United States National Team (1971)

World Championships - Bern & Geneva, Switzerland

Front Row L to R: Carl Wetzel, Dick Tomasoni, Don Ross, Murray Williamson, Coach, Hal Trumble, Mgr, Gary Gambucci, George Konik, Mike Curran
Middle Row L to R: Doc Nogabods, Dick McGlynn, Tom Mellor, Jim McElmury, Tim Sheehy, Henry Boucha, Bruce Riutta, Craig Falkman, Craig Patrick, Paul Schilling, Bob Lindberg Don Niederkorn
Back Row L to R: Pete Fichuk, Len Lilyholm, Dick Toomey, Kevin Ahearn, Huffer Christianson
Not Pictured: Bob Fleming

After holding try out camps in Boston, Detroit and Minneapolis the team assembled in late October in Minneapolis for a final training period before embarking on a very ambitious and very successful 51 game schedule against leading pro, major college and touring national teams. Two goals for the team were to be respectable in the World Championship and to prepare for the 1972 Olympic Games.

After beating highly favored Czechoslovakia 5-1 in the first game of the Championship the team suffered six straight losses before beating Germany 5-1 in the final game for a 6th place finish in the double round robin series. Close games with the Soviets and the Swedes were of little satisfaction for a team that had dominated in its 56 game domestic schedule but the ground work had been laid for the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo , Japan.