Boston College announced Friday senior attacker Kenzie Kent, the 2017 NCAA women's lacrosse tournament most outstanding player, will redshirt the 2018 season and return to play the entirety of the 2019 season, confirming initial reports in December that she would not play this year, which were later retracted by the athletic department.  

Kent, who also played ice hockey for the Eagles, intends to take a break in 2018 after splitting her time between both teams for her first three years in Chestnut Hill, Mass. 

“I’ve been so lucky to have these opportunities at Boston College and being part of two amazing teams,” Kent said in a press release, first published by Inside Lacrosse. “Last year's experience with the lacrosse team – and being able to play in a larger part of the season than I had in the past – got me seriously thinking about playing a full season. Now, with hockey wrapping up, I’ve made the decision to take this spring off so I can focus on the rest of my senior year and return and play a full season of lacrosse next year.

“These girls are having an amazing season and doing some very special things, and I’m so excited to watch what these girls do the rest of the way. It’ll be tough not being out on the field with them since I’m used to jumping right in, but I can’t wait to cheer them on,” Kent said.

For her standout junior year, shattering the NCAA tournament record for points with 37 in the Eagles’ five-game NCAA tournament run, Kent was featured on the cover of the December issue of US Lacrosse Magazine, the 2017 best of lacrosse edition.

“Kenzie is such a special player and is in such a unique situation,” Walker-Weinstein said in the release. “As a coach, knowing you’ll have someone with Kenzie’s abilities ready to play a full season next year, it’s awesome and I’m so excited. She’s already had an incredible career at BC and we’re looking forward to watching her wrap up her amazing lacrosse career next year.”

Kent was the 2016-17 ACC Female Athlete of the Year.