Beijing, China, February 9, 2022: Japan’s women’s ice hockey team has vowed to fight to the “Finnish” here in Beijing.
After topping Group B with nine points from four games, Japan - nicknamed “Smile Japan” - will play Finland in the quarterfinals on Saturday, February 12 (16:40).
The other three quarter-finals are: Canada v Sweden, USA v Czech Republic and Russian Olympic Committee v Switzerland.
Japan finished on top of the five-team Group B ahead of the Czechs (seven points) and Sweden (six). Only the top three went through to the last eight, leaving China (five points) and Denmark (three points) to finish ninth and tenth, respectively, in the final rankings.
Japan needed a penalty-shot shootout to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 after a 2-2 tie at the Wukesong Sports Centre on Tuesday, with the winning penalty coming from Hanae Kubo.
Japan’s captain, Chiho Osawa, said: “It was a tough game to win, but it was a crucial one. We all worked very hard and it's really nice to win. Everyone worked together in this game; everyone played their part.
“We put in a lot of time training. Some people say we are just wasting our time but winning here gives us more confidence. In the quarterfinals, we will meet the third-placed women's team in Group A, which is also a crucial step.”
That team turned out to be Finland, who finished third behind Canada (12 points) and USA (nine) with a modest three points and ahead of the ROC and Switzerland, who also collected three points. All five teams from Group A advanced, while only the top three from the weaker Group B went through.
Looking ahead to their quarterfinal, Japan forward Haruka Toko, who scored both goals in regulation time against the Czechs, said: “It’s difficult to play against the USA and Canada, so now we have a little more chance to win, maybe a lot more. This is very big for us because we will play against the third-place team in Group A.”
Japan’s coach, Yuji Iizuka, added: “The team doesn’t have to play Canada or America, so that will have a great impact.”