U.S. Men's National Team Defeats Host Czech Republic, 3-2, In Shootout Of Quarterfinal Round Game
May 6, 2004
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- The United States Men's National Team downed host Czech Republic, 3-2, here today in the Quarterfinal Round of the 2004 International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championship.
The U.S. fought back from a 2-0 deficit in the second period to eventually tie the game in the third, while keeping the Czechs scoreless through overtime. The game went to a shootout where Team USA's Andy Roach (Mattawan, Mich./Mannheim Eagles) scored the only goal to advance the U.S. to the Semifinal Round to face Sweden. The Swedes defeated Latvia, 4-1, in a Quarterfinal Round match-up earlier today. The U.S. and Sweden will meet on Saturday, May 8 at a time to be determined tomorrow.
This marks the first Semifinal Round appearance in the tournament by Team USA since 2001 and just the second since 1996.
The U.S. fell behind by two goals midway through the second period, after the Czech Republic started the scoring at 3:15 following a scoreless opening stanza when Martin Skoula squeezed the puck past U.S. goaltender Ty Conklin (Anchorage, Alaska/Edmonton Oilers). Jaromir Jagr followed up less than three minutes later with an unassisted wrap-around. Forward Richard Park (Seoul, South Korea/Minnesota Wild), tallied his fourth goal of the tournament on a shot from the goal line that bounced off of Czech goaltender Tomas Vokoun's glove and into the net at 10:19 to make the score 2-1.
Eleven minutes into the third period Erik Westrum (Minneapolis, Minn./Phoenix Coyotes) notched the game-tying goal for the U.S. Linemate Bates Battaglia (Chicago, Ill./Washington Capitals) passed the puck off to Westrum who shot it from the blueline past Vokoun.
Both teams were scoreless through the 10-minute overtime period and moved to a shootout, with five skaters taking shots for each team. Team USA's Matt Cullen (Virginia, Minn./Florida Panthers) took the first shot, followed by Czech forward Martin Havlet, Park, Martin Rucinsky, Ryan Malone (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Penguins), Jaromir Jagr, and Chris Drury (Trumbull, Conn./Buffalo Sabres).
Roach was the ninth of ten shooters, he carried the puck in from the red line, deked and beat Vokoun low to the stick-side to notch the only shootout goal. Conklin stood fast in his net when Jiri Dopita attempted to even the score and stopped the shot to secure the win for the U.S. Conklin stopped 41 of 43 shots and all five shootout attempts to record his third win of the tournament. Cullen was named U.S. Player of the Game.
| Scoring By Period | OT | SO | |||||
| Czech Republic | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 2 |
| USA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -- | 3 |
Game Summary
First Period: Scoring: None. Penalties: Westrum, USA (roughing), 1:27; Slegr, CZE (roughing), 1:27; Hauer, USA (holding), 6:42; Havlat, CZE (tripping), 9:04; Hejda, CZE (roughing), 9:38; Slegr, CZE (cross-checking), 18:35.
Second Period: Scoring: 1, CZE, Skoula (Dopita), 3:15. 2, CZE, Jagr (unassisted), 6:04 (pp). 3, USA, Park (Cullen), 10:19. Penalties: Battaglia, USA (tripping), 4:30; Weinrich, USA (roughing), 11:16; Sloan, USA (hooking), 17:31; Hlinka, CZE (unsportsmanlike conduct), 17:31.
Third Period: Scoring: 4, USA, Westrum (Battaglia), 11:01. Penalties: None.
Overtime Period: Scoring: None. Penalties: None.
Shootout: USA, Cullen; CZE, Havlet; USA, Park; CZE, Rucinsky; USA, Malone; CZE, Jagr; USA, Drury; CZE, Prucha; USA, Roach; CZE, Dopita. Scoring: USA, Roach.
Shots: CZE: 13-12-13-5 -- 43. USA: 13-11-6-6 -- 36.
Goaltenders: CZE, Vokoun (36 shots, 34 saves). USA, Conklin (43 shots, 41 saves).
Referee: Hannu Henriksson. Linesmen: Juha Kautto, Dean Laschowski.
Attendance: 17,360.
2004 U.S. Men's National Team Schedule
| Date | Local Time/EDT | Match-up | Site |
| April 21 | 6:45 p.m./12:45 p.m. | USA 4, Germany 0 (exhib.) | Nuremburg |
| April 24 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | Finland 4, USA 2 | Ostrava |
| April 26 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | USA 3, Slovakia 3 | Ostrava |
| April 28 | 12:15 p.m./6:15 a.m. | USA 7, Ukraine 1 | Ostrava |
| May 1 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | USA 3, Russia 2 | Ostrava |
| May 2 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | Sweden 3, USA 1 | Ostrava |
| May 4 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | USA 8, Denmark 3 | Prague |
| May 5 | 8:15 p.m./2:15 p.m. | Czech Republic 2, USA 3 | Prague |
| May 8 | TBD | Sweden vs. USA | Prague |
| May 9 | TBD | Bronze- and Gold-Medal Games | Prague |
For more information, please contact
USA Hockey Media Relations, (719) 576-8724
Chuck Menke, ext. 171 or Caitlin Lazaro, ext. 172
or visit www.usahockey.com
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