LAKE PLACID — Defenseman Samuel Ruffin scored at 8 minutes, 48 seconds into overtime to help the United States men’s hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Japan on Saturday, propelling the Americans into Sunday’s gold medal game of the World University Games at Olympic Center.
Ruffin’s goal was assisted by Luke Aquaro and Jack Jaunich. Aquaro, Brandan Mark and Austin Master were the other goal-scorers for the U.S.
U.S. goalie Ryan Kenny made 20 saves.
The U.S. will meet Canada for the gold medal after the Canadians defeated Kazakhstan, 4-1, in Saturday’s other semifinal.
Canada was fueled by Jonathan Theodore Co Yantsis’s two goals and Simon LaFrance’s three assists. Canada goalie Kai Ray Edmonds made 10 stops.
The gold medal game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN.
Canada shut out Japan, 5-0, for the gold medal, while the Czech Republic downed Slovakia, 3-1, in the bronze medal contest.
France’s Axel Garnier captured gold, winning the men’s 15-kilometer Mass Start event in a time of 39:53.7 at Mount Van Hoevenberg.
Kazakhstan’s Alexandr Mukhin was the silver medalist (40:18.5) and Norway’s Oerjan Moseng took bronze (40:26).
For the U.S., Bjorn Westervelt of Vermont finished eighth in 41:11.1, while Lake Placid native Van Ledger placed 11th in 42:07.3.
In the women’s 12.5KM Mass Start, the Czech Republic’s Kristyna Otcovska captured the gold medal with a time of 41:11.6. She was followed by silver medalist Pauline Machut of France in 41:32.7 and bronze medalist Anna Blanc also of France in 41:41.1.
The top Canadian was Shilo Rousseau, who was sixth in 42:06.3 and the top American finisher was Cheresa Bouley, who was 14th in 43:36.3
At Gore Mountain in North Creek, the gold medalists were Ukraine’s Mykhailo Kharuk in the men’s parallel giant slalom big final, and Italy’s Elisa Fava in the same event of the women’s competition.
University of Colorado student Jacob Dilling earned bronze in the men’s slalom, clocking a 1:51.47 time at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington.
He finished behind gold medalist Jan Zabystran of the Czech Republic in 1:51.38, and silver medalist Jeremie Lagier of France in 1:51.43.
In the men’s gold medal match, Great Britain jumped on the U.S. and defeated the Americans, 5-1.
China rallied past Korea for gold in the women’s event, 6-4.
Korea took gold medals in all four events, including the women’s 1,000-meter final, men’s 1,000 final, women’s 3,000 relay and the men’s 5,000 relay.
The Korean men swept all three medals in the men’s 1,000 final.
The U.S. garnered a bronze in the women’s 3,000 relay in 4:14.642. Korea’s winning time was 4:12.557.
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