All good things must come to an end.
This weekend marks the final regular season series in the careers of six seniors on the Wisconsin women's hockey team. As their collegiate careers come to an end, the magnitude of their success at the UW becomes that much clearer.
This year's senior class is, without question, the most successful in the history of the program.
Statistically, they have rewritten the school record books. Senior forward Erika Lawler's 156 points as a Badger put her in a tie with former UW standout Jinelle Zaugg for fourth on the school's career points list. Senior forward Angie Keseley's 122 points at the UW are also good enough for ninth on the list.
On the other end of the ice, senior netminder Jessie Vetter owns almost every meaningful goaltending record at the UW. Her 82 wins and 35 shutouts are tops on Wisconsin's career lists, and she has a shot at the career mark for best save percentage as well.
Even with all the accolades, Vetter has managed to take everything in stride.
\Vetter's really a different kind of goalie,"" freshman goaltender Nikki Kaasa said. ""She's really calm and relaxed, always fun. She's able to react really well and let the puck come to [her].""
As a class, all the seniors have done is win. At every level. In just under four full seasons in Madison, they have amassed 126 wins and just 16 losses. There have been gold medals and countless conference honors, both on and off the ice. There was a WCHA title, and then another. There was a pair of league tournament championships and three consecutive Frozen Four appearances.
And then there were the national titles. After Wisconsin qualified for its first NCAA tournament in the spring of 2005, the class of 2009 provided a missing piece, helping the UW to its first national championship with a 3-0 win over archrival Minnesota in March of 2006. In 2007, they did it again, this time with a 4-1 win over Minnesota-Duluth to avenge the Badgers' only loss of the season.
Despite their success, the class of 2009's effect on this year's Badger squad goes beyond victories and stat sheets. Though the team has only lost twice in regulation this season, it is the seniors' leadership through adversity that has made the biggest impact, especially on the younger players.
""After the first loss at Minnesota, there was panic in everyone's eyes,"" freshman defender Brittany Haverstock said. ""They just settled us down.""
The Badgers should have little adversity to deal with this weekend against Bemidji State. Wisconsin is 37-1-2 all-time against the Beavers, with the lone loss coming in December of 2001. When the teams met earlier this season, the Badgers won both games decisively, outscoring BSU 13-0 on the weekend.
This time around, faceoff is set for 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center. There will be a ceremony before Saturday's contest to honor the six Badger seniors: Rachel Bible, Kayla Hagen, Alycia Matthews, Keseley, Lawler and Vetter.
