GERMANS COME CLOSE BUT CAN’T PUT JAPAN AWAY FOR BRONZE

VANCOUVER, BC – Japan put together a comeback for the ages on Sunday afternoon at UBC Thunderbird Arena, snatching bronze from the grasp of Germany at the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup. 

The Germans held a 2-0 lead late in the third period, and seemed on the verge of the upset, before the Japanese scored twice in the final 2:36 to force extra time, and eventually scored a 3-2 shootout win over the Europeans.

Germany saved its best performance for last after being outscored 27-2 in its four earlier games at the tournament, with Sebastian Disveld counting in the first period and Udo Segreff adding one in the second to give the Germans a seemingly insurmountable lead.

But with a pro-Japan crowd behind them, the Japanese mounted their comeback late, as Takatuki Endo scored in at the 12:34 mark of the third period and Satoru Sudo pulled them even with 51 seconds left on the clock.

Japanese goaltender Mitsuru Nagase made a game-saving glove save with late in the OT period, flashing the leather and robbing Segreff of the potential game-winner.

Daisuke Uehara had the lone goal of the shootout, while Nagase turned aside Sven Stumpe, Gerd Bleidorn and Frank Rennhack.

Goals/Buts :
02:49 GER Sebastian Disveld

Penalties/Pénalités :
13:16 GER Gerd Bleidorn (Hooking/Accrocher)

Goals/Buts :
4:56 GER Udo Segreff (Torsten Ellmer)

Penalties/Pénalités :
05:05 GER Christian Pilz (Holding/Retenir)
07:16 GER Joerg Wedde (Interference/Obstruction)
12:37 JPN Satoru Sudo (Roughing/Rudesse)
12:37 GER Christian Pilz (Holding/Retenir)

Goals/Buts :
12:34 JPN Takayuki Endo (Daisuke Uehara)
14:09 JPN Satoru Sudo (Mamoru Yoshikawa, Kazuhiro Takahashi)

Penalties/Pénalités :
04:48 GER Joerg Wedde (High-sticking/Bâton élevé)
06:16 GER Udo Segreff (Holding/Retenir)

Goals/Buts :
None/Aucun

Penalties/Pénalités :
12:07 GER Udo Segreff (Checking from Behind/)
12:07 GER Udo Segreff (Misconduct/Inconduite)