CHANGCHUN, China – Kazakhstan put 52 goals past Thailand in Asian Winter Games hockey action Monday, but the goal that brought the most cheer came from the outgunned Thais.

The Asian ice hockey little guys went into the game knowing they were going to lose to tournament favourite Kazakhstan, but an opportune goal seven minutes into the third period was celebration enough in the 52-1 loss.

The hero was forward Arthit Thamwongsin, who jumped on a rebound off the boards to slam a shot past Kazakhstan goaltender Sergey Ogureshnikov.

Up to that point, the highlight for the Thais had been when defenceman Terani Harnnarujchai bodychecked one of the linesmen into the boards.

"They are just an outstanding team," Thailand's American coach Michael Rolanti said of Kazakhstan, which competed in the Turin Winter Olympics.

"I think it was a good game for us because we did not give up."

Rolanti is a former college player at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., who was managing a chain of English schools in Bangkok when he was asked to help coach the national team.

"We only have about 40 guys in the whole country to pick from," said Rolanti.

The Thais were outshot 97-7, with six of those shots coming in the third period as the Thais managed a few chances, including one breakaway which was stopped by Ogureshnikov.

Rolanti said there are only two ice rinks in Thailand, which lost 4-0 to the United Arab Emirates in its opening game.

Kazakhstan's leading scorer was Oleg Yeremeyev, with seven goals.

Kazakhstan also had an easy time in its first game, beating the UAE 38-0, and is expected to meet Japan in the final Saturday.

Hong Kong is another tournament minnow, coached by former Vancouver Canuck David Saunders.

His players range in age from 19 to 49-year-old Samuel Wong, the captain and goaltender.

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Saunders played for the Canucks in 1987-88, worked on Wall Street and set up an emerging markets trading desk in Hong Kong.

While there, he became an investor in a company building Hong Kong's first full-size hockey rink, which opens this summer. That led local sports officials to ask him to coach the team.

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