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It reached a boiling level within the first interval, when a shot by American Ben Meyers nailed an opponent within the groin and despatched him to the ice. One in all Germany’s older gamers, 33-year-old Korbinian Holzer, pointed his stick at Meyers and a bunch of younger U.S. gamers from the bench, then launched right into a profanity-laced tirade within the quiet enviornment. “I’ll take your head off!” Holzer screamed.
“Shut the [expletive] up,” somebody on the U.S. bench yelled again, and it was clear in that second, because it was all through a 3-2 victory that secured them the highest seed and a bye into the quarterfinals, that the younger Individuals weren’t going to be rattled.
“Groups are going to attempt to run us out of the rink,” U.S. captain Andy Miele mentioned, “however I feel up to now we’ve confirmed that that isn’t going to occur.”
It was the 33-year-old Miele, one of many staff’s elder statesmen, who had circled again to Holzer by the tip of the primary interval to change phrases — “Generally I get a bit yappy,” Miele mentioned — however at that time, his younger teammates had been effectively on their method to matching the Germans’ bruising type of play. It included an excellent second-period shift from the second line (common age: 20), which noticed 19-year-old Matthew Knies place himself in entrance of the web with a German defender draped over his again, checking Knies within the decrease again with the center of his stick.
“They’ve acquired laborious, older gamers who know the best way to play hockey and make life tough,” U.S. Coach David Quinn mentioned later.
However Knies didn’t cede any ice as teammate Nick Abruzzese wrapped across the internet, falling on his hip however one way or the other nonetheless pushing the puck to the entrance of the crease. Knies flipped the feed into the suitable nook of the web to make it 2-1, and for the second recreation in as many days, his staff rallied to take a lead over a a lot older staff. On Saturday, america rallied previous Canada, which like Germany has a median roster age of 29 — however couldn’t break the youthful and smaller American lineup with its expertise and brawn.
“I feel we acquired a style of it within the Canada recreation, the physicality of this match. We had been ready for what we had been going to see, so it wasn’t stunning in any respect,” Knies mentioned. “I feel we matched that physicality, that tempo … and as soon as we did that, the sport turned towards us.”
The sport turned towards america largely due to the goaltending of Drew Commesso, who at 19 is the youngest American goaltender to compete within the Olympics. After a 29-save shutout win over China within the opener, he confronted a a lot stiffer take a look at Sunday evening. He gave up a power-play objective two minutes in, however america tied the rating a couple of minutes afterward a objective from veteran Steven Kampfer and took a 3-1 lead on targets from Knies and 23-year-old Nathan Smith, two of the 15 faculty gamers on the roster.
Commesso settled in with 24 saves, together with an important cease within the last minute as Germany pushed to tie the rating, maybe making a case to stay in internet because the Individuals put together for the medal spherical.
“They’re huge, and so they actually introduced it to us. … We all know that groups are going to attempt to do this to us transferring ahead. We’re a bit little bit of a youthful staff,” Commesso mentioned. “We play with velocity, and that’s how groups are going to attempt to counter us.”
The USA struggled to match older and heavier Canada on Saturday — giving up mushy targets, toiling to win faceoffs and dropping too many battles for 50-50 pucks. In the end, the Individuals’ velocity and expertise gained out, however they will be unable to depend on that within the hunt for a gold medal, and Quinn made that clear earlier than Sunday evening’s recreation.
“I assumed we had an edge to us,” he mentioned afterward when he watched the dressing room develop even nearer because the gamers celebrated one other win. He has a roster full of youngsters who’re passing the time in Beijing by doing their faculty homework and taking part in video video games, however when it comes time to play hockey, as they confirmed once more Sunday evening, they’re greater than able to taking part in past their years.
“Individuals don’t know what we find out about ourselves,” Quinn mentioned. “It’s not vanity, however there’s a swagger to us.”
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