Japan dominates first Women’s Asia Championship

The deciding game against China proved to be Japan’s biggest test. The host nation had 12 of the 19 shots that the Japanese goalies had to deal with and hung around bravely in the game until allowing four unanswered goals in the third period.

Chinese goaltender Yuqing Wang deserved great credit for a courageous display under pressure: in a first period that saw Japan outshoot the opposition 23-1, she allowed just one goal to Rio Noro in the 15^th minute. Then came a goalless middle frame, with Wang stopping a further 13 shots. But when Marin Nakagoa, who made her World Championship debut for Japan last season, potted her second of the tournament to make it 2-0 in the 43^rd minute, there was no way back. Further tallies from Ukita, Makoto Ito and Seki completed a convincing Japanese victory.

China had grounds for satisfaction as well. Last season saw the country launch its own pro women’s league and this roster, for the first time, drew extensively from several clubs rather than exclusively using players from KRS Shenzhen. Beijing was heavily represented, with 11 players and there were two apiece from Hebei and Sichuan. They came together under experienced Finnish head coach Sami Haapanen, a multiple champion in his homeland.

Some of the new faces emerged among the scoring leaders: Beijing’s Mengying Zhang had 3 (2+1) points and was second in team scoring; clubmate Biyang Zhang also scored two goals.

This home-grown roster, very different from the teams we saw in Chinese colours at the Beijing Olympics and the World Championship IA promotion campaign in 2023, showed promise in its comfortable victories over Korea and Kazakhstan. That should breed confidence ahead of a return to Shenzhen for this year’s Division IA tournament.

And, in another boost for Chinese Women’s Hockey, the weekend games against Korea and Japan attracted four-figure crowds to the Shougang Arena in Beijing. With the game still growing in the 2022 Olympic host city, those attendances offer a foundation for further development.