Russian fans lament hockey team's defeat

Russian fans lament hockey team's defeat

SOCHI, Russia (AP) Thousands of Russian fans streamed out of the Bolshoy Ice Dome and expressed devastation, anger and embarrassment after the men's hockey team was eliminated from the Olympic tournament with a 3-1 loss to Finland on Wednesday.

With the Winter Games on home soil, and a roster full of big-name stars, there were enormous expectations for the Russian team. But the loss to Finland means the high-profile team will leave the Olympics without a medal for the third straight time.

When the final horn blew on the defeat, the dejected Russians lifted their sticks toward their fans in salute. But the few cheers in the arena were drowned out by angry whistling as the team left the ice.

Sergey Kazakov, a 58-year-old retiree from Moscow, calls it ''a catastrophe.''