USA Inline team captures Silver Medal

As a player and member under USA Inline hockey I'm proud to say the US National team is bringing home the Silver Medal from the 2009 IIHF World Championship. They fell short in the Gold Medal game to Sweden 7-6. Also nice to see a local guy in my area CJ Yoder from Hershey, PA was named player of the Gold Medal game for USA.

If you ever have a chance to see a professional inline hockey game sanctioned by USA Inline Hockey, I definitely say go for it. It's a wide open game played 4 on 4, with no-icings and no-offsides. It's fast, and exciting.

Here is the official press release and box score from usahockey.com

Inline team claims silver medal

INGOLSTADT, Germany –Troy Redmann (Brea, Calif.) stopped 40 shots, but the U.S. National InLine Team came up just short, falling to Sweden, 7-6, here tonight in the gold-medal game at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation InLine Hockey World Championship. Team USA played in the gold-medal game for the eighth time in the tournament's 14-year history and claimed a medal for the first time since 2006.June 13, 2009

"This outcome stings a little right now, but I am very proud of the way we played throughout the tournament," said Rob Chornomud, head coach of Team USA. "This marks a new horizon for Team USA and we're now on the verge of becoming a powerhouse for years to come."

After Sweden took the lead just :45 into the opening period, Brian Yingling (Harrisburg, Pa.) put the U.S. on the board at 3:49. Sweden re-gained the lead at 8:46, before Lee Sweatt (Colorado Springs, Colo.) blasted home a slapshot :55 later to tie the game.

Sweden scored the only two goals of the second frame to hold a 4-2 advantage after 24:00 of play.

CJ Yoder (Hershey, Pa.) wrapped around the net and tucked the puck inside the post for a power-play goal at 5:39 of the third stanza, before Ernie Hartlieb (Warren, Mich.) fired a wrist shot to tie the game just 1:21 later. After Sweatt sent a shot into the top corner of the net to give the U.S. its first lead of the game at 8:14, Pontus Sjogren replaced Dennis Karlsson in the Swedish net.

Sweden tied the game at 4:59 of the fourth frame. Yingling tapped in a great feed from Yoder to regain the lead for Team USA at 7:21. Sweden used a screen in front of Redmann to even the game at 8:51 and scored the game-winner just :30 later.

NOTES: CJ Yoder was named Team USA's Player of the Game ... Ernie Hartlieb was selected by the directorate as the tournament's best defenseman ... James Beilsten (St. Charles, Mo.) led all defensemen in the tournament with 17 points (6-11) in six games. Beilsten was Team USA's top point-getter in the tournament, while Brian Yingling ranked second with 12 points (7-5) ...The U.S. roster can be found here... In the 14-year history of the IIHF InLine Hockey World Championship, the United States has earned gold medals in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2006; silver medals in 1998, 2001 and 2009; and bronze medals at the 2000, 2003 and 2005 tournaments ...Oliver David served as the assistant coach for Team USA.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

USA	2	0	3	1 --	6
SWE	2	2	0	3 --	7

First Period - Scoring: 1, SWE, Wessner (Axelsson), :45; 2, USA, Yingling (Yoder, Beilsten), 3:49; 3, SWE, Axelsson (Wessner), 8:46; 4, USA, Sweatt (Rodriguez), 9:41. Penalties: SWE, Thelander (interference), 6:26.

Second Period - Scoring: 5, SWE, Svensson (Klasen), 2:44; 6, SWE, Andersson (Axelsson, Wessner), 7:00. Penalties: USA, Yoder (slashing), 7:14.

Third Period - Scoring: 7, USA, Yoder (Beilsten), 5:39 (pp); 8, USA, Hartlieb (Gawrys, Oleksy), 7:00; 9, USA, Sweatt (Sigmund), 8:14. Penalties: SWE, Luukkonen (body-checking), 4:16; SWE, Bergman (interference), 10:13.

Fourth Period - Scoring: 10, SWE, Axelsson (Klasen), 4:59; 11, USA, Yingling (Yoder, Osterkamp), 7:21; 12, SWE, Thelander (Wessner, Axelsson), 8:51; 13, SWE, Klasen (Brolin, Svensson), 9:21. Penalties: None.

Shots by Period	1	2	3	4	Total
USA	11	3	13	11	38
SWE	14	17	7	9	47
Goaltenders (SH/SV)	1	2	3	4	Total
USA, Redmann, 48:00	14-12	17-15	7-7	9-6	47-40
SWE, Karlsson, 32:14	11-9	3-3	13-10	x	27-22
SWE, Sjogren, 15:46	x	x	0-0	11-10	11-10

Power Play: USA 1-3; SWE 0-1
Penalties: USA 1-1.5; SWE 3-4.5
Officials: Radim Prchal (CZE), Jeffrey Scott (AUS)