s," Voeller said. "Thats why the current slump is even more p

MINSK, Belarus -- Russia secured a quarterfinals berth at the ice hockey world championship with a 4-1 win over Latvia on Saturday to remain unbeaten. Russia outshot Latvia 43-15 in its fifth straight win. It leads Group B, with still two games to go, by six points from Latvia and Belarus. The United States and Finland are another point back. Also, Denmark upset the Czech Republic 4-3 in a penalty shootout, France prevailed in another penalty shootout to edge Norway 5-4, and host Belarus rallied to beat Germany 5-2. In late games, Slovakia topped Italy 4-1 and Switzerland downed Kazakhstan 6-2 to earn their second victories in Minsk in six games. Forward Viktor Tikhonov starred for Russia with two first-period goals and an assist. He tied it at 1 with a wrist shot, and scored on a power play to make it 3-1 with his sixth goal of the tournament. "We conceded a goal but then we showed our character and replied," Tikhonov said. "We have to play for 100 per cent the whole game." Sergei Shirokov and Sergei Kalinin also had a goal apiece. Miks Indrasis one-timed the puck past Russia goaltender Sergei Bobrovski to give Latvia an early lead. "The best thing is that we keep winning," Kalinin said. Mikkel Boedker netted a backhand in the penalty shootout to give Denmark its first victory over the Czech Republic at the worlds. "We stayed in the game. We stayed the course," Boedker said. "We kept battling and we got two late goals." Jaromir Jagr had a power play goal and set up Jakub Klepis, also on a power play, but the Czechs blew a 3-1 lead. Patrick Bjorkstrand force overtime with 53 seconds remaining in regulation. Stephane Da Costa scored the winning penalty in the shootout to lift France over Norway. Four teams -- the Czech Republic, France, Norway and Slovakia -- are tied for third in the eight-team Group A. Defending champion Sweden led, followed by Canada. The first four in each group advance to the quarterfinals. Antoine Roussel scored twice and Yorick Treille had one goal in a 51-second span in the second to lead Frances comeback, after Norway took a 2-0 lead with goals from Mats Trygg and Morten Ask. Mikhail Grabovski completed the comeback for Belarus against Germany with two goals in the third to thrill the sold-out Minsk Arena. Kai Hospelt and Alexander Barta gave the Germans a 2-0 first-period lead. Clayton Thorson Womens Jersey . Dallas (2-0-1) sits atop the Western Conference with an MLS-best seven points. Castillo opened the scoring in the 71st minute off a Mauro Diaz set piece, and Watson outran defender Tony Lochhead on a long ball and then juked goalkeeper Ian Kennedy for the eventual game-winner in the 78th minute. Miles Sanders Jersey . Howard had 17 points and a career-high-tying 26 rebounds in his Houston debut, James Harden added 21 points and the Rockets cruised to a 96-83 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. http://www.eaglesrookiestore.com/Eagles-Clayton-Thorson-Jersey/ . Western and the second-ranked Laval Rouge et Or (7-0) once again received 20 and 10 first-place votes from the Football Reporters of Canada panel, respectively. Rounding out the Top 10 are the Calgary Dinos (7-0), Queens Gaels (7-1), Guelph Gryphons (7-1), Montreal Carabins (5-2), Bishops Gaiters (5-2), McMaster Marauders (5-3), Manitoba Bisons (4-3) and the Saskatchewan Huskies (4-3) Western crushed York 50-10 last Saturday in its league finale to secure first place in the OUA standings and a bye in the first round of the conference playoffs. Nick Foles Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Wilbert Montgomery Womens Jersey . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net.LEVERKUSEN, Germany -- Bayer Leverkusen fired Sami Hyypia as coach Saturday after an alarming mid-season slump and turned to the Finns former coaching partner Sascha Lewandowski to secure Champions League qualification. The Bundesliga club said in a statement that the former Liverpool defender Hyypia was being released "with immediate effect" following Fridays 2-1 loss at relegation-threatened Hamburger SV. Lewandowski stepped back to resume coaching Leverkusens youth side after securing Champions League qualification with Hyypia last season. He has been charged with securing at least fourth place in the Bundesliga to repeat the feat this time around. "He helped us out in a critical situation once before when he worked alongside Sami Hyypia following the release of Robin Dutt," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller said. "Were firmly convinced he will succeed again." Leverkusen previously drew with bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig and is in danger of losing fourth place, with both Wolfsburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach in a position to overtake on Saturday. "This decision was more than difficult because Sami did a brilliant job over the last two years," Voeller said. Leverkusen was second at one point in the Bundesliga but had a severe change in fortune after the winter break with only three wins from 12 league games this year. IIt has also endured humiliating losses to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and second-division Kaiserslautern in the German Cup.dddddddddddd "What he and his coaching staff achieved with the team in the first half of the season was well beyond expectations and earned him praise from all sides," Voeller said. "Thats why the current slump is even more painful for us. The dramatic events of the last few weeks leave us no other choice but to bring about a separation. We want to and have to try everything to save the season." Assistant coach Jan-Moritz Lichte was also released. "Its not an easy situation for me now to take Samis place," Lewandowski said. "We had responsibility for this team together for more than a year. So you cant take over without regret that the former partner couldnt realize his dreams." Kicker magazine said that Thomas Schaaf (former Werder Bremen coach), Markus Weinzierl (Augsburg), Armin Veh (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Jos Luhukay (Hertha Berlin) are all possible candidates to take over from next season. Hyypia is the seventh coach to lose his job in the Bundesliga this season, following the dismissals of Bruno Labbadia and his successor Thomas Schneider at Stuttgart, Thorsten Fink and his successor Bert van Marwijk at Hamburger SV, Michael Wiesinger at Nuremberg and Mirko Slomka at Hannover. ' ' '