U.S. Beats the Czechs in Hockey

The United States scored its third straight upset victory at the World Hockey Championships in Prague, beating Czechoslovakia, 3-1, to move into second place behind the Soviet Union.

The Americans previously defeated Sweden and Canada. It marked the first time since the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley the United States had beaten these three nations in a tournament.

After four preliminary rounds, the Soviet Union leads with eight points, followed by the United States, Canada and Czechoslovakia with six each. Sweden has four, Finland two and East and West Germany none.

Leading the U.S. team were John Vanbiesbrouck of the New York Rangers and Tony Granato of the University of Wisconsin. Vanbiesbrouck was outstanding in goal and Granato scored the decisive goal.

“You are more surprised than we are about this victory and our strength,” U.S. Coach Dave Peterson said. “We have more good players every year. We shall have stronger players every year--but each championship is something new.”

Said Czechoslovakia assistant coach Stanislav Nevesely: “Their goaltender was the key player, and the U.S. team is very strong defensively.”

Vanbiesbrouck was named the team’s outstanding player for the third straight time.

About 15,000 soccer fans, angured by a U.S. team from Brooklyn College, ripped up an American flag and stoned the American players as police escorted them off the field 10 minutes before the end of play at Katmandu, Nepal. At the time, the U.S. team was leading, 2-0.

Referees have been summoned to report to a tournament committee that will decide the outcome of the game. It was a semifinal match of the Sixth All Nepal Football Assn. Cup between the Nepalese national team and the Brooklyn College club.

The game was marred by rough play throughout, with the bigger Brooklyn players trying to use their height and weight advantage over the Nepalese team.

Olympic gold medalist Roger Kingdom set a meet record of 13.34 seconds in winning the 110-meter hurdles in the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Games at Atlanta.

Kingdom broke the record he set last year by .14 seconds. It was the fastest time in the United States this year.

Thomas Jefferson of Kent State won the 100 meters in 10.28. Missing from the field were defending champion Harvey Glance and Olympic silver medalist Sam Graddy.

“Had appearance money been available we might have gotten those guys,” said meet director Bob Versha. “I can’t fault the decision, but Harvey’s not coming really hurts. Our total budget for the meet is the equivalent to what a Carl Lewis or Mary Slaney might get for making a single appearance.”

Two boxing cards will be held tonight, one at the Forum and one at the Irvine Marriott. On the first, Grover Robinson defends his tournament light-heavyweight title against J.B. Williamson. Other fights at the Forum include Erskine Wade meeting Refugio Rojas and Ernie Johnson fighting Mark Fernandez in featherweight bouts. In Orange County, Bert Lee meets Tim Harris in a featured welterweight bout.

Manager Lee Walls of the Nashville Sounds of the American Assn. was in serious condition in a Nashville hospital after undergoing surgery to stop internal bleeding in his stomach, a hospital spokeswoman said.

“Doctors corrected the bleeding and are very optimistic for a good recovery,” said Lee Penuel, a spokeswoman at St. Thomas Hospital.

Walls, 52, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Dodgers in a 14-year career, is in his first season as the Nashville manager.