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| The Philippine floorball team celebrates after beating South Korea for third place on an overtime golden goal. Ivan Saldajeno |
By Ivan Saldajeno
BINAN--The Philippines has been in the wrong end of a bunch of heartbreaking results in basketball against South Korea.
But on Friday night, in another sport, it was the Philippines' turn to give its Asian sports rival a heartbreaker.
Ryan Hallden delivered the golden goal for the Philippine floorball team as it defeated South Korea, 6-5, in the bronze medal game of the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup at the Alonte Sports Arena.
Hallden scored the go-ahead goal from just inside the halfcourt line with only nine seconds left in a power play--and 3:55 remaining in overtime--as the Philippines prevailed despite blowing a comeback in the third period of the regulation.
Down 2-3 after two periods, the Philippines went to work in the final frame as Hallden, Ysaac Gelangre, and Christian Schoultze scored in succession to give the host squad a 5-3 lead with 5:30 remaining.
But South Korea did not waver as Baek Seung-Hoon kept the team in the match with a goal with 2:30 left in regulation.
Gambling on an empty net by substituting goalkeeper Kim Jun-Hwang for an extra scorer, Lee Eu-Sung scored on a close-range shot to tie the game, 5-all, with only seven seconds left in regulation even as the Philippines failed to even attempt a shot at the final horn.
South Korea went aggressive in the extra period and even made some attempts only to be stopped by the Philippine backline and goalie Jayson Palinsad.
The Philippines then got a golden opportunity as Kang Jung-Yeol was called for a hard foul, leading to the power play that set up Hallden's heroics.
With the podium finish, the Philippines bettered from the 2017 edition in Thailand, where the team finished dead last among eight teams.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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