Evening star., 1936-02-11
AMERICAN TEAM
BEATS CECHS, 70
La Bate Aids U. S. in Out
CHASING Best of Euro
pean Hockeyists.
By the Associated Press.


young Phil La Battle, from Minneap-
oils, the United States returned to
form today and whipped Czechoslo-
vakia, 20, in the first game Of the
second round robin series leading to
the Olympic hockey championship.
The Americans outplayed the
Czechs most Of the way and won the
game with q two-goal assault in the
second period. Frank Spain Of Bos-
ton scored the first goal after 4 min
utes so seconds Of the period had
elapsed. Another Bostonian, John
Garrison, Tailed the second in 13:40.
La Bate, at right defense for the first
time since the Olympics started, was
credited with assists on both goals.
With the Czechs, regarded as Eu-
ropes most powerful team, safely out
Of the way, the United States seems
certain to qualify for the final round
robin series.
Shift Improves Play.
The Americans completely out
classed the Czechs toward the close,
keeping the puck in scoring territory
almost constantly. They would have
scored five or six goals with any kind
of luck
Observers agreed the United States
was the most improved team in the
tournament and might yet give the
Canadians hard run, assuming they
both reach the finals.
The switch sending Garrison to CEN
ter has added much power to the
attack and La Bates work on de-
fense was excellent. Both American
forward lines showed fine teamwork
today.
In the middle of the final period,
a hard-hit puck caught Gordon
Smith, wing, squarely on the cheek
bone and bowled him over. After
few minutes rest he resumed play.
The United States will meet Austria
late tomorrow In its next match.
Sweden joined the United States at
the top of the group standing by beat
ing Austria, 10.
Ballangrud Is Victor.
Ivar Ballangrud, Norwegian ace,
today won the Olympic 5o0-meter
speed-skating championship.
Ballangrud, all-around champion Of
the speed skating world, dashed
around the course in 434 seconds,
equaling the Olympic record, to cap
ture the title by one-tenth Of a second
from his compatriot, Georg Krog.
Leo Freisinger, 19-year-old Chi
cagoan, was third in A seconds;
Shozo Ishihara of Japan, fourth In
AL seconds, and DeIbert Lamb of
Milwaukee, fifth.
On the fine showing of Freisinger
and Lamb, the United States moved
into the unoficial team point stand
ings for the first time since the
fourth Winter Olympic games opened
last Thursday. Third place was good
for four points and fifth for two.
Norway picked up Is points when
Ballangrud and Krog finished one-two,
but the Norwegian total Of So points
still is far behind Germany's e7.
Allan Potts of Brooklyn and Karl
Leban Of Austria clocked in identical
time Of 448 seconds, tied for sixth
place. r,- .t-
U. S. in Third Place.
Flashing down the Olympic chute
in the fastest time Of the day, J.
Hubert Stevens Lake Placid quartet
moved into third place in the four
man bobsledding competition today at
the virtual halfway mark.
Six teams still were awaiting their
turn In the second heats when the
chute was closed until o'clock be-
cause Of the glare of the sun. The
final two heats Of the four heat cham
pionship competition will be held to-
morrow.
Stevens and his mates negotiated
the dangerous course in l minute 1917
seconds on their second descent, but
wound up behind Swiss team piloted
by Reto Capaorutt and the German
four led by Hans Kilian, holder of the
chute record Of / :18, in the combined
standings for the first two heats.
The second American entry, with
Francis Tyler Of Lake Placid replacing
the injured Donna Fox as driver. was
sixth in the combined standings.
Nearly Cracked Up.
The Stevens team hurt its chances
Of finishing on top for the day by .
comparatively slow first heat-l:25.6l.
John Shene of Lake Placid, member
of the team, said they nearly cracked
up Just after leaving the dreaded
Bavaria curve.
I'VE were tearing along at what I
felt was the best time we ever had
made" Shene said. I'VE passed Ba-
varia Horseshoe safely but struck the
opposite side of the straightaway so
hard we nearly upset.
MY left sleeve was torn, Bob Mar
tin lost a glove while Stevens left
hand was pulled from the Wheel AL
this naturally slowed Us up and was
responsible for our slow time"
Tyler's sled was clocked in 1851,
the same as Stevens. in the first heat
and in 1885 for the second run.
An Italian sled piloted by Frances
CO de Zanna was involved in the worst
of q series Of smash-ups. Crashing
on Bavaria curve, it hurled the bobbers
20 feet through the air. De zanna
himself suffered q broken nose and
one member Of his crew was slightly
hurt.
One of the three pilot sleds sent
down the course as q preliminary to
the opening Of competition cracked up
near the finish line and two men were
hurt.