News from January 1988

Soviets earn Esso Cup gold medal
by Don Campbell - - The Ottawa Citizen.
4th January 1988

MONTREAL - Although his country has been struggling in international play of late, Soviet coach Nikolai Kazakov feels his team's Esso Cup victory on Sunday serves notice it is still a hockey force to be reckoned with.

"We have regained some of our prestige," Kazakov said through an interpreter after the Soviet Union edged Sweden 4-3 in the championship game of the biennial midget tournament. "It's a good sign."

Earlier in the day, defending tournament champion Team Quebec captured the bronze medal with a resounding 13-2 triumph over Team Pacific, representing the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

Viacheslev Kozlov scored two goals and Pavel Bure set up two more as the Soviets overcame a 3-1 first period deficit with three unanswered markers in the final 40 minutes.

Kozlov scored both goals in the second period, while Bure made a nice pass to help Alexander Kuzmin notch the winner early in the third period.

"We were in better condition and that helped us take the momentum in the last two periods," said coach Kazakov.

Sweden went ahead when Niklas Andersson outmanoeuvred a pair of Soviet defence and slid a shot through goaltender Sergei Zvyagin's legs at 4:31.

Mats Sundin doubled the lead three minutes later, but Alexei Kudashov got the Soviets on the scoreboard when he took a long lead pass from Bure at 9:20.

Andersson showed another good burst of speed when he pounced on a loose puck inside the Soviet line and beat Zvyagin with a wrist shot 11:55.

In the consolation game, Steve Larouche scored three times, while Denis Chalifoux added a goal and six assists to lead Quebec.

Jeannot Ferland, Pierre Sevigny and Martin Tanguay each notched two goals for the host, while Martine Venne, Jean Blouin and Yannick Perreault added one each.

Dave Chyzowski and Kevin St. Jacques scored for Team Pacific.

The championship game had the potential for an interesting twist because the Soviets had a Quebec midget player - Patrick Labrecque - dressed as its backup goaltender.

The Soviets first-string netminder Andrey Fedotov was injured Saturday, forcing Zvyagin to start the title game. Since the club only brought two goalkeepers overseas, they needed to borrow one from a local midget league in case of emergency.

"I would have used the boy from Quebec if I had to," said coach Kazakov

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