The US junior team got a goal and an assist from BU's Keith Tkachuk
and Maine's Mike Dunham stopped 47 shots to lead Team USA to a 3-2 win
over Czechoslovakia in the final day of competition.  That gave the US
team the bronze medal - the highest finish ever for a US junior team!
 
FINAL STANDINGS
                   W-L-T Pts  GF-GA
1 CIS              6-1-0  12  39-13
2 Sweden           5-1-1  11  41-24
3 USA              5-2-0  10  29-22
4 Finland          3-3-1   7  22-21
5 Czechoslovakia   3-4-0   6  28-25
6 Canada           2-3-2   6  21-30
7 Germany          1-6-0   2  15-40
8 Switzerland      1-6-0   2  19-40
 
Final day scores on Sat Jan 4:
Sweden 6, Finland 4
USA 3, Czechoslovakia 2
Commonwealth of Independent States 7, Canada 2
Germany-Switzerland score unknown
 
TEAM USA (OLYMPIC) NEWS
From the Sun Jan 5 Boston Herald:
--------------------------------
Team USA still hasn't been cut down to an Olympics-sized squad.  But,
through injuries and attrition, at least it no longer has a dozen or more
players sitting out games, and has played better the past week or so.
 
That situation existed through much of the US' pre-Olympic slate - hardly
the best way to mold a young and defensively-suspect team into a cohesive
unit.  In stark contrast, Team Canada has frequently played two or three
players short of the 23-man lineup.
 
"There are two ways of looking at it," Canada coach Dave King said recently.
"(A big roster) is a way of avoiding injuries.  If that's what they (Team
USA) have been trying to do, it's a good plan.
 
"But the key is that you avoid fatigue at the end.  So it's our philosophy
to flog them now (in November, December and early January) and rest them
later."
 
The Winnipeg Jets assigned veteran defenseman Moe Mantha, captain of the US
Nationals in 1990 [?] and 1985, to Team USA...The most juicy rumor vis-a-vis
Team USA has a top NHL goalie (perhaps Rangers goalie John Vanbiesbrouck?)
flying over to join the club when (and if) it reaches the Olympic medal
round starting February 18...
(end)
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Mike Machnik        [log in to unmask]       [log in to unmask]