Slovakians produce huge upset to stun wasteful Americans

Minutes after failing to score in the shootout as the Americans' last chance to stay alive at the Olympics, captain Andy Miele took off his gloves to wipe the tears coming out of his eyes.

"I'm just sad it's over," he said.

With one bad bounce in the final minute of regulation that became the tying goal and an unsuccessful shootout, the United States is out of the men's hockey tournament at the Beijing Games after a shocking 3-2 loss to Slovakia in the quarterfinals.

The previously unbeaten US that earned the top seed in the knockout round and looked poised for a deep run instead was dealt the same result as the 2018 group in the last Olympics without NHL players.

"This one's going to sting for a little bit," veteran defenseman Steven Kampfer said. "I thought we were the better team for a majority of the game. You come up a little bit short."

Eight years after TJ Oshie earned the "TJ Sochi" nickname for his shootout heroics against Russia, there was no such magic this time around. Brendan Brisson, Sean Farrell, Matt Knies, Nathan Smith and Miele all came up empty in the shootout.

The US also went 0 for 5 in the shootout loss to the Czech Republic in Pyeongchang four years ago.

"It's a tough situation with the game riding on you," Miele said. "I wanted to score, I didn't and it stinks. I don't know what else to say."