Hawk-ey Talk with Virg Foss: It Had To BU

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — As a student who took a course in Music Appreciation at St. Olaf College more than 60 years ago, songs I like stick in my head, forever, apparently.
 
UND’s hockey opponent this weekend, Boston University, triggered a song that sets the tone for me for attending this weekend’s series at the marvelous Ralph Engelstad Arena.
 
The song was “It Had To Be You,” sung by Frank Sinatra.
 
Get it?  “It had to be you” translates in mind as “It had to BU,” or Boston University.
 
OK, maybe the mind twists and turns in unusual ways as one ages, and I have no defense for that.
 
What I am dead certain about is that this series pits two highly-ranked teams nationally, BU checking in at No. 3, UND just a few spots below that. So on paper, it figures to play out as a can’t-miss series, which no doubt will factor into the PairWise Rankings later in the season. So though the series doesn’t count in league standings for either team, it is still a BIG series.
 
I have a flashback to a game between the two teams more than 25 years ago, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
 
It was there where the two teams met in the NCAA title game after UND knocked off league rival Colorado College in the NCAA semifinals and BU stunned top-ranked Michigan. That set up the final between the Terriers of BU and the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota U., under the guidance of Dean Blais chasing his first national title.
 
I was sitting next to the Herald’s Ryan Bakken on press row as BU jumped to a 2-0 lead after one period.
 
I recall Bakken asking me what i thought of UND’s chances. I said if the Sioux got their legs moving and cranked up the tempo, they would be just fine.
 
Little did I know how prophetic that statement would be. UND outshot the Terriers 16-10 in the second period, picked up two goals apiece from Matt Henderson and Dave Hoogsteen and skated out of the period with a 5-3 lead. That was enough to help UND claim its first national title since the famed Hrkac Circus of 10 years earlier, in 1986-87.
 
One memory that remains for me from that game was Henderson being named the Most Outstanding Player with his two goals and one assist. Not bad for a kid from White Bear Lake, Minn., who originally came to UND as an invited walk-on without a scholarship waiting.
 
That was a UND team which, after clinching the regular-season WCHA title,…