Almaty, Kazakhstan - The United States met Norway in ideal conditions Thursday afternoon at Medeo Stadium, high above the city of Almaty, on the last day of round robin play in the A Pool. In a physical match that saw good goaltending at both ends, and numerous penalties, Norway toppled the Americans, 6-3.

John Arundel #19, Daren Richardson #10 and Evan Richardson #7

Photo Courtesy of Martin Henriksson/FIB/SVENSKA BANDYFÖRBUNDET

Norway struck quickly, scoring on a corner stroke five minutes into the game, and added another tally two minutes later on a goal that seemed to fool everyone, including the Referee who had to come search the net before signaling a goal. After jumping out to the 2-0 lead, Christer Lystad of Norway then scored his second goal of the half on a penalty stroke in the twenty third minute of the match, and just that quickly it was 3-0 for the Norwegians. The Americans were a little shellshocked, as they had played a pretty good game to that point.

Daren Richardson #10 , Mike Hosfield #17, Rick Haney #8, Erik Kraska #1, Erick Kyllonen #4 & Evan Richardson #7

Photo Courtesy of Martin Henriksson/FIB/SVENSKA BANDYFÖRBUNDET

Down but not out, the U.S. would get their best scoring chance of the match in the twenty seventh minute. On the play, Midfielder Daren Richardson moved up the ice with Halfback Tom Sawatske, as Richardson weaved his way through defenders and fed a pass to Sawatske on his left. Almost as soon as he received the pass, Sawatske was upended by the Norwegian goalkeeper, Christopher Smerkerud, who had come out to challenge, sending Sawatske flipping through the air. There was no call made by the officials on the play, and the intensity and physicality seemed to pick up quite a bit soon after.

Brent Palmer #16 and John Arundel #19

Photo Courtesy of Martin Henriksson/FIB/SVENSKA BANDYFÖRBUNDET

The U.S. finally got on the board at the thirty three minute mark on a goal by Halfback Mikael Sandberg as he cut up the middle and through the Norwegian defenders before putting a shot over the sprawling goalkeeper and into the net near the left post. That would be the extent of the scoring in the first half, as the teams went to their respective dressing room with the score at 3-1 for Norway.

John Arundel #19

Photo Courtesy of Martin Henriksson/FIB/SVENSKA BANDYFÖRBUNDET

In a second half that saw what seemed like a constant parade of players going to the penalty box, the U.S. looked to be gaining confidence, and had a couple of good scoring opportunities early on. The first came on a corner stroke, that led to a scramble in front, and the second on a good hard shot by Richardson that looked to be earmarked for the far post, but was stopped on a diving stab by the Norwegian Goalkeeper. Later in the half, Richardson carried the ball up ice with speed, cut across the middle, waited, and then took a whicked shot that hit the near post and ricocheted right at Forward BJ Bayers, swooping in for the rebound. The ball hit Bayers before he could react, and went out of bounds off of him as he grabbed his head in disgust, realizing the opportunity that had just eluded him.

Mike Hosfield #17 and Daren Richardson #10

Photo Courtesy of Martin Henriksson/FIB/SVENSKA BANDYFÖRBUNDET

After all of these near miss opportunities for the U.S. the dagger may have come in the sixty second minute of the game, when Norway made it 4-1 on a Marius Austad goal as he got around the U.S. defense with speed before scoring from an impossible angle to the left of the American goal. Before the goal, the United States had built up some momentum, and had two Norwegian players off the ice for penalties. Twenty minutes later, Nikolai Rustad Jensen skated straight up the ice, and ripped a shot from just inside the arc past USA Goalkeeper Erik Kraska. With ten minutes left in the match, and the U.S. down 5-1, the game looked to be in hand for Norway. But the Americans were not done. A minute after the Norway goal, Halfback Mike Hosfield powered a shot into the Norwegian goal on a scramble in front of the net to make the deficit three. A minute after that, the U.S. made things interesting when Richardson skated in on goal, slid by the goalkeeper to the right, and ripped a shot off the inside of the far post. The ball dangled on the goal line before Sawatske finished it off, tapping the ball in to make it 5-3. Although the U.S. made it interesting in the end, it was too little too late. A Norway goal on a penalty shot with no time left on the clock made the final score 6-3 in favor of Norway.

Tournament information can be found at:  http://www.worldbandy.com/wcs/

~ Thom Wynn