[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H3534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEN'S HOCKEY TEAM REPEATS AS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, the University of Minnesota men's hockey 
team did it again. During our spring recess, Minnesota defeated New 
Hampshire 5 to 1 to win its second consecutive NCAA championship, the 
first time a team has repeated as NCAA hockey champion in 31 years.
  Mr. Speaker, the key to these back-to-back titles has been hard work 
by talented athletes, superior coaching by Coach Don Lucia and his 
great staff, and the greatest fans in hockey anywhere.
  In the title game, Minnesota and New Hampshire were tied 1 to 1 until 
the final period, but a three-goal outburst over 5 minutes and 20 
seconds of the third period iced the team's second consecutive national 
championship.
  Minnesota has a long and proud hockey tradition as the hockey capital 
of the world, and all Minnesotans are extremely proud of our national 
champion, Golden Gophers.
  Unlike most repeat champions, Mr. Speaker, this one came as somewhat 
of a surprise. The Gophers started the season slowly, but that is to be 
expected of a team that lost so many players after beating Maine in 
overtime in last year's title game.
  But thanks to Coach Lucia's inspiring leadership, great motivational 
skills and good chemistry, this year's team started gathering steam as 
players returned to the lineup from injuries. Each player, coach, 
trainer and manager played a pivotal role during the season, picking 
each other up at critical times.
  Our University of Minnesota's men's hockey team also won the WCHA, 
the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, tournament on the road to 
its second consecutive national title.
  Mr. Speaker, all Minnesotans and Gopher hockey fans everywhere are 
very proud of this great team. The 2002-2003 Gopher men's hockey team, 
our back-to-back national champions, are now part of college hockey 
history. We congratulate our national champions, for they are true 
champions, both on and off the ice.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. RAMSTAD. I am glad to yield to the gentleman from hockey-rich 
Duluth, Minnesota.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for taking this 
special order, and I join him in paying tribute to the University of 
Minnesota Gopher men's hockey team back-to-back championships. The 
gentleman made a splendid case. We are proud of the men's hockey team.
  But I also want to point out that the University of Minnesota-Duluth 
women's hockey team for the third consecutive year has won the NCAA 
hockey championship, trumping the men. It is a great tribute to our 
State that in the final frozen four in both the women's and men's 
hockey, our University of Minnesota teams have prevailed. That is a 
tribute to the great tradition of hockey in the northern part of our 
State, as well as in the gentleman's part of the State, an area that he 
now represents in Anoka County, that has a splendid four or more hockey 
rinks training the future champions.
  Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman 
for his comments, for his great support of University of Minnesota 
athletics, both in Minneapolis and Duluth, and I was just as proud to 
support the Gopher women's team, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, as 
I am here today. Both are great teams, and that is why Minnesota, as 
the gentleman knows, is the hockey capital of the world.

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