GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province -- The joint Korean women's hockey team lost to Switzerland 2-0 in a women's hockey qualification match at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Sunday.
The loss at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung was Korea's second to Switzerland in eight days, though Korea put up a much stronger fight in this one. On Feb. 10, Switzerland blanked Korea 8-0, spoiling a historic Olympic debut for the first combined Korean team.
The joint Korean women`s hockey team players huddle around the net before the start of their classification game against Switzerland at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, during the 2018 Winter Olympics on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Korea lost all three preliminary games to fall to the classification round. Switzerland won Group B to reach the quarterfinals but lost to the Olympic Athletes from Russia team by 6-2 to drop to the classification stage as well.
Korea has now fallen to the seventh-place match, where it will face the loser of the Sweden-Japan classification match scheduled for later Sunday.
During Group B play, Sweden defeated Korea 8-0 and Japan prevailed 4-1.
The seventh-place match will be at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday, back at Kwandong.
Korea had a much better start in this game than the previous one against Switzerland on Feb. 10. Korea allowed three goals in the opening period in that earlier game but kept the Swiss to one goal in the first period this time.
It came on a power play at 16:35, with Sabrina Zollinger redirecting in a beautiful cross-ice pass by Nicole Bullo.
But Korea also generated some offensive chances of its own and spent a good chunk of time in the offensive zone. For stretches, it appeared that the Swiss players, coming off a 6-2 loss to the Olympic Athletes from Russia team Saturday, didn't quite have the legs that they usually do.
Korean forward Park Jong-ah (L) goes after the puck with Lisa Ruedi of Switzerland (R) chasing her during their classification game in the women`s hockey tournament at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, during the 2018 Winter Olympics on Sunday. (Yonhap)
And Korea's top line winger Park Jong-ah capitalized on some sloppy play by Switzerland and created some breakaways off Swiss turnovers. Only some desperate, last-minute stick checks by defenders foiled Park's scoring chances.
In the Korean net, Shin So-jung was at the top of her game and made some brilliant saves, including one on Sara Benz from point-blank range early in the second period.
But Shin alone couldn't keep Switzerland off the board in that frame. Evelina Raselli made it 2-0 for the Swiss with 1:08 left in the period, when she jumped on the loose puck following a botched clearing attempt by Korea.
Korea managed to keep Switzerland off the board in the third, while Shin stood on her head over the final 20 minutes. She ended up making 51 saves in what was easily her best game of the Olympics. (Yonhap)
