Monday, September 8, 2008

82. To Nothing. 82-0.

Slovakia and Bulgaria decided to play a nice little game we call hockey. The two women's teams participated in a 2010 Winter Olympics qualifier in Liepaja, Lativa. But this is not what you would call a normal hockey game. (This was from james mirtle via Deadspin)

Straight from the Reuters sports briefs:

Ice hockey - Slovakia crushed Bulgaria 82-0 in a 2010 Winter Olympics qualifier in the Latvian town of Liepaja.


Yes. You are reading that right. The shot total was 139-0. Every single player was +22 in the +/- department. The score was 31-0 after the first period. Two Bulgarians finished the game minus-39.

To suggest that there be a mercy rule is an understatement. Bulgaria should not be allowed to play women's hockey anymore, and Slovakia should be able to just take the rest of the qualifiers off.

BUT, I have to bring up sportsmanship here. As always. How is this game allowed to go on with a score like that. I play hockey and I have been on some horrible teams. I've played for 11 years and have won 25 games total. Slovakia scored more goals I think that any of my teams ever did combined. Yes, but don't laugh. Forward Maria Herichova scored one less point than I scored goals last season. (I missed a month, I could have gotten more, but who's counting?)

"What the Slovaks did to us was kind-of an insulting mockery, and is not at all sportsmanlike", the Chair of the Bulgarian Hockey Federation, Dobromir Krustev, said after the game.

Unbelievable. And to think I am planning on getting tickets for the 2010 Olympics, I want to see some Slovak women's hockey.

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