Czech Republic 7, Belarus 2 ~ played Dec. 25
Posted on Sun, Dec. 26, 2004
Power outage for Belarus
Czech Republic scores two shorthanded goals, pulls away
By Brad E. Schlossman
Herald Staff Writer
THIEF RIVER FALLS - Belarus hoped a third period power play would get it back in the game.
Instead, Belarus was finished off during it.
The Czech Republic scored back-to-back shorthanded goals at the start of the final period in a 7-2 win over Belarus in Pool A play at the World Junior Championships in Thief River Falls' Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"That was the turning point in the game," Team Belarus coach Mikhail Zakharov said.
For the first half of the game, Belarus looked as if it could hang with the Czech Republic.
Later, though, the Czech Republic showed why it was expected to easily top Team Belarus on Christmas Day.
Linemates Rostislav Olesz and Petr Vrana both scored two goals and had an assist for the Czechs.
"We kept an eye on those guys," Zakharov said about Olesz and Vrana. "But they are very good. They are very physically, tactically and technically sound. They were too strong."
Behind the play of Olesz and Vrana, the Czech Republic turned a 2-1 lead into a 6-1 lead in less than 20 minutes.
"It was our first game," Olesz said. "I was a little nervous, but it got better and better as the game played on."
Team Belarus' Alexey Ugarov scored a power-play goal with 8 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the second period to cut the Czech Republic lead to 2-1. That seemed to awaken the Czechs.
Less than a minute after Ugarov's goal, Michal Kvapil put the Czechs in front 4-1 when he top-shelved a power-play goal from the left circle. Then the Czech Republic put away Belarus while down a man.
Olesz and Jakub Petruzalek scored shorthanded goals a minute and a half apart to open a 5-1 lead.
Two minutes after the Czechs got back to full strength, Olesz added his second goal of the game when he skated in on Belarus goaltender Stepan Goryachevskikh from the right circle, faked him and put it into the left side of the net.
"We were watching Belarus play and we made adjustments," Czech Republic coach Alois Hadamczik said.
AI
