ERZURUM, Turkey (CIS) Canadas hopes of capturing double-gold in hockey at the 25th Winter Universiade came to an end on Saturday night when the mens team dropped a 4-2 semifinal decision to defending champion Russia, at Cemal Gursel Arena.
IIHF game summary: http://www.erzurum2011.gov.tr/pdfts/IHM400202/C74
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter
2011 Winter Universiade website: http://www.erzurum2011.gov.tr/english
The game was a rematch of the last two Universiade finals that saw the Russians prevail by an identical 4-2 score in 2009 in Harbin, China, and the Canadians claim their third FISU title in history thanks to a 3-1 win in 2007 in Turin, Italy.
The red-and-white squad (3-1-1) comprised of all-stars from the Ontario University Athletics conference will try to rebound Sunday at 11:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET) when it faces Kazakhstan (3-1-1) for bronze. Russia (5-0) is set to battle Belarus (5-0) for gold at 3 p.m. local (8 a.m. ET).
The mens semifinal came only hours after the Canadian women beat Finland 4-1 to capture their second straight Universiade banner.
Were obviously disappointed with the result, said Team Canada head coach Clarke Singer from the University of Western Ontario. The Russians have always been our big rivals and they are a very good hockey team. The pace of the game was great today but in the end they were able to capitalize on their opportunities.
I thought the first and third periods were evenly matched but we were outplayed in the second and that proved the difference, said Waterloo forward Chris Ray of Kelowna, B.C. We now have to regroup for tomorrow and bring home a bronze medal.
The Canadians didnt get off to the start they were looking for as Yaroslav Alshevskiy made it 1-0 Russia only three minutes and 11 seconds into the contest.
McGill rearguard Marc-Andr Dorion tied the affair five minutes later however when he pushed a rebound off a Brandon MacLean shot past netminder Emil Garipov. It was the first goal of the tournament for the 2009-10 CIS defenceman of the year from St-Hubert, Que.
Canada had a glorious chance to take the lead midway through the opening period but couldnt capitalize on a two-man advantage that lasted 1:26.
After being outshot 15-10 in the first 20 minutes, Russia took control of the play in the middle stanza firing 16 pucks at Canadian goalie Anthony Grieco while Canada responded with only six shots.
Vladimir Zhmaev beat Grieco from 10 feet out at 7:48 to make it 2-1 Russia going into the second intermission.
Both teams came out firing after the break.
Anton Lazarev gave Russia a two-goal cushion just 1:29 into the third frame with a shot from the left circle during a 4-on-4 situation.
But MacLean brought Canada back to within one only 35 seconds later, during a power play, when he took a pass from Matt Caria from behind the net and fooled Garipov with a quick shot from just outside the crease.
It was as close as Team Canada would come however. With Grieco pulled for an extra attacker in the final minute, Marat Valiullin sealed the Russian victory with an empty-netter with 5.3 left on the clock.
Russia held a 6-4 edge in shots on goal in a tight-checking third period and finished with a 32-24 advantage for the match.
Grieco, a Western Ontario student from Brampton, Ont., took the loss following a 29-save effort.
Both teams earned five power-play chances, with Canada converting one while Russia was blanked.
GAME NOTES: Thanks to his two-point performance, MacLean, a Carleton University forward from Burlington, Ont., leads the tourney in both goals (8) and points (13) going into Sunday... Belarus beat Kazakhstan 3-1 in Saturdays early semifinal...
SCORING SUMMARY
Russia 4, Canada 2
FIRST PERIOD
SCORING:
1. RUS Yaroslav Alshevskiy (4) (Yaroslav Belokon), 3:11
2. CAN Marc-Andr Dorion (1) (Brandon MacLean, Yashar Farmanara), 8:10
PENALTIES:
Vyacheslav Seluyanov (RUS) checking to the head, 8:37;
Vyacheslav Seluyanov (RUS) 10-minute misconduct, 8:37;
Anton Lazarev (RUS) hooking, 9:11;
Marc-Andr Dorion (CAN) tripping, 14:24;
Geoff Killing (CAN) interference, 17:22.
SECOND PERIOD
SCORING:
3. RUS Vladimir Zhmaev (6) (unassisted), 7:48
PENALTIES:
Geoff Killing (CAN) tripping, 0:54;
Francis Charland (CAN) interference, 4:55;
Brandon MacLean (CAN) 10-minute misconduct, 7:48;
Tim Priano (CAN) hooking, 8:51;
Anthony Grieco (CAN) 10-minute misconduct, 8:51;
Anton Lazarev (RUS) elbowing, 9:43;
Stanislav Golovanov (RUS) hooking, 13:28;
Jean-Michel Rizk (CAN) slashing, 19:39;
Yaroslav Alshevskiy (RUS) butt-ending, 19:39;
Yaroslav Alshevskiy (RUS) game misconduct, 19:39.
THIRD PERIOD
SCORING:
4. RUS Anton Lazarev (3) (Rafael Akhmetov), 1:29
5. CAN Brandon MacLean (8) (Matt Caria, Kyle Sonnenburg), 2:04 PP
6. RUS Marat Valiullin (4) (unassisted), 19:55 EN
PENALTIES:
Denis Golubev (RUS) 10-minute misconduct, 19:55.
GOALS (by period)
RUS: 1-1-2: 4
CAN: 1-0-1: 2
SHOTS ON GOAL (by period)
RUS: 10-16-6: 32
CAN: 15-5-4: 24
POWER PLAY:
RUS: 0-5
CAN: 1-5
GOALTENDERS
RUS Emil Garipov (W, 24 shots, 22 saves, 2 GA, 60:00)
CAN Anthony Grieco (L, 2-2, 31 shots, 28 saves, 3 GA, 58:48)
CAN Team (1 shot, 0 save, 1 GA, 1:12)
REFEREE: Linus Ohlund (SWE)
LINESMEN: Andreas Lunden (SWE), Masi Puolakka (FIN)
ATTENDANCE: 2825
START: 20:00
END: 22:16
LENGTH: 2:16
TEAM CANADA SCHEDULE & RESULTS (local time)
Thursday, Jan. 27: Canada 9, Slovenia 0
Saturday, Jan. 29: Belarus 3, Canada 2 (3-2 in shootout)
Monday, Jan. 31: Canada 3, South Korea 2
Thursday, Feb. 3 (quarter-finals): Canada 9, Slovakia 1
Saturday, Feb. 5 (semifinal #1): Belarus 3, Kazakhstan 1
Saturday, Feb. 5 (semifinal #2): Russia 4, Canada 2
Sunday, Feb. 6, 11:30 (bronze): Canada vs. Kazakhstan
Sunday, Feb. 6, 15:00 (final): Russia vs. Belarus