csua.org/u/f11 -> sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino2006/ice_hockey/news?slug=ap-hkm-canada-switzerland&prov=ap&type=lgns
ATHLETES Olympic Ice Hockey News Switzerland 2, Canada 0 By ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer TURIN, Italy (AP) -- The greatest Olympic upset in Swiss hockey history stood for all of two days.
Switzerland's players felt it couldn't happen and, after it did, they were at a loss to explain. But, proving a team concept sometimes can overcome even a vast disadvantage in talent, Switzerland stunned defending Olympic champion Canada on Saturday with a 2-0 victory that shook up the men's hockey tournament at the Turin Games.
Coached by a Canadian, Winnipeg's Ralph Krueger, and getting both goals from the Sault Ste. Marie-born DiPietro -- who hasn't played in the NHL in 10 years -- the Swiss beat the near equivalent of an NHL all-star team with only two NHL players in their lineup. "It took a lot of courage to do this by some players who were asking for autographs from those players a few years ago," Krueger said. Cheered on by hundreds of arena-rocking fans who chanted "Hop, Suisse!
Canada needed only to win Saturday to be assured of reaching the quarterfinals, but now faces tough games against Finland on Sunday and the Czechs on Tuesday. The lower they finish in Group A, the tougher their quarterfinal round opponent from Group B is likely to be. "We have talent, but it's only one part of the whole thing. We tried to rely on talent and it wasn't good enough," coach Pat Quinn said. "And if we don't learn from that, we will be going home early." The first goal came at an unlikely time, after the Canadians went 0-for-5 while on the power play most of the first 15 minutes.
Chris Pronger drew penalties 42 seconds apart in the second. DiPietro, added to the Swiss team only two months ago, took advantage to score his second goal 10 seconds after Pronger went off.
Goran Bezina's shot from the right point and steered it in from the lower left circle -- nearly hopping off his skates to celebrate afterward. "All of Canada's watching, he's 35 years old -- what a great story."
But after an exceptionally long video review, Russian Super League referee Viacheslav Bulanov waved no goal -- causing the pro-Swiss crowd to erupt with cheers. The Swiss, somewhat undersized with 13 players under 6 feet, held on with excellent goaltending in the face of rush after rush.
The Swiss neutralized Canada's elite scorers -- fitting for a team from the land of neutrality -- as the Canadians went 0-of-11 on the power play. "The Swiss team came to work," said Quinn, who said his team didn't skate well and spent too much time passing across the ice rather than up ice. And, if nothing else, the Swiss no longer must be reminded they lost to Canada 33-0 in the 1924 Olympics, the most one-sided hockey loss in Olympic history.
The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
|
http://csua.com/feed/