CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Veronika Korzhakova and Oxana Bratisheva scored in a 3:08 span early in the third period and Russia beat short-handed Germany 3-2 on Sunday to advance to the fifth-place game in the women’s world hockey championship.
“It was difficult for us because we knew we didn’t have a chance to win a medal anymore,” Korzhakova said. “But it was a new day and a new game. We rebooted and had a fresh mind, fresh legs, fresh everything.”
Russia will face Japan on Tuesday. Japan beat the Czech Republic 3-2. Germany will play the Czech Republic for seventh place.
In the semifinals Monday, the five-time defending champion United States will face Finland, and Canada will play Switzerland. In the quarterfinals Saturday, the United States beat Japan 10-2, Canada topped Germany 7-0, Finland edged the Czech Republic 3-0 and Switzerland beat Russia 3-2 in overtime.
Anna Savonina also scored for Russia.
Tanja Eisenschmid and Kerstin Spielberger scored for Germany, limited to 15 skaters because of injuries. Spielberger gave Germany a 2-1 lead on a long shot with 2:38 left in the second, prompting Russian coach Yevgeni Bobarik to replace goalie Nadezhda Morozova with Valeria Merkusheva.
“This was an important game for us because we are playing for fifth place, which would give us the right to be in Group A for the next world championship,” Bobariko said.
Morozova made 15 saves, and Merkusheva stopped all nine shots she faced. Franziska Albl made 23 saves for Germany.
Hanae Kubo, Rui Ukita, and Akane Shiga scored for Japan and Nana Fujimoto made 31 saves. Alena Mills and Daniela Pejsova scored for the Czech Republic.
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