Forward Shin Yahata netted an overtime winner Tuesday as the Kokudo Bunnies edged the Nippon Paper Cranes 3-2 to sweep their best-of-five Japan Ice Hockey League playoff semifinal series.
Kokudo, which finished on top of the JIHL this season, must wait to see who it will face in the finals after Snow Brand defeated Oji Paper 4-1 in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, to take a 2-1 series lead.
Yahata struck 5:05 into overtime on an assist from Chris Yule, but Kokudo -- which played the first three games of the series on their home rink at Shin-Yokohama Skate Center -- got a scare when Darcy Mitani gave the Cranes a 2-1 lead 4:04 into the second period.
Forward Tomohiko Uchiyama equalized for the Bunnies with one minute and 57 seconds left in the second after a set-up from Takahito Suzuki.