Badgers Spend Holiday with Their Second Family
November 22, 2007 | Women's Hockey
For many people, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family. Although the busy schedule of a student-athlete makes it impossible for every member of the women's hockey team to be with their families for the holiday, the team does the next best thing by spending the day together.
Since the team includes players from as far away as California and Florida, local Badgers like junior goalie and Cottage Grove, Wis., native Jessie Vetter and her family have taken in some of her teammates for Thanksgiving for the past few years.
'I really didn't invite anybody ' they just said they were going to come over and eat my food,' Vetter jokes. 'I recruited people that I knew could play football because we have a Thanksgiving Bowl that day.'
All kidding aside, Vetter's teammates appreciate what her and her family do for them. Sophomore Meghan Duggan, who Vetter called the 'MVP of the newcomers last year' in the Vetter family's annual football game, will be going back to the Vetter's again this year since returning to Massachusetts is not an option.
'Thanksgiving is a huge holiday in my family at home,' Duggan said. 'We always got together at my grandparents' house. I have a huge family at home with about 30 cousins and a bunch of aunts and uncles, so it was always a big holiday for my family.
'Vetter's family is awesome for taking us in and cooking for all of us and it's fun to be with the team. It fills that void of missing your family and home on Thanksgiving.'
The Vetter household is just one of a few places where members of the team will be gathering on Thursday following a light morning skate. Director of Operations Paul Hickman will also be hosting a large group of players to make sure that everyone has a place to enjoy Thanksgiving.
The team will then return to the Shell again late Thursday afternoon to depart for Bemidji, Minn., where the No. 2/3 Badgers will face Bemidji State this weekend in a WCHA series. Faceoff is set for 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 2:07 p.m. on Saturday at the John Glas Fieldhouse.
