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Japan shuts Korea out for 6-0 win in Asiad women's hockey

Published: 13 Feb. 2025, 15:10

The Korean women's ice hockey team loses to Japan in a round-robin match against Japan at the Asian Winter Games held in Harbin, China, on Feb. 13. [NEWS1]

Korea fell to Japan 6-0 for its second consecutive loss in the final round of the women's hockey tournament at the Asian Winter Games in China on Thursday.

Korea only managed nine shots in the shutout loss at Harbin Sport University Student Skating Rink in Harbin, remaining winless in the medal phase of the competition.

Korea will close out the tournament against Kazakhstan on Friday, also the last day of the Asian Games.

Japan scored three times on goaltender Kim Yeon-ju in the opening frame, with Rui Ukita finding the back of the net twice, and outshot Korea 12-1.

Korea replaced Kim with Park Jong-ju in net to begin the second period, but Japan greeted her a Suzuka Maeda goal at the 4:49 mark.

Japan scored another goal 7 minutes and 51 seconds later for a 5-0 lead, with Maeda bagging a second 13 minutes and 44 seconds in to the third period rounded out the scoring.

Japan peppered the Korean cage with 45 shots.

In the women's tournament, Japan, ranked No. 7, and 12th-ranked China, the top two Asian nations in the world rankings, received byes to the final round. Five countries battled in the preliminary round, and Kazakhstan, ranked No. 23, and 18th-ranked Korea grabbed the top two seeds to advance to the final round.

The three best teams after round-robin action in the final phase will be the medalists.

Korea is chasing its first-ever medal in women's hockey, having finished in fourth place twice — in 1999 and 2017.

The two straight losses knocked Korea out of gold medal contention, but it can still salvage bronze Friday, depending on other games' results.

Yonhap