WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah ? Maurice Rozenthal had two goals and an assist as France couldn't hold three leads but still tied heavily favored Switzerland 3-3 Saturday night in Olympic hockey pool play.
Rozenthal's second goal put France ahead 3-2 at 12:38 of the third period, but Switzerland's Mark Streit salvaged the tie by one-timing Olivier Keller's cross-ice pass past goalie Cristobal Huet at 15:50.
France was only 11th in the 1998 Olympics under coach Herb Brooks ? one of six national coaches in the last six years ? and has never been a factor in international hockey. Switzerland is seen as a rising power and, with Colorado Avalanche backup David Aebischer in goal, was a strong favorite to advance into the final round from its four-team pool.
But France, now coached by Heikki Leime, needed only 2:50 to do something the Minnesota Wild couldn't do Friday night ? score against Aebischer, who was in net for Colorado's 6-0 victory before flying to Salt Lake City.
Taking advantage of Swiss aggressiveness that led to a 5-on-3 advantage with only 1:23 gone, Rozenthal's shot off a rebound trickled across the goal line as Aebischer tried frantically to control it with his glove.
Switzerland, which has a strong youth program and has increasingly done well in international junior play, tied it midway through the first period when Jean-Jacques Aeschlimann deftly steered a rebound of Patrick Sutter's slap shot past Huet.
Huet was a seventh-round pick last year of the Los Angeles Kings.
Former St. Louis Blues forward Philippe Bozon swept in Rozenthal's perfectly placed pass from the side of the net to put France back into the lead at 14:50 of the second. But Andre Rotheli tied it on a power play early in the third, controlling the rebound of Patrick Sutter's long slap shot from the left point and pushing it into the side of the net.
France's surprise tie at the E Center came several hours after Germany upset Slovakia 3-0 in the same arena. Switzerland and Slovakia were favored to advance from their respective pools.