Misc Hockey News

Ice hockey-After years in the shadows, Japan women eye medal glory

2022 Beijing Olympics – Ice Hockey – Women’s Prelim. Round – Group B – Japan v Denmark – Wukesong Sports Centre, Beijing, China – February 5, 2022. Toko Ayaka of Japan celebrates scoring their fourth goal with teammates. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

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TOKYO, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Not many years ago, members of Japan’s women’s ice hockey team were delivering pizzas to support themselves and keep their competition dreams alive.

But on Saturday they will take to the ice against Finland in the quarter-finals and make history as the first Japanese ice hockey team, men’s or women’s, to advance to the knockout round at the Olympics with their eyes firmly set on taking a medal.

“For us as a team, it’s only one stage along our journey,” defender Ayaka Toko, who, like a number of her teammates, also took part in the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Games, told Japanese media after Tuesday’s 3-2 win against the Czech Republic.

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