From the Lawrence (MA) Eagle-Tribune, Tuesday, February 18, 1992
 
HEINZE: 'IT WAS A REAL CHEAP SHOT'
 
MERIBEL, FRANCE - It's all or nothing right now.
 
Sure, we weren't happy with a tie after leading the entire game against Sweden,
but we won our Group A, which was our goal from the beginning.
 
We went into today knowing we had to tie or win.  And we tied, 3-3.  We can't
do any better than first place.  But...we really wanted to beat Sweden.
 
They think we play a cheap style of hockey.  We play hit-and-grind hockey,
whereas they like to skate and pass in the open, like all European teams.
 
There was a lot of chippy play when we played them the game before the
Olympics started and we expected it again.
 
But there was no need for that check by Mats Naslund on Greg Brown.
 
Brownie got cut pretty bad.  It looks like he'll be out for the rest of the
games.  He was still in the hospital yesterday.  [But has since been
released - mike]  It's too bad, because he's one of our best defensemen.
 
Naslund jumped and banged his head into the boards.  It was a real cheap shot.
 
We should've scored on that five-minute major penalty, but we were too
emotional.  All we wanted to do was hit them back.
 
After a while, though, we regrouped and played well.  We went up 2-0 and then
3-0 in the third period.
 
On that third goal, Scott Lachance hit me with a pass near center ice and
their defenseman came flying towards me.  I sidestepped him and hit Teddy
Donato on the wing.
 
Then Sweden came back.  My penalty in the third period was real stupid.  The
guy knocked me down behind the net and I went after him.  I should've gone
to the bench and got my stick but I didn't.
 
They scored and it changed the momentum in their favor.  Then Shawn McEachern
took a dumb penalty, too, and they made it 3-2.
 
They got lucky there in the end to tie the game.  But what can you do?  Like
I said, we came into the game needing at least a tie and we got it.
 
I had a few good chances to score...again!
 
On one, I came in alone on the left wing and was thinking 5-hole, right
through his legs.  But he surprised me and went down.  I then just tried to
shoot it so we'd get a rebound, but we didn't get it.
 
The other time, I broke through the defense but the puck got knocked away
by the goalie.
 
We're where we want to be.  We have France and they won't be easy.  It's their
home ice and we know the fans will be going crazy.
 
We saw what can happen if you outhustle and outwork a team, like we did
against Sweden.
 
France plays a lot like Finland and Sweden, but they aren't as talented.
 
What they will have is emotion, playing at home.  We can't let them get the
crowd into the game.
 
It won't be easy.  Nothing here is.
(end)
 
Sidebar: YOU CAN FAX HEINZE AND U.S. TEAM A MESSAGE
If you want to send a message to North Andover's Steve Heinze [or other U.S.
players - mike] you can, by fax machine.
 
Heinze has been accepting numerous messages, letters and pictures at the
Olympic Village.
 
The fax number is: 011-33-79-46-28-51.
 
On the cover sheet, put: Steve Heinze, Ice Hockey, Delegation Olympic de USA,
Village Olympic de La Tania, 73029, Albertville Cedex, France.
 
"I'd love to get messages," said Heinze.
 
Cost of the faxes to Heinze and U.S. hockey team is about $6.
(end)
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Mike Machnik    [log in to unmask]   mikem@{beanpot,bubba}.ma30.bull.com