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Germany tops Russia in shootout to take fifth

Harss stops 21 shots as Germans finally find offense after overtime

updated 2:30 p.m. ET Feb. 20, 2006

TURIN, Italy - Maritta Becker and Nikola Holmes scored shootout goals Monday, giving Germany a 1-0 victory over Russia and fifth place in the women’s Olympic hockey tournament.

Goalie Jennifer Harss stopped 19 shots in regulation and two more during a 10-minute overtime session before finally getting some offensive support from her teammates, who had been frustrated all game by Russian goalie Irina Gashennikova.

Harss also stopped three shots during the shootout, and a fourth Russian’s attempt sailed over the net.

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Neither team generated many good scoring opportunities in the first two periods, when they each were 0-for-2 on the power play.

Germany squandered an opportunity to win in regulation, failing to capitalize on a 5-on-3 advantage when Russia’s Ekaterina Pashevich was penalized for tripping and Ekaterina Smolina was called for holding on the same sequence.

The Russians also weathered a third penalty in the last five minutes of regulation, and actually nearly won it when Tatiana Sotnikova and Iya Garilova got off shots that Harss blocked in the closing seconds.

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The Russians were penalized a total of seven times during regulation play and the overtime period, compared to just a single body checking penalty on German Sabrina Kruck late in the first period.

The Germans had 26 shots on goal during four periods of play, compared to just 21 attempts for the Russians.

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