Vetter shines brightest in spotlight

Jessie Vetter's storybook conclusion to the 2008-09 hockey season brought endless triumphs.

First, the Cottage Grove, Wis., native won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in women's Division I college hockey. The next day in Boston, the senior guided the University of Wisconsin to the NCAA Frozen Four championship with a 5-0 victory against Mercyhurst. The victory gave the Badgers three national titles in Vetter's four-year tenure.

But it gets even better.

The following month, in April, Vetter took on goaltending duties for Team USA and helped lead the Americans to a 4-1 victory against Canada in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship in Finland.

All she needs now is a hole in one as the golf season beckons prior to tryouts for the Olympic team.

"There's definitely going to be a lot of golf for me this summer," she said. "I need some time away from the rink. All of us do."

But Vetter's rink respite will be brief. After graduating from Wisconsin on May 17, she'll be participating in the second annual Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp May 28-31 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

She plans to help out at girls' hockey camps offered by Team USA teammates Jinelle Zaugg and Angela Ruggiero. A Team USA conditioning camp starts June 8 at U.S. Olympic Committee's headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo. Olympic team tryouts begin in August in Blaine, Minn.

Vetter would like nothing more than to be able to show her talents again in a gold-medal game, this time in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympics. Her most recent performance on the international stage was impressive. Most importantly, she has had Canada's number. With her win in the gold medal game at the world championships, Vetter has chalked up a victory over Team USA's archrival four times in five games.

"I definitely went out there with the idea that I wanted to show what I could do,'' said Vetter, who ended her college career as the winningest goaltender in NCAA history. "It's still tryout time for the Olympics and stuff, so they were going to be looking at how people do at the international level."

Vetter certainly made an impression. Against Canada, she made 39 saves. The victory was the most decisive over Team Canada in the 15 times the teams have met in the world championship. She also made 16 saves in a 7-0 victory against Finland.

Vetter felt as prepared as she could have possibly been for the world championship.

"The tryouts in Lake Placid, N.Y., were the week after we played in the Frozen Four, so that was a great advantage for all of us who were there," Vetter said. "I was in game shape and ready to go.''

Vetter got word the day before the final matchup against Canada that she would get the start. In the final game of qualifying, Team Canada handed Team USA a 2-1 loss.

"We had practice on Saturday and one of the coaches told me to get all the reps that I wanted because I was going to be in for the game," Vetter said. "I like any opportunity I have to play in championship games. Against Canada, it's pretty special. It's always good to challenge yourself, and I like to have a lot of fun when I'm out there.

"It was an awesome game. Normally at the international levels, the officials seem to get involved a little too much. But I think there were a total of two penalties. It was back and forth the entire time. It was a great game to watch and we took advantage of our opportunities. The (defense) did a great job of clearing rebounds that I gave off."

With Team USA holding Canada in such high regard, Vetter and her teammates got some extra words of advice from veterans Natalie Darwitz and Ruggiero.

"They talked a little before the game and the main thing they said was we've beaten them before, and that we had to go out and play our game, and play to win," Vetter said.

The United States now holds the No. 1 world ranking for the first time since the system was introduced in 2004. Vetter credits Team USA's residency program in Blaine with much of the team's success.  

"Sometimes when you get to these tournaments, you're playing with all of your teammates for the first time," she said. "The residency program in Blaine was awesome for our post-graduate players. They were on the ice every day, and it helped those players who might not have known each other get to know each other better. It was a great opportunity for them, and it definitely helped us at worlds."

Minnesota has also been a good place for Vetter. It was in Minneapolis that she helped the Badgers claim the WCHA tournament title against the University of Minnesota.

"Sometimes you bring a little extra effort when playoffs come around," she said. "It's live or die, so you have to play your best or there may not be another game. I like to do whatever I can to help my team win."

From there, Vetter ended her collegiate career with a shining performance in the NCAA Frozen Four. She improved to 4-1 in the Frozen Four, recording her record fourth shutout along the way.

With the victory against Mercyhurst, Vetter improved a pair of records that she had already owned. She now has the NCAA record for shutouts in a season (14) and career shutouts (39). She ended her career with a 19-1 record in the NCAA Tournament.

"NCAA's couldn't have gone any better," she said. "We outscored our opponents 17-1 as a team, and I did a good job of controlling rebounds. It was the best we played all year and it was the perfect time to be playing some good hockey."

Finally, Vetter's remarkable season was honored when she was selected as the Patty Kazmaier Award winner during the NCAA Frozen Four.

"I've been to the banquet every year that I've been in school, and this was very cool," Vetter said. "It was a little extra special because Patty's entire family was there. I think most of them are from the Boston area, so it was a little more special to have all of them there to hear my speech. I was a little more emotional knowing they were in attendance."

As one of three finalists for the award, along with Canadians Meghan Agosta and Sarah Vaillancourt, Vetter could tell there was something different about the 2009 banquet.

"It was definitely kind of weird and there were some nerves waiting for one of the names to be called," she said. "When they did announce it, my team went crazy and supported me as loud as they could. When I heard my name, it was pretty special. I'm very honored to be among the people who have won it in the past."

Fortunately, Vetter was prepared with a couple of notes.

"I had something written down just in case,'' Vetter admitted. "Otherwise, I would have been blank. I wanted to make sure that I acknowledged my family, coaches and teammates, and Mr. Kazmaier and his family for being there. And I also wanted to recognize the other finalists and how impressive they are as people and athletes.''

Just as she is at the rink, Vetter always comes prepared.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Dave McMahon is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.