Slovakia Upsets USA in Shootout to Advance to Semifinal
George Walker IV-United states of america Nowadays Athletics
A late goal to pressure additional time adjusted the program of the game as Slovakia upset the Team A winners, the United States, 3-2 in the shootout, becoming the 1st workforce to progress to the men’s Olympic hockey semifinal.
Slovakia will engage in for a medal for just the second time in the team’s existence, ending fourth in Vancouver. It was a large bounce-back for the ninth-rated IIHF workforce, who completed 11th in the previous two Olympic Games. The People in america fell shorter just after heading a perfect 3- in the spherical-robin although foremost 2-1 in the last moment of Wednesday’s quarterfinal.
The goalies were being standouts in the activity, with Slovakia’s Patrik Rybar stopping 33, though USA’s Strauss Mann despatched 35 away.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Slovakia’s 17-calendar year-old sensation, struck to start with for Slovakia. The 2022 NHL draft prospect acquired a go from Peter Ceresnak in the slot and built no error with his wrist shot, completely putting it earlier Mann for the 1- purpose.
The guide lasted most of the third period until finally Nick Abruzzese scored to make it 19:14. It arrived following very good work from Steve Kampfer and Matty Beniers, with Beniers setting up Abruzzese in front for 1-on-1 that Abruzzese didn’t waste.
An unlikely purpose-scorer proved to be the resource of the match-winner for the United States. Sam Hentges created it 2-1 at 8:56 soon after sneaking earlier Slovakia and getting a move from Nick Perbix in entrance. Hentges backhanded the puck earlier Rybar and in for the 2-1 intention at 28:56, a rating that would last for most of regulation.
Slovakia looked in issues just after getting 5 consecutive penalties, which includes going down 5-on-3 at a person issue. But they killed all of them off, and they’d see the momentum shift in a major way.
With the Slovak web empty with 44 seconds still left, Marek Hrivik crashed the crease and poked the loose disk behind Mann for the tying target, forcing extra time in the fight to go on.
The extra body was higher-action, with both of those groups buying and selling high quality options at both equally ends. In the abilities opposition, Peter Cehlarik scored the activity-winner to upset the Group A winners in breathtaking style, pulling off the earn versus United states of america for the initial time considering that the 2006 Olympic Video games in Turin, Italy.
