Anais
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has married his longtime girlfriend, Jilly Anais. The couple confirmed the news on social media on Thursday, July 3. In a post shared to her Instagram Stories early, Anais, a social media influencer and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, wrote, "Today is the day I become Mrs. Watson." Advertisement The stunning model wore a casual, plunging V-neck dress with her long hair pulled back in a scarf, as she lounged on a yacht with the NFL player. Anais, 29, later changed into a flower-embellished gown as she sat beside Watson, also 29, and the couple showed off their matching wedding rings. MORE: Browns QB Deshaun Watson's fiancee Jilly Anais shares romantic pre-wedding photo shoot In a photo shared to his Instagram Stories, Watson wore his stunning new bling, as Anais held up her hand to display her wedding band beside him. Also visible in the photo was the couple's wedding date, "07.03.25," monogrammed on the sleeve of the Browns' star's long-sleeve white shirt. Advertisement It's unclear where the wedding took place. However, in an earlier post shared to social media, Watson suggested that they said "I do" on a boat. "BOAT We sailing away! Let's go," the NFL quarterback wrote. He later shared a video of himself dancing on the yacht with his new bride alongside a small group of family members. A look back at their relationship timeline Watson's marriage to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model comes just four months after he announced his engagement. The couple confirmed the news in a joint Instagram post on March 16. "Mrs. Watson Loading. . .," the caption read. The couple began dating in 2019, when Watson was still playing for the Houston Texans. They met in Los Angeles. Advertisement MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS:
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Will Caitlin Clark play for Indiana Fever this weekend?
For the fifth consecutive time this WNBA regular season, the Indiana Fever will be without Caitlin Clark. The star guard will miss the game with a left groin injury and has been ruled out by the team, ESPN is reporting. The Fever take on the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday night. Indiana is 9-8 on the season while the Sparks have a record of 5-13. Advertisement MORE: Indiana Fever schedule, dates, TV channels for every game in 2025 Overall, Clark has missed nine regular season games and 10 this year including the final of the Commissioner's Cup, which Indiana won over the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. A left quad injury sidelined Clark the first time around this year. After missing five games, she returned to play in five before the more recent groin injury. Clark, in her second season after a record-breaking career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists, five rebounds and 2.6 made 3-pointers per game. During both her time in college and her first WNBA season, Clark did not miss any times across five seasons. Indiana head coach Stephanie White told reporters that Clark has not gone full speed in practice and was listed as our on the injury report. Advertisement Indiana is currently third in the East while Los Angeles is seventh in the West. The next chance for Clark to play comes Wednesday when the Fever take on the Golden State Valkyries. MORE WNBA NEWS:
