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or her first two years at BC, Kent’s hockey career eclipsed her lacrosse accomplishments. She was a key member of the Eagles’ 2016 team that reached the national championship game undefeated, only to fall to Minnesota. In lacrosse, she became the first Eagle to be named to the IWLCA All-Rookie Team and was second-team All-ACC as a sophomore.
Kent may soon be the first woman to play both sports professionally. In August, she was one of three Eagles selected in the National Women’s Hockey League draft. The Boston Pride took Kent fourth. Then in November, the Boston Storm drafted Kent third overall in the United Women's Lacrosse League college draft.
“It was a huge honor to be drafted and I was very humbled and grateful,” she said in October.
“What I want with both of those sports is to see them grow.”
The Boston Pride (NWHL) and Boston Storm (UWLX) drafted two-sport star Kenzie Kent in August and November, respectively.
By 2017, Kent was starting at left wing in hockey and playing on both the Eagles’ top-ranked power-play and second-ranked penalty killing units. After BC fell in the Frozen Four, she took a week off before rejoining the lacrosse team already 12 games into the spring season. Even with a modest one-goal, two-assist scoring line against Yale, Walker had seen all she needed to insert Kent full time.
“I don’t think there are too many who could not be around for six months and then come in right away and be a star. But she proves it with her play,” Walker says. “If she was playing average lacrosse and I had to make a tough call, it might be a problem, but she’s not. She’s so dominant. No one can argue.”
Kent started opposite All-American Sam Apuzzo in an April 1 game against Virginia. Apuzzo, enjoying a breakout campaign (80 goals, 39 assists) of her own after an ACL injury limited her to just nine games as a freshman, became the perfect line mate.
“Sam inspires me,” Kent said. “She gets me going and we really feed off each other. She pushed me to go one-on-one more rather than pass it off.”
Kent and Apuzzo had a nearly unstoppable mix of complementary skills. Kent’s secret weapon was an explosive first step honed by endless hours of leg-intensive hockey practice. Playing from the top of the offense, she found she could either dodge or use that speed to get open near the goal for precise passes from Apuzzo.
“Sam is an amazing feeder,” Kent said.
Once back in the starting lineup, Kent averaged a team-best 3.45 goals per game, a scoring pace that would have put her 10th in the country for the season, just ahead of Apuzzo’s 3.33, if she had played enough games to qualify for rankings.
Over the same span, Kent recorded 3.27 assists per game and 6.73 points per game — which put her behind only Tewaaraton finalist Kylie Ohlmiller’s full-season pace of 3.91 and 7.45, respectively.