Hamden Hockey Hero Helps Lead U.S. to Victory Over Russia

It was a shootout thriller in the U.S. men’s hockey game against Russia on Saturday, with only two Americans on the ice for the final shots.

One of them grew up in Connecticut, and he already has his eye on the gold.

Goalie Jonathan Quick made several saves in the final minutes. Before he was on Olympic ice, he was playing for Avon Old Farms. His pictures are still up at his alma-mater, and they watched him play the rivalry years in the making.

“With everything that happened in 1980, I think that kind of rivalry has died down,” Quick told the Today Show. “But playing any team on their home soil during the Olympics is pretty special.”

Quick stopped five shots as his teammate T.J. Oshie kept scoring. They came through in the clutch, beating the Russians 3-2.

“There was a little panic in there,” Oshie said. “I saw the replay and I wasn’t shaking, but I was underneath after the last one went in.”

The pair says they are pleased with their team’s latest victory, but they are not letting the win get to them. They still have a lot of playing to do inside Bolshoy Ice Dome before they go for the medal.

“The win we want is Sunday so we have a couple games to get there but it was still pretty special,” Quick said.

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