Jessie Vetter's 2008-'09 season was all about numbers. Not just the ones she put up, but the ones her opponents did not.
The UW senior goaltender and Cottage Grove, Wis., native served as the backbone for the Badgers' third women's hockey national title in four seasons. In doing so, she became the second Badger in school history to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the women's hockey version of the Heisman Trophy.
In addition to the hardware, Vetter rewrote the NCAA record books, setting the career marks for victories (91) and shutouts (39), as well as the single-season shutout record (14).
Vetter went 33-2-5 in 40 games this season, and along the way she picked up First Team All-America, First Team All-WCHA, Academic All-WCHA and WCHA Final Face-off MVP honors.
As the games got tougher, so did she. Vetter finished her career in cardinal and white with an 11-1 record in NCAA tournament play, including a perfect 3-0 this season.
Saving the best for last, she surrendered only one goal in the 2009 Frozen Four and recorded her final shutout as a Badger in the NCAA title game, a 5-0 drubbing of Mercyhurst in Boston on March 22.
Fittingly, Vetter closed the book on her career at Wisconsin with one last award, being named the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player.
Perhaps the reason Vetter is most worthy of our Female Athlete of the Year award is also the most straightforward. Simply put, she is widely considered to be the best in the world at her position as netminder.
We're in no position to argue.
Honorable Mention: Gwen Jorgensen. Senior, Cross Country
