Jung Si-yun of South Korea, right, tries to control the puck against China during the teams' final round game of the women's hockey tournament at the Asian Winter Games at Harbin Sport University Student Skating Rink in Harbin, China, Wednesday. Yonhap
South Korea suffered a 2-1 loss against China to open the final round of the women's hockey tournament at the Asian Winter Games in China on Wednesday.
Fang Xin scored the go-ahead goal for China in the third period for the home team's narrow win at Harbin Sport University Student Skating Rink in Harbin.
Eom Su-yeon had the lone goal for South Korea.
The women's competition began with Japan (No. 7) and China (No. 12), the top two Asian nations in the world rankings, waiting in the final round. Kazakhstan and South Korea emerged as the top two teams in a five-nation round-robin competition earlier this week to advance to the final stage.
The three best teams after round-robin action in the final round will be the medalists.
South Korea, world No. 18, will next face Japan on Thursday, followed by Kazakhstan (No. 23) on Friday, the final day of the Asian Winter Games.
South Korea is chasing its first Winter Asiad medal in women's hockey. It has finished fourth twice, in 1999 and in 2017.
South Korea outshot China 11-7 in the opening period but gave up the game's first goal at 10:50.
From just outside the South Korean zone, Wang Jiaxin chipped the puck across the blue line, and Wu Sijia split two South Korean players to quickly jump on the puck and walk in on goalie Kim Yeon-ju, before scoring on the short side for the 1-0 Chinese lead.
South Korea failed to capitalize on a five-minute power play late in the first period after Li Qianhua was called for a boarding penalty.
South Korea pulled even on a broken play 5:44 into the second period. Liu Siyang got a stick on an attempted pass by Park Ji-yoon but failed to clear the puck out of her zone. Eom Su-yeon, a defender-turned-winger, pounced on the loose puck and scored on a backhand to make it a 1-1 contest.
China regained its lead 8:39 into the third period, soon after killing off a penalty, with a great individual effort by Fang.
After winning a battle along the boards, Fang skated out of the corner with the puck, with defender Lee So-jung draped over her back. Fang then flicked a wrister to the top shelf on goalie Kim Yeon-ju's glove side to put China up by 2-1.
South Korea went 0-for-3 on power plays, though on its third chance, Park Jong-ah hit the crossbar with a backhander.
South Korea pulled the goalie out for an extra attacker in the dying seconds but couldn't get the tying goal. (Yonhap)
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