U.S. Hopes to Keep Building on This Effort

The U.S. men’s hockey team, a flop four years ago in Nagano with a mediocre performance on the ice and a brutal one off it--some of the team members tore up their rooms in the Olympic Village--are looking like a great story this time around. After an exciting 2-2 tie with Russia on Saturday night, sparked by a 33-save game by goalie Mike Richter of the New York Rangers and a quick-reflex rebound shot that tied it late in the third period by Brett Hull of the Detroit Red Wings, the U.S. men take on Belarus today. The U.S. has a 1-0-1 record in Group D and Belarus 0-2.