This time, France was ready.
A year after Japan dominated from start to finish to open the final women’s ice hockey qualifying tournament for the Milano Cortina Games, coach Yuji Iizuka’s squad faced a far stiffer challenge from the French on Friday in Smile Japan’s Olympic opener.
Japan eventually emerged with a 3-2 victory on the back of a late snipe from forward Makoto Ito, who broke a 1-1 tie late in the third period to put her side ahead for good, but it was a far different outcome to the 7-1 thrashing Smile Japan gave France 12 months ago.
With under four minutes to play, Ito accepted a pass from Mei Miura after Miura adeptly kept the play alive in the French zone. Ito was given plenty of space and broke toward France goalie Alice Philbert. With a French defender providing a screen, Ito wired a wrister top shelf to the delight of the sizeable contingent of Japanese fans at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
An empty-net tally from Suzuka Maeda provided an insurance marker moments later and that proved to be extra handy for Smile Japan when France cut the lead to 3-2 with a little over 10 seconds remaining.
France’s last-gasp comeback attempt fell short and Japan will now look to build on its winning effort on Saturday against Germany.
