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| ▲ This photo provided by the Korea Ice Hockey Association on April 22, 2023, shows the South Korean women's national team participating in the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division I Group B at Suwon Ice Rink in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This photo taken April 17, 2023, shows South Korean players (in blue) battling Italians for the puck during the teams' opening game at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division I Group B at Suwon Ice Rink in Suwon, 35 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap) |
S Korea-hockey
S. Korea squeezes past Britain at women's hockey worlds, inches closer to promotion
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea held off Britain 3-2 for its fourth consecutive victory at the third-tier women's hockey world championship on home ice Saturday, moving a step closer to a promotion to the next level in international hockey.
Captain Han Soo-jin scored the go-ahead goal to beat the second-period buzzer in the narrow win at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division I Group B at Suwon Ice Rink in Suwon, some 35 kilometers south of Seoul.
With three regulation wins and one overtime win, South Korea stayed at the top of the six-nation tournament with 11 points, with one game remaining.
South Korea will wrap up the competition against Kazakhstan at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. Italy, in second place with 10 points, will take on Poland in the tournament finale at 7:15 p.m. Sunday.
With a win Sunday, South Korea will clinch first place in the competition and also grab a ticket to the next highest competition, Division I Group A, for 2024. South Korea has never made it above Division I Group B.
Should South Korea and Italy finish tied in points, South Korea holds the tiebreaker thanks to a 2-1 overtime victory from Monday.
Against Britain, South Korea scored first at 14:32 mark in the opening frame. Defender Kim Tae-yeon's quick pass from the neutral zone sprung winger Lee Eun-ji on a 2-on-1 rush chance. Lee then sent the puck across to Park Jong-ah speeding down the right wing, and Park went down to her knees for a one-timer past goalie Ella Howard.
It gave Park a team-leading fifth point of the tournament.
The game opened up in the second period, as the teams traded four goals.
Kim Hee-won doubled South Korea's lead on a power play under five minutes into the middle period, as she emerged with the loose puck in a goalmouth scramble and slotted it past Howard.
But Britain stormed back to tie the score. First, it was Kathryn Marsden converting a saucer pass from Katie Henry on a 2-on-1 opportunity at 8:39 mark. About four minutes later, Katherine Gale scored a power play marker off a big rebound.
South Korea restored its lead with a buzzer beater by Han Soo-jin, who was left unmarked near the top of the crease as she took a Park Jong-ah feed from below the goal line. Han's shot found the back of the net just before time expired.
Britain, already eliminated from title contention before Saturday's game, outshot South Korea 6-3 in the final period but couldn't put one past goalie Huh Eun-bee.
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