The following game account written by Ray Turchansky was in today's
Edmonton Journal:
 
FINLAND POUNDS HAPLESS UKRAINE
 
        Members of Team Poverty finally got socks that nearly matched
their sweaters.
        Almost...
        But when referee Danko called them for 9 of 12 minor penalties in
the second period that provided Finland with four consecutive power play
goals and five overall during a 6-2 victory.
        If there was any doubt for whom the fans [in Rocky Mountain House]
were cheering, the officiating certainly won them over to the underdogs.
        "This referee is not so good," said Ukaraine coach Victor Tchibirev.
        "For five minutes after we scored they did not know who was
going to be in the (penalty) bench."
        Inconsistency was the major complaint.
        "The officiating sure is strange," said former Edmontonian Wayne
Meier, the western scout for the Detroit Red Wings...
        And the biggest victim was Ukraine goalie Igor Karpenko, who
continued to win over fans as he had done while facing 59 shots in a 7-1
opening day loss to Canada.
        "the referee was unfair," said Karpenko, through an interpreter.
        "But I was concentrating on making more saves.
        "I was not happy with myself in the second period."
        His team was outshot 32-18 this time.
        Karpenko made three sprawling saves during the first period and
had the puck underneath him but Timo Salonen pushed it into the net
without a whistle being blown.
        Then Karpenko was penalized for delay of game.
        And finally he had to face Miika Elomo on a third period penalty
shot and stoned him.
        But penalties aside, the difference in the game was
finish--Finland had it, Ukraine didn't. [I'm glad *I* didn't write that
sentence!]
        Ukraine constantly coughed up the puck upon hitting the opposing
blue line.
        Solonen and Veli-Pekka Nutikka each had two goals for Finland.
        Immo Timonen and Jussi Tarvainen each added singles.
        Alexey Lazarenko and Igor Jankovitch counted for Ukraine.
END OF ARTICLE
 
Arthur Berman  [log in to unmask]