U.S. hockey team overpowers Belarus, 8-1 By Nicholas J. Cotsonika Knight Ridder Newspapers WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KRT) — For a period Monday, there was drama. Belarus scored 20 seconds into the game, and as much as Red Wings forward Brett Hull and the U.S. men’s hockey team scrambled to respond, they couldn’t put a puck past a goal tender named Andrei Mezin. A. Mezin was amazin’. But then Hull scored a break through goal 46 seconds into the second period, and there was dra ma no more. Hull assisted on the next two goals as the Americans went on to rout Belarus, 8-1, and win their group. They earned the right to face the last-place team in the other group, Germany, in the quarterfinals Wednesday. “It’s not a given game,” said U.S. captain Chris Chelios, a Wings de fenseman. “But right now, to play Germany is better than playing the Czech Republic or Russia or Cana da or Sweden. Momentum builder, hopefully. We’ve been building momentum this whole tournament here, and hopefully we can keep going.” But just after the opening face off, the Belarussians skated around the U.S. zone, and the Americans stood around and watched. Dmit ry Pankov took the game’s first shot — and scored, beating Barras so cleanly. “Maybe it was a wake-up call,” Barrasso said. “After that, we real ized that it wasn’t going to be given to us, that we had to work hard. ” Spurred, the Americans blitzed Belarus. But in their way was Mezin, who played so well that re porters raced to read his Olympic bio. For the record, Mezin is a 27 year-old from Minsk. He is 180 cen timeters tall. He weighs 77 kilo grams. He plays for the Berlin Capitals of the German Elite League. He “enjoys fishing.” The Americans took 15 shots in the first period, several of them dan gerous. Hull had perhaps the hardest luck. About five minutes in, Hull ended up in front with the puck. Alone. But he was in too close, he had no net to shoot at, and he fired the puck right into Mezin’s glove. “You’d like to stay positive and think it’s going to come,” Hull said. Little more than midway through the first, Hull’s helmet came off. According to international rules, he had to put it back on or go to the bench immediately. He put it back on. But he didn’t put on his chin strap. Referee Stephen Walkom sent Hull off for “illegal equip ment,” and Hull was not happy. “I put it on,” Hull said. “No one said it had to look good.” Walkom explained to Hull that he had no choice but to make the call. First shift of the sec ond period, Hull took two shots at the net. First one went wide. Sec ond one went into Mezin’s body. What was going on? But then Hull, whose goal with 4:30 left Saturday night gave the Americans a 2-2 tie with Russia, took out his frustration with a shot from the high slot. No matter. It went past Mezin. The game was tied, 1-1. “It was huge,” U.S. forward Tony Amonte said. “Because,” Hull said, “the longer it goes with them up, 1-0, the tighter people get. You just need to get that first one.” John LeClair, who had a hat trick Friday night in a 6-0 victory over Finland, scored twice in the sec ond. In the third, Bill Guerin and Scott Young each scored twice, Adam Deadmarsh once. Hull fin ished with eight shots, the Ameri cans 48. Belarus had 13. Afterward, Hull was hanging out in the hall when Mezin walked by. “Great job, guy,” Hull said. “Nice goal,” Mezin said. ©2002, Detroit Free Press. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Sports briefs Cho finishes 14th at San Diego tournament Kathy Cho’s 6-over 79 Monday wasn’t pretty, but it was good enough to give the senior from Hon olulu, Hawaii, her best finish as a Duck. Cho tied for 14th at 159 as the Oregon women’s golf team finished 17th at the Lady Aztec Invitational, played at the 6,040-yard, par-73 Lake San Marcos Country Club. Cho’s previous best finish was a tie for 19th at the 2000 Hawaii Fall Classic. Cho’s 79 Monday was one of just 24 sub-80 rounds turned in as bad weather continued to plague the tournament. Freshman Jess Carlyon finished 65th at 170, sophomore Lacy Erickson was tied for 77th at 173 and junior Annie Davis, making her UO golf debut after spending the last two-and-a-half years on the track team, tied for 85th at 176. First round leader Colorado State held on to win the team title with a 626. The Rams defeated Washing ton by two strokes. —from staff and wire reports ■0115381 ^OU OAHfy SPAGHETTI $35° Every Tuesday PIZZA UMI* 2506 Willakenzie 344-0998 fl’ocic P/070 2673 Willamette 484-0996 27th and Willamette \ Premier Travel • Airfare Specials • New Orleans - SI98.00* Tampa - S198.00* Mexico City - S450.00* Paris * - S650.00* *iax hot included, restrictions may apply. Subject to change \v ithout notice. LO Authorized Agency! E-mail: fares;';/ tuv2travcl.com 1011 Harlow | 747-0909^y'