#WUAlmaty2017: Update Ice Hockey – KAZ & RUS will play for Gold

ALMATY – Today, 7 February, host Kazakhstan and Russia have qualified for the final of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the 28^th Winter Universiade in Kazakhstan. It will be a repeat of the 2015 WU final, two years ago in Granada which was won by Russia.

Men’s Semi-Finals

RUS vs CAN

Team Canada’s gold-medal hopes vanished against a familiar foe. Canada and Russia were meeting in the Final Four for the sixth straight FISU Games, including Russian wins in the 2009 final and three semi-finals (2001, 2015 & 2017) and Canadian victories in the 2007 title match and the 2013 semis. Playing in front of a raucous pro-Russian capacity crowd, the Canadians had their hands full from the get-go against a powerful roster boasting nine players with KHL experience. The defending FISU champions opened the scoring four minutes and 18 seconds into the first period on the power play and didn’t let up the pressure, finishing with a 34-16 advantage in shots on goal. The lone Canadian goal, by University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières forward Guillaume Asselin of Quebec City, came with 15 seconds remaining in the contest. Queen’s University netminder Kevin Bailie of Belleville, Ont., kept his team in the game with countless big stops and finished with 30 saves. The Ontario University Athletics all-stars (4-1) still have a shot at bronze Wednesday at 11 a.m. local (midnight EST) against either host Kazakhstan (4-0) or the Czech Republic (3-1), who were facing off Tuesday evening in the second semi-final. Canada has reached the podium 14 times (4-3-7) in 15 previous appearances at the FISU tournament. Final score: 4-1 (1-0; 1-0; 2-1).

KAZ vs CZE

The roof went off the Halyk Arena when Team Kazakhstan beat Czech Republic and qualified for the men’s final against Russia. Czech Republic opened the score in this game, but hardly a minute later, the Kazakhs retaliated. In the second, the host team got ahead with two successive goals while two minutes in the third they sealed the fate of the Czechs by netting another goal. Final score: 4-1 (1-1, 2-0, 1-0).

Men’s Classifications Round

JPN vs SWE: 4-5 with Sweden ending on 7^th place and Japan 8^th.

SVK vs LAT: 5-4 with Slovakia ending on 5^th place and Latvia on 6^th.

C. Pierre, FISU Press Officer