Germany shocks U.S. to set up gold-medal clash with Canada at Worlds

Germany shocked the United States 4-3 in overtime during Saturday's second semifinal at the 2023 IIHF World Championship to advance to the gold-medal game for the first time ever.

Frederik Tiffels scored the winner in the extra frame to set a date with Canada for Sunday's final.

Goaltender Mathias Niederberger was named Germany's player of the game thanks to his 30-save performance.

The nation hasn't won a medal since 1953 when West Germany captured silver against Sweden.

Tiffels hailed his team's "unbelievable effort" after helping his side to a stunning victory.

Team USA was undefeated in the tournament prior to its stunning defeat. The U.S. has lost all 12 of its semifinals at the event since the IIHF reinstituted a bracketed playoff round back in 1992.

It was all United States in the game's early goings. Alex Tuch scored 71 seconds into the matchup and Rocco Grimaldi doubled the lead within the first five minutes, but Germany stormed back. Tiffels and Maksymilian Szuber each found the back of the net to knot the game at two apiece heading into the second stanza.

Mikey Eyssimont broke the stalemate in the middle frame with his first goal of the tournament in his first contest back from a one-game suspension for kneeing Sweden's Rasmus Sandin.

The United States' 3-2 edge held until the tail end of the third period. German forward Marcel Noebels netted the equalizer to extend the contest with the goalie pulled.

Canada punched its ticket to a fourth straight gold-medal game with a 4-2 comeback victory over Latvia in the first semifinal.

The U.S. ultimately fell short of its first gold medal at the Worlds since 1933. America's Olympic medals in 1952 (silver), 1956 (silver), and 1960 (gold) also counted as Worlds medals before the IIHF started to differentiate between the two tournaments.

Team USA will face off against Latvia for bronze Sunday.