ZURICH – Team USA scored five goals in the middle part of the first period and coasted to a 13-1 win over Russia. Sweden won 3-0 against a determined and tenacious Slovak team.

Russia vs. United States 1-13 (0-5, 1-3, 0-5)

Team USA scored five goals in the middle part of the first period and coasted to a 13-1 win over Russia this afternoon at Hallenstadion. Hilary Knight led the way with three goals and three assists while the other goals came from nine different skaters. Yekaterina Lebedeva scored the only Russian goal, late in the second period.

The U.S. will now play Sweden for top spot in Group A and a bye to the semi-finals while the Russians will face the Slovakians also on Wednesday, the loser having to play in the Relegation Round.

“We tried to keep our intensity up knowing the game isn’t over until we hear the third period buzzer goes off and we have more goals than they do,” Knight said. “We tried to win the 50-50 battles and think about our eventual goal which is the gold-medal game.”

Two of Knight’s goals came on one-timers on the power play from her off wing, perfect feeds at the top of the faceoff circle. “Chuey [Julie Chu] fed me the puck extremely well tonight and I was just lucky enough to be in the right spot,” Knight said. “We’re kind of figuring things out – we only came together a couple of weeks ago, so we’re just trying to figure out what works.”

The game was frequently slowed by penalty calls, 19 in total. In all, the Americans counted five of their goals with the extra man and outshot the Russians 57-20. A beleaguered Valentina Ostrovlyanchik was in goal for the full 60 minutes and 13 goals, while Molly Schaus played her first game of WW 2011 and picked up the victory.

Sweden vs. Slovakia 3-0 (1-0, 1-0, 1-0)

Frida Nevalainen, Pernilla Winberg, and Erika Grahm scored to send Sweden on its way to a 3-0 win over a determined and tenacious Slovak team. Kim Martin got the shutout for the Swedes. Captain Erika Holst added two assists and now leads all scorers with five points.

The win gives Sweden six points and top spot in Group A while the Slovaks now must beat Russia on Wednesday to avoid the Relegation Round.

“We knew they would play the box and try to protect the middle, so we’re happy with the way we played, but we have to score more goals,“ Holst said. “They made it hard for us.”

Defensively, the Slovaks did a great job of getting in the lanes and blocking shots and passes. Although Sweden held a wide margin in possession, they didn’t generate the same sheer number of scoring chances as did the Americans yesterday. Goalie Zuzana Tomcikova was excellent again, facing a barrage of rubber and making a series of sensational saves over the course of another exhausting afternoon.

Sweden opened the scoring with a power-play goal, a Holst point shot slipping through traffic in front and beating Tomcikova to the far side.

Slovakia had an excellent chance to tie the game late in the period when it had an extended 5-on-3, but despite the two-man advantage the team produced only a couple of shots on goal.

The Slovaks maintained a tight-checking game during the second period as well, if not limiting scoring chances then at least limiting the quality chances. For virtually the entire period they remained just one shot away from tying the game, but Sweden’s patient approach paid off and with just 1:26 left in the period Pernilla Winberg got that crucial second goal in a scramble in front.

Grahm scored a goal late in the third on a power play, re-directing a point shot from Holst.

“We wanted to skate a lot, put pressure on them,” Holst offered. “We had to get shots and crash the net. We knew there would be a lot of rebounds, but we need to bury them.”

ANDREW PODNIEKS