Germany stuns Canada, advances to gold medal hockey match
It’s not often you see hockey players cry. Even the Canadian women were more stone-faced than tearful after a heart-wrenching, though thrilling, loss to the United States for the gold medal. Yet there were Germany’s players, letting the tears fly after stunning Canada, 4-3, in the semifinals, earning a date with Russia for the gold medal on Saturday at 8:10 p.m. local time.
The win guarantees Germany its first Olympic hockey medal since 1976, and a shot at its first gold medal ever. The win marks one of the biggest upsets in recent Olympic hockey memory. In the past 30 meetings with Canada, the Germans have now won just twice, losing 11 in a row.
Yet there were the Germans, extending a 1-0 first period lead to 4-1 after the second. Canada being the hockey power that it is pushed back, scoring less than three minutes into the third period and again with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. Despite being outshot 15-1 in the final period, Germany held on.
Canada will play the Czech Republic, which lost to Russia, for the bronze medal. Germany will again be sizable underdogs in its gold medal match vs Russia.
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