Turin, Italy ? Short-handed and down by a goal in the third period, the U.S. had one shot ring off the crossbar and another thump off the goaltender’s stick.

The American men’s hockey team had plenty of chances at least to tie the speedy Slovakians on Saturday night, but instead skated off with a 2-1 loss that made the road to the Olympics quarterfinals somewhat tougher.

After squeaking out a draw in the opener against Latvia and then rebounding with a convincing win over Kazakhstan, the U.S. stepped up in class against Slovakia, the only unblemished team in Group B, and moved up and down the ice with the flashy forwards.

“It’s a disappointing outcome again, like the first game, but I thought we played well,” captain Chris Chelios said. “That’s a good team.”

Slovakia (3-0) strengthened its first-place hold in the Olympics Group B, moving two points ahead of Russia and Sweden and three in front of the Americans (1-1-1). The top four in the six-team group move on to the quarterfinals.

Atlanta Thrashers teammates Marian Hossa and Peter Bondra sandwiched goals around one by Brian Rolston to provide the difference and give Slovakia just its second win over the U.S. in international play.

Men’s Hockey

Turin, Italy – Switzerland stunned defending Olympic champion Canada with a 2-0 victory that shook up the men’s hockey tournament. Canadian-born Paul DiPietro scored twice, and goalie Martin Gerber turned aside 49 shots for the Swiss, who beat the near equivalent of an NHL all-star team with only two NHL players in their lineup. Canada and Switzerland are now 2-1.

U.S. hockey players watch as Slovakia celebrates its 2-1 victory. The Americans lost Saturday in Turin, Italy.

Speedskating

Men

1,000-Meter Short Track

Turin, Italy – The South Koreans waited four years and ganged up on Apolo Anton Ohno, dropping the American star to an Olympic bronze medal in 1,000-meter short track speedskating. Ahn Hyun-Soo won his second gold medal of these games, and teammate Lee Ho-Suk took the silver.

The bronze gave Ohno a complete set of Olympic medals.

Women

1,500-Meter Short Track

Turin, Italy – Jin Sun-yu and Choi Eun-kyung finished 1-2 in the women’s 1,500-meter short track speedskating final.

Alpine Skiing

Men

Sestriere, Italy – Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway successfully defended the men’s super-G title for his record eighth Olympic Alpine medal.

Women

San Sicario, Italy – Janica Kostelic won an Olympic medal again, and of course it was gold.

Nordic Skiing

Ski Jumping

Pragelato, Italy – Austria’s Thomas Morgenstern had the longest jump of the day, edging compatriot Andreas Kofler to win in large-hill ski jumping.

Cross-Country Skiing

Pragelato, Italy – Evgenia Medvedeva-Abruzova made up a 121â2-second deficit on the leading Germans with her final leg to lift Russia to the Olympic gold in the women’s 4x5km cross-country relay.

Bobsled

Cesana, Italy – Americans Todd Hays and Pavle Jovanovic were in sixth place following the first two runs of the two-man bobsled competition.

Biathlon

Men

Cesana, Italy – Norway’s Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was denied gold again when France’s Vincent Defrasne sped past him on the final straightaway.

Women

Cesana, Italy – The worst of conditions brought out the best in Germany’s Kati Wilhelm, who convincingly won the gold medal in the women’s 10km biathlon pursuit in a snowstorm and swirling winds.

Curling

Men

Pinerolo, Italy – Pete Fenson’s U.S. curling team beat Germany, 8-5.