Scores: Germany 4 Slovakia 4 Switzerland 5 Ukraine 3 This is good news for both Canada and the US as explained below in an article from the Edmonton Journal from the Canadian Press: CANADA GETS A FREEBIE Thank you, Switzerland. Canada and the United States are grateful. When the Swiss upset Ukraine 5-3 Saturday at the world junior hockey championship, they enabled Canada to clinch first place in its pool and kept the Americans' chances for a playoff berth alive. A brawl at the end of the Swiss-Ukraine game may have left the Ukrainians battling for their playoff lives in a Canada-Ukraine game today that closes out the preliminary round of the 10-country tournament. Four Ukrainians--one defenceman and three forwards--were suspended for their part in the slugfest. "They might as well just throw the puck on the ice; we can't compete with them (the Canadians) now," said Ukraine head coach Vladislav Chev Chenko. Canada (3-0) advances to the semifinals Wednesday... Sweden and the Czech Republic close out their preliminary round today, with the winner finishing first in group B. [televised live in Canada on TSN] If the Swedes win, the Czechs finish second. If the Czechs win, Russia can finish second by beating Germany... Meanwhile the United States closes out its preliminary round today against Finland. A win or tie by the Americans, and a win by the Canadians, puts the host team in the playoffs. [The US will have to wait for the Canadian result since they play later in the day, a game also seen live in Canada on TSN., the US game is on ESPN2]. end of quotation--material in brackets is my commentary. Arthur Berman [log in to unmask] GO BU!!! NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! GO CANADA!!! HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.