In an electrifying showdown at the ninth Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China faced a heart-pounding overtime defeat against South Korea, with a final score of 6-5 in the men's ice hockey Group A match. 🏒🔥
South Korea kicked off the action early, with Lee Chong-min scoring at 6:32, giving them the initial lead. But China wasn’t backing down. Just two minutes later, captain Zhang Jiaqi showcased his skills by cutting inside and netting a crucial goal to level the playing field.
The tension continued to build, and with three minutes left in the first period, Yan Juncheng seized the moment to put the host ahead. The second period saw China ramp up their offense, with Zheng Mingju and Guo Jianing scoring in quick succession, pushing the score to 4-1. However, South Korea wasn’t done yet. Ahn Jin-hui and Kim Sang-yeob scored back-to-back goals, narrowing China's lead to 4-3.
The third period was a rollercoaster of emotions. Kim Sang-yeob tied the game 4-4 with a well-placed shot, but China's Yu Jilong quickly responded, making it 5-4. Lee’s determination sent the match into overtime.
In the extra minutes, China's goalie Chen Shifeng made a game-saving move with just 45 seconds left, but it wasn’t enough. Kim Sang-wook clinched the winning goal for South Korea, sealing a dramatic 6-5 victory.
Reflecting on the intense match, China's captain Zhang Jiaqi shared, \"South Korea are a stronger team, and we made more mistakes today. Our players are young and have limited experience at international competitions. Anyway, we will do our best in the following match, striving to win a medal.\"
Elsewhere in Group A, Japan dominated with a 15-0 victory over Chinese Taipei, while Kazakhstan swept past Thailand 12-0. On the women's side, South Korea routed Hong Kong 8-0, and Kazakhstan cruised past Thailand 9-0.
Reference(s):
China lose to South Korea in OT in ice hockey at Asian Winter Games
cgtn.com
