Northern Star: Meredith Boettcher

For this week's segment, we feature a Duluth Marshall girls hockey player who's continuing the legacy her sisters started with the Hilltoppers program.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall girls hockey and the Boettcher name go hand-and-hand.

“Hockey means just as much to me as everyone else in my family. My sisters were here when the program just started. We started our high school program, only JV and my sisters were on that so all of the program’s history, my family’s been here,” Duluth Marshall junior forward Meredith Boettcher said.

So it was only a matter of time for the youngest Boettcher to join the lineage. Meredith started playing varsity her 7th grade year and even played on a line with her older sister.

“It just means so much, it’s such a joy playing here. I even had the opportunity to play with my sisters which was so meaningful but now it’s just me and I get to carry it on. My first high school season on varsity, so it was a big deal for me and she just guided me, calmed my nerves,” Meredith Boettcher said.

“She just has so much experience at this level, has played with a number of really great players that have come through this program and has really just been an asset since she stepped on the ice in seventh grade,” Duluth Marshall head coach Amanda Boulier added.

Now with five years of varsity experience under her belt, Boettcher has 34 points on the season, including scoring a goal and adding an assist in Saturday’s section semifinal win.

“She just continues to excel and to get better and I think the rest of the team looks to her and she’s kind of the engine that makes this team go. Her strength and just her work ethic, you can see it in her eyes sometimes when she’s about to take the game into her own hands. She’s just such a go getter and such a coachable player that she’s really invaluable on this team,” Boulier said.

She was also chosen as a junior to serve as a team captain.

“She’s so welcoming, she’s so inclusive, makes sure everyone on this team feels like they are important, accepted and that they have an important role,” Boulier said.

“It’s honestly been very humbling to see what I can do if I push myself. Being a leader has been a challenge because I’ve been on the program for a while, kind of got comfortable and now I have this whole new position as a leader and it means a lot to me. I want people to look up to me,” Boettcher added.

And no matter what happens later this week in the section 7A championship, Boettcher still has one more year left to continue the legacy of Duluth Marshall girls hockey.

“A little frightening to think about Duluth Marshall without any of the Boettchers in it but they’ve helped create such a great program and I know that the future is bright,” Boulier said.

“I’m just excited to have another year with all of these girls that I love and to just lead the team. If we can’t do it this year, I’m still hopeful we can get there next year,” Boettcher added.