Michigan State University Athletics
Miller, Team USA Blank Switzerland
5/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
May 2, 2002
KARLSTAD, Sweden - Michigan State junior goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) turned aside all 34 shots he faced to lead the U.S. team to a 3-0 victory against Switzerland at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship today (May 2).
The win in is the second for Miller in as many starts as Team USA opened medal-round qualification play today. Miller, the 2001 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner and NCAA's career leader in shutouts, was in goal Monday when the U.S. downed Latvia, 3-2, in pool play.
Not unlike Miller's first tournament start, the U.S. opened a commanding first-period lead on goals by Mark Murphy of the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates and the Minnesota Wild's Richard Park. Washington Capital forward Steve Konowalchuk scored 46 seconds into the second period to provide the final margin of victory.
Team USA, which enjoys an off day before playing three-time defending champion Czech Republic in Jonkoping Saturday, improved to 3-1-0 in the tournament with today's win. The U.S. needs to finish among the top four teams in its qualification group to advance to the medal round, which gets underway Tuesday.
BOX SCORE
USA 2-1-0 3Switzerland 0-0-0 0
First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Murphy (Leopold), 5:40. 2, USA, Park pp (unassisted), 19:35.
Penalties: Murphy, USA (elbowing), 9:55; Steinegger, SUI (hooking), 18:15; Streit,
SUI (interference), 18:31
Second Period - Scoring: 3. USA, Konowalchuk (Donato), 0:46. Penalties: Reasoner, USA (holding
the stick), 6:51; Plante, USA (interference), 13:24.
Third Period - Scoring: None. Penalties: Clark, USA (hooking), 2:26; Streit, SUI (holding),
14:36.
Shots: USA 10-7-7-24. SUI 12-10-12-34.
Goaltenders: USA, Miller (34 shots, 34 saves); SUI, Gerber (24 shots, 21 saves).
Referee: Marko Lepaus. Linesmen: Per Svensson, Andrei Biriukov.
