RUSSIANS SURVIVE LATE CZECH PUSH TO EARN WIN, FIFTH PLACE

LANGLEY, B.C. – Alexander Barabanov’s goal midway through the second period stood up as the game-winner as Russia took home fifth place from the 2011 World Junior A Challenge following a 3-2 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Russians finished one spot higher than last year in Penticton, B.C., when they lost to Sweden in the fifth-place game.

Bogdan Yakimov and Daniil Yuryshev also scored goals for Russia, which led 3-0 and outshot the Czechs 27-17 through the first 40 minutes before the Czechs made it interesting in the third period.

Matej Zadrazil scored goals 2:16 apart just past the halfway point of the final frame, but the Czechs could not get the equalizer past Russian netminder Ivan Nalimov despite holding a 17-5 advantage in shots on goal in the third.

Nalimov finished with 32 saves, while Czech counterpart Marek Langhamer made 29 stops.

The Czech Republic, which beat Russia 4-3 in a preliminary round game on Tuesday, goes home from its first World Junior A Challenge with a sixth-place finish.