Do You Believe in Exhibitions? U.S. Faces Russians at Lake Placid

Matt Martin was 8 when the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team upset the Soviet Union and went on to win the gold medal at Lake Placid, too young to register the details but old enough to know it was significant.

“It’s exciting to be here in the same place,” he said.

Martin and Team USA will continue preparing for the 1994 Lillehammer Games today at the Olympic Arena, when they face a Russian team drawn from three clubs in that country’s top league. Team USA opened the seven-game Russian series with a 6-3 victory Wednesday at Amherst, Mass., improving its record to 24-10-5. The Americans have lost only twice in their last 22 games.

Team Russia’s players are not rated the elite of the country’s vast talent pool. However, five of them--including Mighty Duck draftee Valeri Karpov--were good enough to play on the triumphant Russian national team at last spring’s World Championships.

“This is as tough a Russian team as we’ll see before Lillehammer, and it will be the style we’ll see in Lillehammer,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey.