MEDAL ROUND
Semifinals
BELARUS vs. CANADA
E Center
Friday, noon
TV: MSNBC
SLAP SHOTS: Qualifier Belarus stunned the world with Wednesday's 4-3 win over Sweden, a team many picked to win gold. . . . Injured captain Mario Lemieux (hip) and Theo Fleury (back) both played for Canada in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Finland. . . . Goalie Andrei Mezin also led Belarus to the elite eight in the 1998 Winter Games at Nagano, the ex-Soviet republic's only other men's Olympic hockey appearance. . . . Canada's quest for its first Olympic men's hockey gold in 50 years remains alive.
UNITED STATES VS. RUSSIA
E Center
Friday, 4:15 p.m.
TV: NBC
SLAP SHOTS: American coach Herb Brooks planned to take his team to see USA's women go for hockey gold tonight. . . . The teams tied 2-2 tie last Saturday. . . . Russia beat the Czech Republic 1-0 Wednesday, a rematch of the 1998 gold medal-game Russia lost. . . . By beating Germany on Wednesday, the U.S. ran its 70-year-old streak of being unbeaten in Olympic games played in America to 23 straight (20-0-3). . . . Injured American Keith Tkachuk sat out Wednesday; his Friday status is uncertain. . . . Bothered by flu-like symptoms, American Doug Weight left Wednesday's game early for an intravenous-injection of fluids.
