[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 40 (Tuesday, April 8, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S2861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page S2861]]



                   TRIBUTE TO THE UND ICE HOCKEY TEAM

   Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, my home State of North Dakota has 
been making the national news lately because of the record-breaking 
snowfalls and flooding we have been suffering. This will surely be a 
winter that North Dakotans will remember for a long time to come. 
However, we North Dakotans will also be able to look back on this 
winter with fond memories because of the two national championships 
captured by the University of North Dakota in women's basketball and 
men's hockey.
  I want to pay special tribute to the 1997 National Collegiate 
Athletic Association's Division I national hockey champions, the 
University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. This is the sixth national 
championship in the long and storied 50-year history of the UND hockey 
team. In fact, only one other college, Michigan, has more national 
hockey titles to its credit than UND.
  But perhaps this championship is among the most meaningful because of 
its improbability. Consistently throughout this season, the hockey 
program has defied the odds-makers with win after win. This team was 
predicted to finish no better than fifth in the Western Collegiate 
Hockey Association at the beginning of the season, but I guess someone 
forgot to tell that to the team and its coaches for not only did they 
win the WCHA but also the national championship. They closed out the 
season with a 31-10-2 record, becoming just the sixth team in UND 
history to win at least 30 games.
  To win the national championship, the Fighting Sioux fought back from 
a 2 to 0 deficit after the first period to score five goals in the 
second period against Boston University. In the third period, the 
Sioux's smothering defense took over and the Sioux won by a final score 
of 6 to 4.
  The team's outstanding team accomplishments throughout the year were 
aided by some notable individual accomplishments. Junior wing player 
Matt Henderson was named the tournament's most outstanding player. He 
was joined on the all-tournament team by freshman goalie Aaron 
Schweitzer, junior defenseman Curtis Murphy, and the team's leading 
scorer, sophomore wing David Hoogsteen. Sophomore Jason Blake was 1 of 
10 finalists for college hockey's top individual player award, the 
Hobey Baker Award.
  But a team needs hard work and contributions from all of its players 
if it is to reach the pinnacle of a national championship. The Fighting 
Sioux certainly got that from seniors Kevin Hoogsteen, Toby Kvalevog, 
Dane Litke, and Mark Pivetz, junior Mitch Vig, sophomores Jesse Bull, 
Adam Calder, Ian Kallay, Jay Panzer, Tom Philion, Tyler Rice, Jeff 
Ulmer, Aaron Vickar, and Brad Williamson, and freshmen Peter Armbrust, 
Joe Blake, Brad DeFauw, Tim O'Connell, and Jason Ulmer.
  Finally, I want to honor the coaches who have led the Fighting Sioux 
to these levels. Head Coach Dean Blais was named ``WCHA Coach of the 
Year.'' He is assisted by Scott Sandelin and Mark Osiecki.
  Since 13 of the team's 20 members are freshmen or sophomores this 
year, I am sure we can all look forward to another excellent season. 
But for now it is more than enough for North Dakotans to bask in the 
glow of winning yet another national championship in a 10-day period. 
And hopefully some of the warm feelings will help to melt the snow and 
dry up the floods.

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