Like so many Alaska hockey players before and after, Anchorage’s Colin Kessler left the state at a young age to chase his puck-possessed dreams.

Now, in his first season for NCAA Division I Vermont, he looks to be making himself right at home on the opposite end of the country.

Kessler, 20, last played in Alaska for the Anchorage North Stars program during the 2018-19 season. He first traveled to Culver Academy, an Indiana prep school, before playing two years for the United State Hockey League’s Sioux City (Iowa) Musketeers. He scored 35 points in 59 USHL regular-season games a year ago.

As the college hockey season enters its sixth weekend of action, Kessler leads the healthy list of players hailing from The 907 in scoring.

Thus far, Kessler’s totaled four goals and two assists in six points. He scored two goals in his first collegiate game against St. Thomas (Minn.) on Oct. 11 and produced another multi-point effort versus Providence on Oct. 26. The Catamounts dropped their last game 6-5 in overtime to UConn, but Kessler scored the game-tying goal with less than a second remaining in regulation.

Pumped to have Vermont Basketball back in action tonight!

Thanks to 7️⃣ for the reminder that buzzer beaters aren't just for 🏀#802Hockey pic.twitter.com/3ykedbRe8d

— UVM Men's Hockey (@UVMmhockey) November 4, 2024

Vermont takes its 1-4-2 overall record into a Hockey East home series against No. 16 UMass.

In women’s DI play, Kenai’s Anna Shelden picked up her fifth assist of the season in No. 14 Brown’s 5-1 win at Harvard last Friday. The undefeated Bears (6-0-0) welcome No. 5 Colgate and No. 11 to Providence, R.I. for games Friday and Saturday. Brown is off to its best start since the 1992-93 season when it won its first eight games.

ONE-TIMERS

• UAA (1-7-0) is enjoying the second of two consecutive bye weeks. The Seawolves return to action Nov. 15 at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex in the first game of the Governor’s Cup series against UAF. The Nanooks have not lost the Cup on the ice since 2009 – wins in 2010, 2011 and 2012 were vacated for NCAA violations. Before the Last Frontier fun begins, UAF takes its 2-5-1 record into a weekend series at Union (N.Y.) The Nanooks are on a three-game unbeaten run (2-0-1).
• On Thursday, the NCAA voted to, as of next year, allow eligible Canadian Hockey League players to play college hockey. Major junior league participants or those on pro teams will be allowed to retain NCAA eligibility so long as they haven’t been paid more than their exact expenses from their respective leagues. Prior to the decision, players have been forced to decide between major junior and the collegiate route. The CHL’s umbrella leagues include the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL. In September, Regina Pats (WHL) forward Braxton Whitehead of Palmer verbally committed to Arizona State for next season despite the current eligibility rules. He was the first CHL player to commit to a U.S. college since OHL player Rylan Masterson filed a class-action lawsuit earlier this year.

NCAA Division I
Alaska Player Updates
Men
Bemidji St.
Raythan Robbins, G, So., Anchorage: 1 GP, 1-0-0 W-L-T, 4.12 GAA, 9.17 Save %
Colorado College
Bret Link, F, So., Anchorage: 6 GP, 2 goal-2 assist—4 points +/- +6
Cornell
Sullivan Mack, F, Sr., Anchorage: 2 1-1—2 +1
Minnesota State
Zach Krajnik, F, Gr., Eagle River: 10 0-2—2 +2
North Dakota
Mac Swanson, F, Fr., Anchorage: 7 1-2—3 -2
Notre Dame
Zach Plucinski, D, Gr., Eagle River: 8 0-0—0 0
Hunter Strand, F, Sr., Anchorage: 8 2-2—4 -1
RIT
Trent Burnham, G, Jr., Eagle River: 3 0-3-0, 3.32, .885
UAA
Tanner Edwards, F, Gr., Anchorage: 7 1-3—4 +4
Max Helgeson, F, Sr., Anchorage: 8 0-1—1 +1
Brandon Lajoie, F, Jr., Eagle River: 0 0-0—0 0
Bryant Marks, G, Fr., Wasilla: 0 0-0—0 No GAA or Save %
Porter Schachle, F, Sr., Wasilla: 7 2-1—3 0
Aiden Westin, F, So., Anchorage: 8 1-1—2 -2
UAF
Bryce Monrean, F, Fr., Anchorage: 1 0-0—0 0
Vermont
Colin Kessler, F, Fr., Anchorage: 6 4-2—6 +1

Kenai’s Anna Shelden has posted 5-14-19 scoring totals in 96 career games. Photo courtesy Brown hockey

Women
Bemidji St.
Raeley Carney, F, Jr. Wasilla: 5 1-0—1 -4
Brown
Anna Shelden, F, Sr., Kenai: 6 0-5—5 +4
Maine
Sophia Johnson, D, Sr., Palmer: 6 0-0—0 -5
Sacred Heart
Lake Bethard, D, Fr., Anchorage: 4 0-0—0 +2
St. Michael’s
Grace Canterbury, F, Sr., Eagle River: 10 0-0—0 -8
Isabel Goolie, F, So., Anchorage: 8 0-0—0 -7
Angelina Ruiz, F, Sr., Anchorage: 10 0-1—1 -9