For most incoming Harvard freshmen, the month of August spells one thing: back-to-school shopping. Trips to Target fill up the days, boxes begin to pile up on living room floors, and eager first-years prepare to relocate to within the gates of Harvard Yard.

For freshman Christina Kessler, however, the only item on the shopping list was a knee brace, after an injury suffered in early August left her scholastic plans up in the air.

In fact, it appeared that the coveted goalie recruit might not be heading back to school at all in 2006.

Kessler, a Toronto-area native, had spent most of her summer on the ice preparing for Canada’s under-22 national team training camp. She was invited to try out after leading her under-18 team, the Ontario Red, to the national championship earlier that year.

One week before the camp—“August 4th at 7 a.m.,” Kessler adds, to be exact—an awkward turn at a tournament in Quebec left the goalie writhing in pain and potentially looking for something else to occupy her in the coming year.

“I knew right away that something was definitely wrong,” she says. “I was told that my ACL and MCL were torn and that I would potentially lose my full year.”

“We were going to have her take a year off,” head coach Katey Stone adds, “Because she wouldn’t have regained that year of eligibility.”

Fortunately, there is always a chance of incorrect diagnosis.

Right before Kessler was set to have surgery, her doctors realized that, in fact, just the MCL was torn, shortening her expected recovery time.

Now back on track to move in with the Class of 2010, Kessler wasted no time getting started on a rehab program.

But the knee injury was her first major injury and would require a whole lot of determination from a girl who hates being off the ice.

“Coming into the school year,” she notes, “I had no idea when I would be back. I haven’t dealt with an injury of this sort before, so I didn’t really know how much pain I would feel.”

Then she surprised everyone, including herself, by making her first start against Brown on November 17th, a little more than three months after incurring the injury.

According to Stone, the quick return can be attributed to the efforts of two individuals.

“Number one, it’s because [Kessler] is so determined,” she says. “And number two, it’s because of our athletic trainer, Allison Fisher. She has done a tremendous job to get her back, paying really close attention to her that, if not given, could have made the injury last longer.”

Kessler also adds that her teammates, her “new family of 25,” were extremely supportive during her rehab and that she worked hard to be a part of the team off the ice when she couldn’t contribute on it.

And working with Brittany Martin, the Crimson’s other talented netminder, has pushed Kessler to become a better player.

In her collegiate debut, the first game back after the injury, Kessler recorded 21 saves in an 8-1 win over Brown, and felt only mild discomfort in her knee.

In her second start, the “firsts” factor was gone but in place of the cellar-dwelling Bears were the league-leading Princeton Tigers.

“[My knee] felt better in the Princeton game,” Kessler says. “But obviously the competition was stronger, which made me more nervous.”

The higher stakes only improved her play, as Kessler recorded 30 saves in a 5-0 shutout and was named ECAC Rookie of the Week for her performance.

And what awaits for start number three?

Only No.10 Minnesota-Duluth, which is fresh off an upset of top-ranked Wisconsin.

The Crimson has a pair of games against the Bulldogs this weekend at Bright Hockey Center that will test both Kessler and Martin, whose 1.43 goals-against average ranks fifth in the nation.

Martin will get the nod for Friday night, while Kessler will start in net on Saturday.

“We are in an ideal situation right now, one that I have never been in as a coach at Harvard,” Stone says of her platoon.

While the situation may be new to Harvard, it is apparently not uncommon in the world of women’s college hockey.

Take Minnesota-Duluth, for instance.

The Bulldogs have their own talented freshman goalie in Kim Martin, who currently leads the nation in goals-against average and was named the USCHO Division I Defensive Player of the Week following her 25-save shutout against then-No. 1 Wisconsin last Friday night.

Similar to the Kessler-Martin scenario, Martin has been splitting time with senior Riitta Schaublin. Schaublin earned First-Team All-American honors last year and provides a strong second option for the Bulldogs.

“This weekend is going to be very challenging,” Kessler says. “I have to come into each game, even if I’m not playing, with the mentality that I am to support the team and be ready for everything.”