The results of today's crossover games decide who plays for medals, and who plays for positions.

The #7 seeded Germans got past the #12 ranked Austrians by a 5 point margin, 41-36, earning them the right to play Holland, who upset the #8 seeded Swiss by a comfortable margin, 42-32.  Germany meets Holland tomorrow in a game to decide 9th place, while Austria and Switzerland compete for 11th spot.

The home team from Sweden then met the Kiwis, in a game that meant a lot to both teams.  The Kiwis went in to the tournament seeded 3rd, while the host team was 5th. Neither expected to meet here in this game, but both teams were hungry for the taste of victory.

Edited from the WC web site:

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The Swedish started the line-up of Kulle (2.0), Nilsson (2.0), Josefsson (1.0) and Engblom (3.0), who seemed hungry for revenge.  They played steadily and aggressive and Engblom made an excellent score, two minutes into the 1st period, followed by an equally brilliant goal made by Nilsson.  The New Zealanders soon gained the goals back and that was how it went on for another period.

The Swedish coach decided to change his line-up halfway through the 2nd period and out goes Engblom and Nilsson and in comes Eriksson (3.0) and Mattsson (2.0), bursting with energy.  The game got more intense at that point and the second period ended in favour for team Sweden.

Englund and Eriksson came back in the 3rd period and together with Kulle and Josefsson did their best to get control of the game.  The game has now taken a different turn since Team New Zealand seemed confident to win the game and gave themselves the opportunity to sit back, defend, and make it difficult for the Swedes to score.  In the end Team New Zealand defeated their Swedish hosts, 32-29.

The New Zealand team played excellently and so did Sweden.  In a funny way, it seems like the Swedish team put their play on the same level as their opponents, for better or worse.

The best player of the game was #11 from the New Zealand team, Curtis Palmer (2.5).

Tomorrow is the last day of the championships and Sweden will play their final game against Japan.

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In the other games played today, Great Britain got past Japan 38-34, and will meet New Zealand in the game that decides 5th place at the World Championships.  The Swedes will play Japan in the game for 7th.