Hannover Have Reached DEL Final

Three Hannover Scorpions surround an ERC Ingolstadt skater in Game Three of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga semifinals from TUI Arena in Lower Saxony. Hannover reached the DEL finals for the first time in club history with a three games-to-none series sweep of ERC Ingolstadt. (Bongarts/Getty Images)

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Veteran German international defenseman SASCHA GOC scored on the power play 1:37 into extra time to give the HANNOVER SCORPIONS a 5-4 Semifinal Game Three victory over ERC INGOLSTADT as well as a first-ever place in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga playoff championship.

The 31-year-old Goc, who last appeared for Germany at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, paced Hannover with two goals in the decisive match and now boasts four from eight playoff games. The former National Hockey League rearguard registered 17 goals in 52 games for the Scorpions during the regular season.

Goc, who contested 22 NHL games (0 go 0 as, 0 pts, 8 pim) for the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning, is the older brother of current German international and NHL forward MARCEL GOC of the Nashville Predators.

Goc’s four playoff goals are tied for tops on Hannover with veteran Canadian import CHRIS HERPERGER, the one-time 10th round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers whose late third period goal in Game Three brought about overtime.   

Herperger, the 36-year-old center who skated 169 games (18 go 25 as, 43 pts, 75 pim) in the NHL for the Chicago Black Hawks, Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers, evened Game Three for the Scorpions with just three minutes minus two seconds remaining in regulation.

Norwegian Olympian TORE VIKINGSTAD assisted on both Herperger’s game-tying goal as well as Goc’s overtime winner and finished with three assists for Game Three.