European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 17, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 17,19b8 the stars and stripes 4-4 Page 2t sports czech comeback sinks . Medal Hopes dim in 7-5 Oss by Kkt Rappoport i aria re. Alberta a the United Mak blew a 3-0 first period Lead and lost 7-i 10 third seeded Czechoslovakia monday night in olympic Hotkey play. Tin . Tarn led 3-0, 4-1,4-3 and i 4, bul i lie Occas refused Inqui. The inns May hive Cost inc americans whatever Chance icy had far an olym Pic hockey medal. In of tilt games monday inc soviet Union crushed Austria x-1 and Weil f pc Runny Defeated Norway 7-3,  to disappointing  said . Couch have  i lie Amikam collapsed under Hie weight Ofa four goal final period barrage. We re big boys. We nol going 1o fold our Lent and in Homo. It s nol marbles. Is uni crushing. It s a defeat the world won end because we lost a hockey game. We be loss hockey games  this Lime though. They May also have Low a Chance of making the sin team medal round for the second straight olympic following their 1980 Gold medal Al like Placid. The americans still have three games ill. Inc Neil one wednesday night against inc defending Gold medallist Soviel Union and icy will have to win at least two of them and even that might nol be enough. We re a Little Down right  Peterson said. When pc practice tumor Row Well feel Good and Well be ready to play his soviet on  the techs meanwhile avoided Al most certain elimination from medal Contention. They had loss 1-1 lowest Germany in their opening game and appeared on inc Way o anther defeat after allowing goals on the first three Ameri can shins in the firs six minute of play. Thai knocked out starting goalie Dominik Hasl k and brought on j Jaromir Sindel. By the end of he second period. Checho Slovakia had narrowed the Lead to 4-j on two Laic goals. I thought thai might have been the turning Point Peterson said. Asked if inc americans All out Offin Sive style might have doomed hem against the opportunistic chs 1 Eler Sun said. We Don t play Well when we Cartho Slovakia s Lur  celebrates i garage inn info Short handed shot which heat is. Null Mhz Richter monday neg he. Sit on a Lead we re in a situation where we run and gun. If that s nol Good enough i la live with  the czechs twice tied the score in the third period and then scored the Winner tin a Short handed goal with 5 29 left the americans composure collapsed in the final two periods As they allowed sever ill breakaways. Ccallender Mike Richter played strongly Bill was unable la Stop the Veeh charge that included 31 shots. The United Stales which beat Austria 10-6 in its opener and the czechs arc now 1-1 behind inc soviet Union and West Germany both 2-0. The lop three learns in each Pool and Vance to the medals round. Dusan Pasck led inc a eels comeback scoring inc tying goal with 7 25 left then setting up Igor Liba s game Winner with a perfect pass 10 Cap a iwo on on Brcak the czechs were minus one player serving a holding Penally when they won it Pasck roaring Down the right Side and drawing two u.5,  to him be fore feeding Liba. I was a typical play by them Richt to said. The play just developed where it might look innocent Al first. But they have so much Speed in the Neutral one hat they can score in a  the czechs Prus died their one Eoal Lead by killing off a Power Pluy for the last 1 26. Pasck scored into an empty net with nine seconds left after the americans pulled Richter for an extra Aii Acker giving them a two Man skating advantage. Corey Millen. Who had two goals and two assists in saturday s opening 10-6 rout of Ausina began the scoring 3 27 into the game Wilh a shot from the Slot Craig Janney swept in a Backhander Al 444 and Allen Bau Rowau Cal Haiek from the right Side Al Liioi. Al thai Point. Hasek was replaced by Sindel who also played against the Ger  czechs started their comeback when Clr Rosol scored from the lower right Neirele at 17 19 of i he first period. Dave Snuggerud boosted the amen cans Lead to 4-1 on a sharply Angl a Iti i on a Power play at 1 30 of inc second period bul the or chs came Back with the next three goals. Antonin Stagana scored from the right Point at 13 17, Vladimir i Turkka connected from the left of accost Circle Al 15 11, and is Agana scored again from Jusi inside the Blue line Al 4 d3 of the Inird period. Scott Fusco put the americans up 5-1 at fi27,  Jum outside the crease on a Power play after a scup by Tony Granio. After we got the 3-0 Lead Millen said we tended 10 let up a Little. It was kind of subconscious. We did i realize we were doing it we would have liked to get two Points from the czechs and inc russians combined Richier said. This really Puls pressure on i. It s a Light Tournai  Zurbriggen primed for second Gold  c Alpart Alberta Al l Pirmin Zurbriggen of swim Erland made a run at his second Good medal of the Winter olympics tuesday winning the downhill portion of the men s combined while a troubled . Team tried to fight Back against predictions of gloom. . Athletes say it s too Early 10 count them out of the quest for Gold  suggest. Bul the fight was not going will. The United Stales had its first real Mcdill Chance tuesday night in pairs figure skaling where american couples stood third and fourth Afier the Short program. Bonny Warner of mount i adv calif., America s lop to e for a medal in women s luge was sixth after the first of four runs which will count toward the medal her Lime wat 46.40 j compared with the Lead ins time of 45.518 by Steffi Waller of East Germany. The final two luge tru will be held wednesday. In hockey on tuesday eighth a coded Poland showed that its 1-0 loss to Canada on sunday was no Fluke tying lop a coded Sweden i i in inc olympic hockey Toum Ament. Winter olympics Sweden the 1987 class a world Champion was coming off a 13-2 rout of France but was unable to skate around inc Forress thai was Poland s defense. On inc rare occasions that a swedish Ana Eicr got through. Polish goalie Andrzj Hants was ready. He made 31 saves including a lie pro crying Glove save or a close in Jens Ohhong Wensi shot with 4 39 to play. Laurie Graham of Canada won inc third trial run for the women s downhill scheduled for thursday card of France who won the Bronze on monday was second and Ucli Belczyk of Canada was third in the unofficial standings. La s More difficult to race  Zurbong gun said. The course in harder than yesterday. So far the Hills and rinks of the Winter game belong to europeans. Zurbriggen carved a giant z into the twisting slope of mount Allan on monday by win Ning the men s downhill and the sturdy soviet Cross country skiers pushed their team s medal Loial to a High five. The East germans showing a passion for Speed. Women s downhill to in Noay m Casi urn Unis  3.u,. A. While Hilary Lindh of Juneau. Alaska was ninth do added Jens Mueller s luge Gold to a Speed skaling world fending downhill Champion Michela Figini who won record and Gold the Day before and lied Swit Efland one of two training runs monday was fifth. Finland and Czechoslovakia with two medals  run the combined medal new to the olympics will be decided wednesday when the downhill results Are you plod with the results Ofa slalom Zurbriggen who has a Chance to win an unprecedented five Alpine Gold medals was first in i mule 46.90 Over a Shorter course than the one on which he won the men s downhill Gold on monday. Franck Pic instead of medals and celebrations for America. There s bickering in costs and promises. The poor Start of the american delegation Overall was not unanticipated said Baaron pit Cejer the second highest ranking . Olympic official. Indeed he added pessimistically " to think n is possible see Zurbriggen on Page 23