Team USA to Play in Semifinal Round Friday!
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Zach Parise (Prior Lake, Minn./New Jersey Devils/Univ. of North Dakota) scored his first two goals of the tournament and Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich./Buffalo Sabres/Michigan State Univ.) turned aside all 19 shots faced as the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team downed Switzerland, 2-0, here today in the quarterfinal round of the XXI Olympic Winter Games. With the victory, the U.S. improved to 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and will play in the semifinal round Friday (Feb. 26).
“The team stuck to the game plan today,” said Ron Wilson, head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team. “Everyone showed great commitment and I’m proud of them for never losing their cool or allowing our expectations to get in the way of our plan.”The U.S. nearly took a 1-0 lead at the end of the second period when Ryan Kesler‘s (Livonia, Mich./Vancouver Canucks/The Ohio State Univ.) shot attempt was knocked out of midair by Swiss goaltender Jonas Hiller, causing the puck to roll off his shoulder and into the net. Following a video review, however, the goal was disallowed as it crossed the goal line just after time expired.
In the third frame, Parise gave Team USA a 1-0 lead with a power-play marker at 2:08. Paul Stastny (St. Louis, Mo./Colorado Avalanche/Univ. of Denver) won a faceoff back to Brian Rafalski (Dearborn, Mich./Detroit Red Wings/Univ. of Wisconsin) at the right point, who sent the puck down to Parise in the corner. Parise one-touched the puck to Stastny at the top of the circle, who passed back to Rafalski at the point. The three-time Olympian’s shot attempt was deflected by Parise in front of the net and rolled past Hiller just inside the far post.
Parise potted his second tally of the contest into an empty net with 12 seconds remaining in the game. He chipped the puck past a Swiss defender at his defensive blue line and skated down the ice along the left-wing boards before firing the puck into the open net.
The U.S. will play the winner of the quarterfinal round match-up between the Czech Republic and Finland in the semifinals on Friday (Feb. 26) at 12 p.m. PST. The game will be televised live in all time zones on NBC.
NOTES: Ryan Miller collected the first U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team shutout since Mike Richter blanked Germany, 5-0, on Feb. 20, 2002 … The U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team has won its first four games for the first time since 1992 … Brian Rafalski paces the U.S. with six points (4-2), while Zach Parise sits in second with five points (2-3) … Team USA was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Switzerland was 0-for-3 … The U.S. defeated Switzerland, 3-1, in its first preliminary-round game on Feb. 16 … Today marks the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team’s gold medal-clinching 4-2 victory over Finland at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, N.Y. … For Team USA’s full roster, click here … Ron Wilson, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is the head coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team, with Scott Gordon, head coach of the New York Islanders, and John Tortorella, head coach of the New York Rangers, serving as assistant coaches … USA Hockey’s international council, chaired by Tony Rossi, vice president of USA Hockey, has oversight responsibilities for all U.S. National Teams.