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From the Olympics Toword Tomorrow
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Slovakia erupts for win, set for showdown with Kazaks
14:00 AUT 5-5 KAZ
18:00 SVK 4-3 ITA
Slovakia erupts for win, set for showdown with Kazaks
Slovakia erupted for three goals in the first four minutes of the second period Sunday and held on for a 4-3 victory over Italy in the preliminary round of the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament.
After a lackluster first period, Slovak forward Vlastimil Plavucha slapped home a pair of goals early in the second period to put the group favorites up 4-2 at the Big Hat ice arena and left it to netminder Igor Murin to preserve the win.
The victory gave the Slovaks a win and a tie, following Saturday night's draw with Austria, and sets up a showdown Tuesday with Kazakstan, also with a win and a draw, for the top spot in the preliminary group and a berth in the championship round.
The top two qualifiers from the preliminary round will advance to the championship round where they will play against the six so-called ice hockey dream teams -- Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden and the United States.
''I hope to win and go to the next stage,'' said Slovak head coach Jan Sterbak, whose team will be strengthened Monday with the arrival of a number of players with clubs in the North American National Hockey League (NHL).
Austria earns 2nd draw, 5-5 with Kazakstan
Austria squandered another two-goal lead Sunday and needed a last-minute goal from Andreas Puschnig to salvage its second draw of the men's ice hockey tournament at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games.
Puschnig shoveled a rebound past Kazak goalie Vitaliy Yeremeyev with only 1:09 remaining in the game at the Big Hat ice arena to give Austria a 5-5 draw in its second contest of the tournament.
Austria also drew with Slovakia 2-2 Saturday evening after leading 2-0 while Kazakstan defeated Italy 5-3 in first-round openers.
Slovakia and Italy were scheduled for Sunday's second game at the Big Hat.
A pair of goals by defenseman Dominik Lavoie helped Austria forge a 4-2 lead midway through the second period, sending Kazakstan's starting goalkeeper Alexandr Shimin to an early shower.
It was also a hard shot off Lavoie's stick late in the game that gave Puschnig a chance to tie the game when Yeremeyev could not handle the puck. (Kyodo News)
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Copyright 1998 The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun