Czechs Score Upset Over Tired Sweden : Hockey: Unified Team has easier time against Finland, earning spot in semifinals against U.S.

As the defending world hockey champion and tournament’s top-seeded team, Sweden was expected to end its streak of three consecutive Olympic bronze medals by enjoying gold-medal glory. Instead, the Swedes’ tournament ended in the playoff quarterfinals Wednesday, when a clever and bold Czechoslovakian team recorded a stunning 3-1 victory at the Olympic Arena.

The other quarterfinal game held to form, as the Unified Team scored three goals in the second period to defeat Finland, 6-1, and set up a semifinal matchup with the United States (5-0-1) Friday.

“I like to play against the American team. They are always good games, games of character,” said Unified Team center Viacheslav Bykov, who assisted on his team’s third goal and scored the fifth. “When we play face to face, the play is physical but not (dirty). . . . They have a very strong team and they are playing at a high level. This will be a very good game.”

Czechoslovakia (5-1) played a great game against Sweden (3-1-2), which had 12 players on its roster from its world championship team. Taking advantage of the fatigue that still weighted the Swedes’ legs from the 3-3 tie they had played with the United States on Monday, Czechoslovakia took more offensive chances than usual and made the most of them.

After the teams traded first-period goals and played a scoreless second period, Otakar Janecky put Czechoslovakia ahead when he took a lead pass from goaltender Petr Briza along the left boards and blasted a slap shot through the legs of goalie Tommy Soderstrom with 6:55 left in the third period. Patrick Augusta scored the third goal after Sweden, desperate to tie the score, sent four attackers into the offensive zone and was caught short when the play turned up ice.

“Our tactic was to try for as many chances as we could because they were tired,” said Czechoslovakia Coach Ivan Hlinka, who played for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks in 1981-82 and 1982-83.

“We needed this win. I am proud we changed the minds of people who said before the tournament the Swedes were the highest favorite.”

Hlinka’s team will face Canada in the semifinals Friday. Canada has won its last four contests.

“Canada will have to lose once,” team captain Thomas Jelinek said.

Swedish forward Mats Naslund, a former Montreal Canadien, complimented the Czechs’ strategy and predicted they will play Canada competitively. “You have to give credit to Ivan Hlinka. He got the old Czech spirit back again on that team,” Naslund said.

To sharpen the competitive spirit of the Unified Team, its coaches periodically show tapes of the 1980 U.S. hockey team’s upset of the heavily favored Soviets at Lake Placid. Assistant coach Igor Dmitriev said the tape would be shown again before Friday’s game.

The current American squad, Dmitriev said, “is very well organized and is playing well. They have fully devoted themselves to the game. Those are their strong points.”

Bykov admires the Americans’ work ethic and their goaltender, Ray LeBlanc. “He is very strong. Vladislav Tretiak told me he’s a very good goaltender and to score against him is very difficult,” Bykov said. “I am eager to play this game.”