Bucs did themselves proud in Swiss hockey
Des Moines Tribune
Tuesday, 4-17-82
by Don Clasen
Nearly 5 1/2 months after the United States League season began, it ended about one-third of the way around the world.
Des Moines Buccaneers Coach Ivan Prediger, six of his players and 17 other USHL stars won the bronze medal for finishing third in an international tournament that concluded April 10 about 4,000 feet up in the Alpine resort village of Leysin, Switzerland.
Prediger's all-stars opened the tourney by losing to Sweden, which ended the domination of the Czechoslovakians and the Swiss to take home the Beard Cup for the first time in the five-year history of the event.
The Czechs, who sent the three Stastny brothers to the National Hockey League, had captured the cup three times while the host Swiss won it in 1981.
The USHL squad held a 4-2 advantage going into the final but the team from Mora, Sweden, came back to win, 6-5.
Game 2 for the Americans was a crushing 10-5 loss to the Czechs, who finished in second in the tournament.
In the final game, Prediger called on Des Moines goalie Mark Pagnac and he responded by limiting the Swiss team to four goals while his teammates were finding the net eight times.
Bucs teammate Bill Ries opened the scoring and USHL regular-season scoring leader Hart finished it by connecting on a rare penalty shot.
For the tourney, Ries had one goal in two games, Scott Rupp, who dazzled spectators by several times rushing the length of the ice, only to have a shot blocked by a goalie's spectacular stop, had two assists. Hart had a goal and an assist.
Defensemen Scott Lauder and Greg Shively were the other Des Moines members of the USHL cast in the land of chalets, fondue and wine.
Each member of the U.S. team received a bronze medal during a colorful ceremony that featured the raising of Old Glory and the playing of the national anthem.
Included on the U.S. team were Fred Kaminska, Brian Williams, Pete Ryskamp and Duane Fonger of the Sioux City team that defeated Des Moines in the final game of the USHL championship series April 3.
After returning to the United States, the four Sioux City players joined their teammates to play in the national Junior A tournament in Detroit, Michigan. The Musketeers lost Sunday in the championship game.