The men's ice hockey team of the Chinese mainland faced a narrow defeat against South Korea with a final score of 6-5 in overtime during their opening match in Group A at the ninth Asian Winter Games held in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, on Tuesday.
South Korea initiated the action early when Lee Chong-min scored at 6:32, putting the visitors ahead. Demonstrating resilience, China quickly responded as captain Zhang Jiaqi netted a goal just two minutes later. With three minutes left in the first period, Yan Juncheng's crucial shot put the host nation ahead.
The second period saw China extend their lead with goals from Zheng Mingju and Guo Jianing, making it 4-1. South Korea began a comeback with Ahn Jin-hui scoring a short-range goal, followed by Kim Sang-yeob narrowing the gap to 4-3.
In the third period, Kim Sang-yeob tied the game at 4-4 with a precise shot, pushing the match into overtime after Yu Jilong added another goal for China, making it 5-4. Lee's decisive shot in overtime tied the game once more, leading to a tense shootout.
China's goalkeeper, Chen Shifeng, made a vital save with just 45 seconds remaining in overtime, but Kim Sang-wook ultimately secured the victory for South Korea.
\"South Korea are a stronger team, and we made more mistakes today. Our players are young and have limited experience at international competitions,\" said China's captain Zhang Jiaqi. \"Anyway, we will do our best in the following match, striving to win a medal.\"
Other notable Group A results on Tuesday included Japan's dominant 15-0 victory over Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan's 12-0 win against Thailand. In the women's division, South Korea defeated Hong Kong 8-0, while Kazakhstan triumphed over Thailand with a 9-0 scoreline.
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China lose to South Korea in OT in ice hockey at Asian Winter Games
cgtn.com
