Jim Ramstad: “I rise to salute the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team on winning their fourth national…”

“I rise to salute the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team on winning their fourth national championship Saturday night in St. Paul. Minnesota has a long and proud hockey tradition. This weekend, as one of our newspapers put it, we experienced a ``Return to Glory.'' On Saturday night, right in our State's capital city, the University of Minnesota, my proud alma mater, added an illustrious new chapter to our State's proud hockey heritage. Madam Speaker, in one of the most thrilling NCAA championship games ever played, the University of Minnesota defeated the University of Maine 4-to-3 in an overtime edge-of-your-seat nail-biter, a game that meant the 2002 NCAA men's ice hockey championship for the University of Minnesota. And, believe me, this was no ordinary hockey game. Both teams were fueled by powerful motivating forces that produced one of the most entertaining, hard-fought and memorable games ever played.”