In defeat, Jeff Sauer found something to be optimistic about.
His U.S. hockey team at the Goodwill Games, with just three weeks of preparation, came the closest it had in a decade to beating the Soviet Union on ice. It was only because of a shootout the Soviets won 2-0 that the United States lost, 4-3, and had to settle for the silver medal Sunday.The last time the Americans took gold away from the U.S.S.R. was at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, the scene of the Miracle On Ice.
"I don't feel like we lost the game today," said Sauer, who coaches the University of Wisconsin. "I thought we tied the game today."
It took a tying goal by Valeri Kamensky with just 21 seconds left in regulation to keep the Soviet Union alive.
The Soviet players "lost incentive" when the Americans went ahead 3-2 in the second period, but drew on their experience to fight back, said Igor Dmitriev, a Soviet assistant coach.
"The American players were such that they almost forced us to make these mistakes, these misses," Dmitriev said. "Our team is more experienced and, therefore, we were able to withstand the game and play it until the end."
The Soviets, who have dominated the Americans in hockey since 1980, won the rarely used shootout on goals by Alexander Semak and Dimitri Khristich. The United States had advanced to the gold-medal game by winning a shootout one day earlier against Canada.