COLORADO AND NORTH DAKOTA SENATE DELEGATIONS ANNOUNCE WAGER ON NCAA HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Colorado’s Allard and Salazar North Dakota’s Conrad and Dorgan Back Home-State Teams In College Hockey’s Biggest Game

WASHINGTON, DC – Call it steaks versus sweets, served over ice.

United States Senators Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) are squaring off against Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) in a friendly wager on the NCAA Division I ice hockey championship game to be played tomorrow, April 9, between the defending national champion University of Denver Pioneers and the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

Senators Allard and Salazar have placed their bets squarely behind DU, with Allard wagering a box of Northern Colorado’s finest T-bone steaks from Greeley, Colorado and Salazar putting up a box of all natural beef steaks from El Rancho Salazar, his family ranch in the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado.

Senators Conrad and Dorgan are betting on a Sioux victory and have put up a box of Lewis and Clark candy bars, made by Lindy Sue’s Candies in Mandan, as well as a box of the world-famous Widman’s Chipperz, chocolate covered potato chips, made in Grand Forks.

Senator Allard said, “Last year, the DU Pioneers showed they had what it takes to win it all in a hard-fought championship game. With three DU alumni in the President’s cabinet, can there be any doubt that the Pioneers will pull off another ‘power play’ in securing their seventh national title?”

Senator Salazar said, “Colorado has a long tradition of hockey excellence and I am supremely confident that DU will make our whole state proud tomorrow night when they successfully defend their national title. Senator Allard and I look forward to collecting from Senators Conrad and Dorgan, but more importantly, to keeping the NCAA hockey national championship trophy where it belongs: the state of Colorado.”

“We told our friends from Colorado not to ‘bet the ranch,’ so instead they’re betting the beef,” Conrad and Dorgan said in a joint statement. “This is going to be a great match-up. The Sioux are on a roll, playing some great hockey, led by goalie Jordan Parise. We wish coach Dave Hakstol and all his players the best of luck. We’re confident they will bring a championship home to North Dakota and look forward to celebrating a Sioux victory by enjoying some Colorado steaks after the game.”

The University of North Dakota advanced to the championship game of the Frozen Four after defeating the University of Minnesota last night, 4-2. The Sioux have 20 NCAA postseason appearances, 15 Frozen Four berths (most recently in 2001) and over the last decade have won two national championships, most recently in 2000. The University of Denver advanced after defeating in-state rival Colorado College, 6-2. The Pioneers have 17 NCAA postseason appearances, 13 Frozen Four berths and were crowned national champions in 2004.