Quoted from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, 3/2/93:
 
For one night, UMD cheered for Gophers
 
After the University of Minnesota-Duluth hockey team had finished beating
St. Cloud State 4-0 Saturday at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention
Center, the lights were turned down, the signal for everyone to leave.
But the players wouldn't leave the ice and more than 4,500 fans wouldn't
leave their seats.
 
Music blared over the public address system, but what kept everyone in
place were the periodic announcements, updating the Gophers' game at
Wisconsin.  The Gophers were leading Wisconsin 3-2 in the third period,
and a Wisconsin defeat, coupled with the UMD victory, would clinch the
WCHA Championship for the Bulldogs.
 
"What a spectacle," said UMD coach Mike Sertich.  "The people just sat
there for 15 minutes or so, waiting for them to announce the countdowns
of the Minnesota game.  They counted down from 3 minutes, to 2 minutes,
then they announced that Wisconsin pulled the goalie with 56 seconds
left.  When they said that Craig Johnson scored into the empty net, the
place went nuts."
 
When the Gophers finished their 4-2 victory, the fans chanted "We want
the cup," but the MacNaughton Cup was not at the arena.  So the Bulldogs
first circled the ice with a banner, and then they circled around again,
holding aloft a large soft-drink cup.
 
"I'll tell you one thing," Sertich said.  "The Gophers have never gotten
a bigger cheer at our arena than they did Saturday night."
 
<<< end of quoted material >>>
 
Congratulations, Bulldogs!  The Cup stays in the state!
 
-- Erik
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Erik Biever                                                     Ski-U-Mah!
[log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask] / [log in to unmask]